Latest data:
Testing: 535,342 people have now been tested for the virus.
UK Cases: 129,044 have tested positive, + 4,301 on previous day.
Loss of life: In hospital, 17,366 people have died + 857 on previous day.
Government Daily Briefings
Tuesday 21st April
The Secretary of State for Health & Social Care, Matt Hancock, hosted this evening’s media briefing. The Secretary of State was joined by Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, and Prof John Newton, Director of Health Improvement at Public Health England, who is also coordinating the national testing effort.
- Over £40m of Government funding to researchers working on Covid-19 vaccine at Oxford University and Imperial College, London
- Vaccine trials to start this week
- PPE – 8,000 offers of help; 159 new UK suppliers
Slides and datasets to accompany coronavirus press conference: 21 April 2020
Press conference slides and datasets used by Professor Jonathan Van-Tam.
Monday 20th April
Chancellor Rishi Sunak addressed the press conference with Professor Angela McLean, Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser and Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at Public Health England.
- Appointment of Paul Deighton, formerly Chief Executive of London 2012 Olympics to lead on domestic efforts to increase the supply of PPE
- Working to resolve the shipment of further PPE
- HMRC opened the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme this morning; by 4pm over 140,000 firms had applied
- Firms should have their cash in 6 working days
- New Government funding for start-ups and high growth businesses worth £1.25 bn
- Launch of the matched Future Fund – convertible loans for early stage companies
- £750 million of grant funding for innovative companies
Chancellor’s daily coronavirus update in full
Slides and datasets to accompany coronavirus press conference: 20 April 2020
Press conference slides and datasets used by Professor Angela McLean, Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser.
Sunday 19th April
Delivered by Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson
– No date for schools to re-open yet
– Oak National Online academy launches on Monday 20th
– Providing laptops to support home learning and providing routers for those from poorer homes
– Working to provide a vaccine
– General trend for cases to be plateauing
– we should be wary of comparing UK with other countries
– reassurance sought for PPE availability
Full transcript of Gavin Williamson’s briefing
Slides and datasets to accompany coronavirus press briefing 19 April
Saturday 18th April
Delivered by Robert Jenrick, Communities Secretary focused on support for local councils:
– an additional £1.6 billion of new funding to support local councils
– deferring £2.6 billion in business rates payments from local administration to central government
– payment up-front of £850 million in social care grants
– delivery of essential supply boxes to those at highest risk and vulnerable people
– Captain Tom raises £25 million for the NHS and rising
– parks must remain open
– funerals can be attended by close family members
Full transcript available HERE
Slides and datasets to accompany coronavirus press conference: 18 April 2020
Friday 17th April
Delivered by Business Secretary Alok Sharma:
- Government extends furlough scheme to end of June
- 108,692 people tested positive + 5,599 on previous day
- 18,978 people currently in hospital
- 14,576 have now died + 847 on previous day
- currently social distancing remains in place for at least three weeks
- 5 tests must be satisfied before safe to lift any current restrictions
- set up of a Vaccines Taskforce
- a further 21 research projects set up to fight the coronavirus
- UK’s first Vaccines Manufacturing Centre
Business Secretary’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 17 April 2020
Business Secretary Alok Sharma gave the 17 April 2020 daily press briefing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Slides and datasets to accompany coronavirus press conference: 17 April 2020
EMPLOYERS / BUSINESSES / FINANCE
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – online claims portal open
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is live from today, Monday 20th April.
There’s now updated guidance on how to calculate your claim and a simple step-by-step guide.
There is also an online calculator for you to check your calculations online before you make your claim.
Please have all your information and calculations ready before you begin your application. If you have a payroll provider, they will be able to help you with this. You should retain all records and calculations in case HMRC need to contact you about them.
Please only call HMRC if you can’t find what you need on GOV.UK – this will leave lines open for those who need help most.
Employers can claim for employees who were employed and on their PAYE payroll on or before 19 March 2020. This means that the employee must have been notified to HMRC through an RTI submission notifying payment in respect of that employee on or before 19 March 2020.
Employers should receive the money within six working days.
The Treasury has announced that the coronavirus job retention scheme will be extended by one month to reflect the social distancing measures.
Further guidance is available here.
HMRC hosting live webinars on Job Retention Scheme
As part of the government’s commitment to provide support to businesses and employers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, HMRC have been offering live webinars on the Job Retention Scheme. The following live webinar provides an overview of the support available to help employers and your employees deal with the economic impacts of COVID-19. Places are extremely limited so please save your place now.
The webinar can also be watched on YouTube
Billion pound support package for innovative firms hit by coronavirus
UK businesses driving innovation and development will be helped through the coronavirus outbreak with a £1.25 billion government support package, the Chancellor announced today. The comprehensive package includes a new £500 million loan scheme for high-growth firms, called the Future Fund, and £750 million fund of targeted support for small and medium sized businesses focusing on research and development.
The Future Fund will issue convertible loans to innovative companies which are facing financing difficulties due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Future Fund will provide government loans to UK-based companies ranging from £125,000 to £5 million, subject to at least equal match funding from private investors.
These convertible loans may be a suitable option for businesses that rely on equity investment and are unable to access the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. The scheme will be delivered in partnership with the British Business Bank and will launch in May 2020. Find out more about the scheme here.
Details of the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) have been revealed.
Brought forward by lenders accredited by the British Business Bank, the initiative will help provide facilities of up to £25m for those with turnover of between £45m and £250m, and facilities of up to £50m for those with revenue of more than £250m, which are suffering disruption to their cashflow.
CLBILS will support term loans, revolving credit facilities, invoice finance and asset finance facilities. It is designed to give lenders “greater confidence to provide funding” by providing a partial guarantee of 80 per cent of the outstanding facility balance.
CBILS – A guide to whether it may be the best options for a business
Figures released by the banking lobby group, UK Finance, showed that only one in five UK businesses who have formally applied for government-backed loans have been granted emergency funding during the COVID-19 lockdown. But is taking out a loan under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme the best option?
Councils awarded an additional £1.6 billion of new funding to support councils with the pressures they face as they respond to COVID-19.This funding takes the total amount given to councils to help them through the pandemic to over £3.2 billion.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): letter from the Secretary of State to the local government workforceThe letter thanks the local government workforce for their help during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Prince’s Trust and NatWest have launched a £5m fund to help young entrepreneurs across the UK to keep their businesses afloat during the coronavirus crisis.
The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has published a ‘contingent exit plan’
The plan outlines the stages involved in ending the lockdown, and the conditions each will require: suppression of the disease and managed revival of the economy
Government launches new coronavirus business support finder tool
A new ‘support finder’ tool will help businesses and self-employed people across the UK to quickly and easily determine what financial support is available to them during the coronavirus pandemic.
Grant funding provided to businesses by local authorities in England
The Government has published data on the amount of money distributed to SMEs by every local authority in England as part of the 2 grant schemes launched to help businesses deal with coronavirus.
Guidance for those involved in managing COVID-19 deaths
A collection of guidance to support employers and workers handling loss of life.
Letter to front line staff providing essential banking services
Letter from the Economic Secretary, John Glen, to front line staff working to provide essential banking services.
Share information on the COVID19 impacts on your SME business
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is calling on engineering and tech SME workers to share their experiences and insights around the effects of coronavirus on small businesses.
Business Desk host webinar – Be prepared for when the world un-pauses
The businesses that are prepared for that moment and are ready to sprint out of the blocks can mitigate the damage caused by the lockdown and make long-term gains.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for UK businesses
Added new section on PPE export control process to guidance for UK businesses trading internationally.
Webinars and videos from HMRC are now available, advising businesses on how to deal with the economic impacts of coronavirus, and how to access support.
ACAS runs a series of webinars on employment law and employment relations
Covid-19 Business Grant Funding Documentation
HEALTH:
Testing capacity increases as second Lighthouse Lab becomes fully operational
The second mega-lab at Alderley Park in Cheshire has begun to test thousands of patient samples a day for coronavirus.
Shipment of PPE arrives in UK from Turkey
The flight arrived at RAF Brize Norton in the early hours of Wednesday morning and is believed to contain up to about half of the promised kit. Other RAF planes are said to be on standby to collect the rest.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for people receiving direct payments
Advice for people who buy care and support through a direct payment, as well as local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and those who provide care and support.
Government urges gambling industry to tackle risks of problem gambling during coronavirus outbreak
Culture Minister Nigel Huddleston has written to the Chief Executives of five leading online gambling operators as well as the Betting and Gaming Council to request regular intelligence from the industry on patterns of online gambling during the coronavirus outbreak.
Government to extend testing for coronavirus to more frontline workers
Access to testing for those with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) will be extended across England to include additional frontline workers and symptomatic members of their household.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing: privacy information
Privacy notice on COVID-19 virus testing for critical workers and their household members who are self-isolating because they’re showing symptoms.
The UK is to begin trialling the use of blood donated by coronavirus survivors to treat people currently suffering from the disease. The hope is that the antibodies they have built up will help others. Meanwhile, doctors are warning people not to mix up the symptoms of coronavirus with hay fever. BBC health correspondent explains how to tell the difference.
Olympics chief brought in to boost PPE production
Lord Deighton will lead the national effort to produce essential personal protective equipment for frontline health and social care staff.
COVID-19: guidance for stepdown of infection control precautions within hospitals and discharging COVID-19 patients from hospital to home settings
Advice on appropriate infection prevention and control (IPC) precautions for stepdown in hospital or discharge to home or residential settings.
COVID-19: guidance for health professionals
‘How to work safely in care homes’ added to information on COVID-19, including guidance on the assessment and management of suspected UK cases.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): personal protective equipment (PPE) hub
‘How to work safely in care homes’ added to guidance about coronavirus (COVID-19) personal protective equipment (PPE).
Guidance updated to support the safe management of funerals
Further guidance for those managing or organising funerals during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
National testing coordinator warns against unapproved antibody tests
Statement from Professor John Newton, national coordinator of the UK coronavirus (COVID-19) testing programme, warning against the purchase of unapproved antibody testing kits.
Public Health England has launched the Every Mind Matters platform that looks to support people’s mental health through the coronavirus pandemic.
The Exercise of Functions by the National Health Service Commissioning Board (Coronavirus) Directions 2020
Directions given to the National Health Service Commissioning Board by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Specification for ventilators to be used in UK hospitals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
This guidance sets out the clinical requirements based on the consensus of what is ‘minimally acceptable’ performance in the opinion of the anaesthesia and intensive care medicine professionals and medical device regulators.
More deaths in care homes than in the communityThe Health Foundation has responded to the weekly ONS mortality data for England and Wales which showed there have been more deaths in care homes than in the community for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. It said, ‘Better and more timely data from care homes, on the health needs of those living in care homes, and suspected cases and deaths, could have helped mobilise more assistance for the sector earlier on and this now must be a focus.’
COVID-19: guidance on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing
Updated guidance and advice for parents and carers on looking after the mental health and wellbeing of children or young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
COVID-19: guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection
Stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection – amended text in section on ‘Self-isolation’ to be consistent with text about ‘Household isolation’.
COMMUNITY:
Government sets out plans to ensure bereaved families can attend funerals during pandemic
Local Government Minister has written to all councils in England to ensure that family members can attend the funerals of their loved ones and that the wishes of the deceased are respected during this pandemic.
EXPORT:
UK Export Finance has published guidance on the temporary suspension of debt service repayments.
CHARITIES:
The Charity Commission has provided information on coronavirus related fraud and cybercrime that could target charities.
MANUFACTURING:
What is the UK Government Ventilator Challenge?
The Prime Minister asked companies to help manufacture, design and build thousands of NHS ventilators in the fight against COVID-19.
A survey of small independent breweries in the UK by SIBA – the Society of Independent Brewers has found that beer sales are down 82%, while 8 in 10 brewers think the Government isn’t doing enough to help them. 65% of breweries have stopped production, while 54% are unable to access Government support.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has announced that it is leading the planning process for restarting the sector after coronavirus, saying that pubs will need three to four weeks’ notice to allow them to reopen, while brewers will need this time to scale-up production. The BBPA says that the Government will need to work with the sector and provide support to ensure that pubs can survive.
PROPERTY:
“We appreciate that for many customers this will only be the start of a very challenging time, and it is right that we share that burden with customers.”
UK Property market is ‘paralysed’ by lockdown – analysis
The lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic has frozen the housing market, according to Home.co.uk’s Asking Price Index for April.
With estate agent offices closed until further notice, new listings have, essentially, fallen off a cliff. Meanwhile, price movements during this period are ‘meaningless’ and predictions of falling prices are ‘premature’.
EDUCATION:
Coronavirus (COVID-19): financial support for education, early years and children’s social care
Funding and financial support available for education, childcare and children’s social care organisations.
Financial charity Young Money and the Building Societies Association have launched a set of financial education materials to be used by children, parents and carers while schools are closed. The materials so far available include exercises for both primary and secondary school pupils.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for schools and other educational settings Reorganised information by category: Guidance and advice about coronavirus (COVID-19) in educational settings for staff, parents and carers, pupils and students.
The Association of Colleges Sport (AOC Sport) has launched ‘The FIFA 2020 College Lockdown Championships’, a tournament which will give students from member colleges the opportunity to play against English Colleges Football Association (ECFA) national team footballers and compete in a showcase final on Wednesday 1 July 2020.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): cancellation of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2020
Updated guidance aims to answer common questions in relation to the cancellation of GCSEs, AS and A levels due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in 2020:
cancellation of GCSEs, AS and A levels in 2020’ including details of Ofqual’s consultation on exceptional arrangements for exam grading and assessment.
BBC launches biggest education offering with Bitesize Daily
The BBC has launched its biggest ever education offering designed to help children through the coronavirus outbreak. Bitesize daily has been put together in just 4 weeks and offers 14 weeks of curriculum-based learning for children across the UK aimed at minimising disruption for their education.
The Department for Education has announced a package of measures to support online learning, which includes the provision of laptops and free 4G routers for disadvantaged pupils.
Supporting vulnerable children and young people during the coronavirus outbreak
Clarifications to the existing guidance including the actions to be taken for each group around their attendance or otherwise at an education setting. We have not changed the groups included in the definition of vulnerable children.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): SEND risk assessment guidance
Guidance for special schools, specialist colleges, local authorities and any other settings managing children and young people with complex special educational needs and disability (SEND).
What parents and carers need to know about schools and education during the coronavirus outbreak
Updated information on support for parents, online resources and vulnerable children and information for parents and carers about educational provision for critical workers, school closures, exams, free schools meals and home schooling.
Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak
Updated information on online resources and remote learning, workforce, and vulnerable children.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): reducing burdens on educational and care settings
Guidance on which data collections, services or requests will be cancelled, paused or will continue in the 2019 to 2020 academic year.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): free school meals guidance
Updated information about school food contracts and free school meal eligibility in guidance for schools and local authorities on free school meals arrangements during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and a sample application form on the temporary extension of free school meals eligibility to NRPF groups.
GCSEs, AS and A level awarding: summer 2020
Information for schools, students and parents on how qualifications will be graded and awarded in summer 2020.
Aldi joins Free School Meal voucher scheme
Aldi joins supermarkets signed up to Government’s national voucher scheme
Coronavirus (COVID-19): attendance in education and early years settings
A summary of how many children and teachers attended education settings between Monday 23 March and Friday 17 April 2020.
Key issues to be addressed before schools re-open
The Teachers’ Union (NASUWT) chief executivehas set out five key issues which must be addressed before schools can be reopened, including access to PPE where appropriate, COVID-19 risk assessments and limiting the number of students in school.
Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak
Updated guidance on the childcare services in Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) settings, childminders and local authorities need to provide during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
COVID-19: guidance on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing
Updated guidance and advice for parents and carers on looking after the mental health and wellbeing of children or young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
TRANSPORT / TRAVEL:
Attestation forms for travel to and within France
Information for UK nationals about which attestation form to use when travelling to and within France during the coronavirus (COVID-19) decree.
Bangladesh charter flights to return stranded Brits
UK announces four charter flights from Bangladesh to take home British travellers.
17 more charter flights from India to return thousands of stranded Brits
Seventeen more charter flights from India, with a total capacity of around 4000 passengers, will bring back more people in India who have been waiting for flights
Temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the drivers’ hours rules: all sectors carriage of goods by road
Extension of the current relaxations of the EU and GB drivers’ hours rules for drivers carrying goods by road apart for break derogation in EU rules, until 31 May 2020.
Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps has announced measures to make it easier for bus and lorry drivers to renew their expiring driving licences.
Government takes further action to support bus and lorry drivers who are keeping the country moving
Temporary change applies to drivers whose licences are due to expire or have expired since 1 January 2020. Find out more here.
Return flights for most vulnerable Britons from New Zealand
New Government charter flights will bring home the most vulnerable Britons stranded in New Zealand this week with three flights from Auckland and two from Christchurch.
UK set to bring home hundreds more British travellers from across the Philippines
Another charter flight from the Philippines will bring home around 200 more British nationals, including from remote areas, it has been announced today.
Traffic orders: advertising during coranavirus (COVID-19)
Additional and temporary guidance on making traffic orders during coronavirus restrictions.
MEDIA / COMMS:
Prolific North’s next free webinar, taking place this week, welcomes two marketing specialists to discuss the allocation of marketing budgets at a time when everything is up in the air.
Free marketing seminar for marketing focus in Covid-19 outbreak
Paul Mellor, MD at Mellor&Smith will join the panel at tomorrow’s free webinar titled: “What should I focus my marketing budget on right now”
LEISURE:
The aim of the fund, which will be up to £2m, is to extend the safety net as far as possible for the sector by helping small heritage organisations both to survive the immediate challenges posed by the pandemic, and to prepare for recovery.
CONSTRUCTION:
The firm said it would start a phased opening and would operate at reduced capacity over the coming weeks to ensure its workforce adhered to the recommended site operating procedures enforcing social distancing.
Industry leaders have called on the government to label construction staff as essential workers.
Build UK members led by Mace CEO Mark Reynolds made the plea in a call with Minister for Business and Industry Nadhim Zahawi. During the call they urged the government to “designate construction workers as‘essential workers’ in order to reassure everyone that they had ‘permission’ to leave their homes to go to work.”
EMPLOYMENT:
DEFRA launches ‘Pick for Britain’ website for people looking for work on farms
From pickers and packers, to plant husbandry and tractor or forklift drivers, there are a wide range of roles available. Here you will find recruiters in your area
UK employment rate at record high before lockdown
UK employment was estimated at a record high in the three months to February, before the effects of the coronavirus lockdown started to hit the economy. Official figures showed 76.6% of people aged 16 to 64 were in paid work, up from 76.4% in the previous quarter.
Cheshire East Jobs Match
Cheshire East Council has launched a new job matching service to help people, who are temporarily not working, find jobs in key roles where support is needed.
The free job matching service will help to connect employers across Cheshire East who have urgent temporary or permanent vacancies with applicants who are immediately available and in need of employment.
For more information about this, and about financial support during the Covid-19 outbreak, visit the Council website:
RETAIL:
Cities with high leisure exposure will be worst hit by lockdown
Cities and towns poised to weather the virus best are ones with a higher proportion of essential retailers that haven’t been closed under government orders, Nyakairu says.
Urgent call for support for the British pub sector
The British Beer and Pub Association has written to Alok Sharma, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, urging him to take urgent action to support the sector, outlining five steps which it believes need to be taken.
Retail leaders call on Government to underwrite rents
The leaders of three leading retail and property groups have written to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak calling on the government to underwrite retail rents as store groups and landlords suffer in the Covid-19 health outbreak.
The British Retail Consortium reports that footfall decreased by 44.7% in March owing to the lockdown.
Shopping centres the most negatively affected location, and retail parks the least owing to their wider open spaces and the proportion of supermarkets. Chief Executive Helen Dickinson said that, once the restrictions were imposed, footfall dropped by ‘over 80% on the previous year’.
Primark boss: “In time we can rebuild the profits – we can’t replace the people we lose”
The chief executive of the parent company of Primark has confirmed that he is willing to ‘accept lower sales’ in order to fight the spread of COVID-19.
In a statement this morning, Associated British Foods chief executive George Weston stressed the importance of slowing the coronavirus outbreak through reducing footfall in Primark stores when lockdown is lifted.
Much as I would love to be allowed to reopen Primark stores across the UK, Continental Europe and the USA soon, because lockdown has so harmed our business and our supply chains, I know that we must not do so until we have suppressed this disease.”
Takeaway orders increase by 33% but over 36% of takeaways close
Takeaway delivery platform Foodhub revealed record figures for online orders over the past couple of weekends. During the COVID-19 crisis many businesses are shutting down and the majority of the country is in isolation but, this hasn’t stopped people from ordering their favourite food. However, in contrast to these findings, Foodhub also reported that 36% of takeaways closed within a seven day period.
Lidl on search for new retail sites As one of the UK’s fastest growing supermarkets, Lidl need new retail sites across the country. Flexible when it comes to type of tenure, the retailer offer a competitive fee structure too.
New ecommerce start-up site ‘Search Fresh’ is inviting small businesses struggling to make sales in lock down to join its high street web-shop.
The Stockport based start-up will provide businesses that haven’t traditionally lent themselves to online sales with an ecommerce platform to sell fresh produce.
Aldi joins Free School Meal voucher scheme
Aldi joins supermarkets signed up to Government’s national voucher scheme
The Association of Convenience Stores has produced guidance to help retailers to support customers shopping for groceries on behalf of others.
The new guidance has been developed to inform convenience retailers about best practice on offering and processing telephone payments during the COVID-19 outbreak for volunteers purchasing goods on behalf of vulnerable customers or people who are self-isolating.
NFRN calls for investigation into pricing in Covid-19 outbreak
The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN)has called for a meeting with the Competition and Markets Authority to discuss concerns about pricing and availability of suppliers to small retailers as opposed to larger chains.
New Updates and Guidance – Business Support FAQs
Frequently asked questions for businesses and employers, on business closures and stay at home, and on the self-employment income support scheme, are available on the business support website.
Useful links:
Government – Business Support:
Government – Financial Support
CBILS – A guide to whether it may be the best options for a business
Government – Financial Support
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – online claims portal open
Government – Business Support:
Government launches new coronavirus business support finder tool
Government – Business Support Hub:
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support
Government – Financial Support: HMRC has published guidance on how it will work out income and profits for the self-employed or those in a partnership who have lost profits due to coronavirus.
Government – Business Support: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19
Government – Financial Support:
Webinars and videos from HMRC are now available, advising businesses on how to deal with the economic impacts of coronavirus, and how to access support.
Government – Business Support:
Bank of England – Financial Support:
https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/2020/march/the-covid-corporate-financing-facility
Cheshire East Council
Business helping businesses: https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_information/coronavirus/cheshire-east-business-helping-business.aspx
Gov.uk: Maintaining Educational Provision:
UK Lockdown – Further businesses to close and exceptions:
Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub
Health – updates from NHS
https://www.england.nhs.uk/news/
Health – Shielding the most vulnerable
Travel:
Updates from Northern Rail: https://media.northernrailway.co.uk/news/coronavirus-travel-information
Recruitment: – DWP and Universal Credit
Retail: An update form British Retail Consortium
https://brc.org.uk/news/corporate-affairs/coronavirus-latest-retailer-activity/
Useful information for the Self-Employed:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/03/uk-coronavirus-help-and-your-rights/#vid
Small businesses received £21.3 billion in COVID-19 support from local authority grants 
Two year extension announced for Covid Recovery Loan scheme 
Research finds Covid-19 has not fundamentally changed the UK labour market