Simon Jack
BBC Business Editor

The chancellor is attempting a delicate balancing act.

Slowly withdrawing very expensive government support programmes without crashing the economy.

Cash-strapped employers must decide if they can take on an increasing burden to keep workers for whom there may be little or no work.

The withdrawal is more gradual than many had feared. But what does the loss of support mean for people's jobs?

Read more from Simon Jack's blog here

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One of the UK government's top science advisers has warned that relaxing lockdown is a risk because coronavirus levels are still "very high".

Professor John Edmunds, from the London School of Tropical Hygiene and Medicine, said many other advisers would also "prefer to see the incidence down to lower levels before we relax measures".

It comes as the UK government and devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland outlined varying plans to ease restrictions.

Meanwhile, new documents from meetings of Sage, the scientific group advising ministers, have also been released.

They contain details on some of the advice experts have given to ministers in recent weeks. BBC Health has been taking a look through.

Imogen Foulkes
BBC News, Geneva

Image source, AFP

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a "technology access pool" to ensure that treatments, vaccines and the technology surrounding them is provided to all who need them - and are not simply bought up by the wealthiest countries.

It is supported by 37 mainly smaller or developing nations.

WHO head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said tools to prevent, detect and treat Covid-19 were "global public goods that must be accessible by all people".

"Science is giving us solutions, but to make the solutions work for everyone, we need solidarity," he said.

The initial proposal came from Costa Rica, which suggested a common fund where those who decide to participate - voluntarily - will make available the scientific knowledge, data and intellectual property they develop.

In addition to medicines and vaccines, this includes improved diagnostic tests, medical devices (such as prototype respirators), health protection equipment and any other technology that proves useful in curbing the pandemic.

However some of the world’s biggest economies, and major pharmaceutical producing countries - among them the US, UK, China and Switzerland - have not yet given their backing to the scheme, apparently fearful of setting a precedent in relinquishing intellectual property rights to vital medicines they have developed.

BBC OS

When 17-year-old Rachel Chapman's prom was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, seven-year-old Curtis, who she babysits, decided to surprise her with his own version.

Curtis held a socially distanced dinner and a dance in his back garden for Rachel. He served some of their favourites - apple slices with peanut butter, Chick-fil-A and smoothies.

His mother, Elissa Rogers, explained how he came up with the idea.

Image source, PA Media

A petition for the UK prime minister's chief adviser to resign has gained more than a million signatures.

It follows accusations that Dominic Cummings breached lockdown rules last month, during a stay near Durham - about 260-miles from his home in London.

His journey - and what he did once he was there - has been the focus of intense media scrutiny and the concern of many Tory MPs since coming to light last week.

Durham Police says the political aide may have broken the rules but that he will not face further action.

Cummings has said he acted reasonably and legally. His boss, Boris Johnson, is sticking by him and says he wants to "draw a line under the matter".

But dozens of MPs from the PM's own party have also called for Cummings to quit, in what BBC Political editor Laura Kuenssberg says shows cracks in the relationship between the PM and the Tory Party.

The BBC's Reality Check team have been looking at the facts around the row.

We're getting some more reaction to the changes to the UK's job and income support schemes outlined earlier.

Adam Marshall, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said the chancellor had struck a "careful balance" in introducing more flexibility in the furlough scheme.

But he added that his plans to close the scheme to new applicants at the end of June "feels premature".

Frances O'Grady, general secretary of the TUC trade union federation, also welcomed the proposed introduction of part-time furlough plans in July.

But she said the government should now ensure workers with health conditions or childcare responsibilities weren't "first in line when it comes to redundancies".

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, the CBI's director general, said firms in sectors that will only reopen later "may need further assistance".

Image source, Getty Images

Illinois is joining other midwestern states in beginning to allow shops, restaurants, salons and other businesses to reopen but with new virus mitigation restrictions.

Starting on Friday, Governor JB Pritzker's office will allow outdoor seating at bars and restaurants, haircuts, massages and non-essential retail shopping with only 50% of the businesses' normal capacity. Masks are still required for anyone out in public.

Chicago, where cases are plateauing, will not see its lockdown eased until 3 June, according to Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

But even when businesses can reopen next week, they will have harsher restrictions in place than other Illinois regions. Lightfoot says businesses in Chicago will only be allowed to operate at 25% capacity because "Covid-19 is still very much part of our present".

Kevin Peachey
Personal finance reporter

A reminder of the sheer scale of the UK government’s financial support schemes is worthwhile.

The government is paying the wages of more than 10 million workers, for up to eight months, at a cost of more than £100bn ($125bn) in mostly borrowed money.

That is unprecedented, and is clearly designed to have saved a far greater cost if all these people had lost their jobs.

But, like any short-term pick-me-up, the longer-term hangover will be painful as individuals, businesses and the Treasury try to balance the books again.

We're beginning to get some reaction to the chancellor's announcements from the UK opposition parties.

For Labour, shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has welcomed the changes allowing furloughed employees to work part-time, and the extension to the self-employed support scheme.

But she also told reporters she hoped employers hit hardest by lockdown - such as in tourism - would have been allowed to share the cost of the furlough scheme a little less.

"That's critical to prevent large-scale unemployment, and I'm afraid we didn't see that from the chancellor today," she added.

Liberal Democrat acting leader Sir Ed Davey also welcomed the continuation of the scheme to help the self-employed.

But he said "gaping flaws" in the scheme meant those either newly self-employed, or paid through profits, were still not included and had not been addressed.

He added that chancellor must also be prepared to review the end date to the schemes if there is a "second spike" in infections.

Today's government press conference was given by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. He was joined by Prof Stephen Powis, the medical director of NHS England.

Here's what they told us:

• Employers will be asked to pay a contribution to the furlough wage scheme. In August they will be asked to pay national insurance and pensions contributions. In September, they will be expected to pay 10% of wages, and in October 20%, as the government contribution tapers off. The furlough wage cap will also decrease each month. The scheme will then close
• From July, a "flexible" furlough will be introduced, to allow businesses to bring staff back part-time
• The self-employment scheme will be extended, with people receiving another three-month grant, based on 70% of their previous earnings, in August. The cap on the grant will also be lowered
• Any increase in transmission rates or the number of infections may see targeted restrictions re-introduced

National Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis said the trend of the R number is down across all parts of the country, but the UK may see more localised outbreaks of coronavirus in the future.

Professor Powis suggested dormitories and prisons as examples where this may happen in the future, which would need local public health interventions "before they become a wider problem in the wider community".

Detection and tracing of localised outbreaks early so that transmission is broken would be key to managing such localised outbreaks, Professor Powis said.

Reality Check

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One of the questions at the daily briefing was about how to hold a barbecue safely, under the new rules.

From Monday in England, up to six people - from different households - can meet up outside in places such as parks or gardens (provided they stay 2m apart).

That could involve holding barbecues and picnics – in parks or private gardens - so what’s the advice on how to do that?

Professor Sally Bloomfield, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says: “The minute we start sharing food, we significantly increase the risk of transmission [of coronavirus] via hands and surfaces, by passing plates, glasses, etc.”

Her advice is:

• Do it “picnic style”: with everyone bringing their own picnic, plates, drinks and all taking them away with them
• When using an indoor toilet, make sure you supply a cloth and bleach spray, and ask guests to disinfect any surfaces they have touched

In Scotland, groups of eight can meet outdoors from today, but people are advised to bring their own food, cups and eating utensils if they’re having a barbecue or picnic.

Find out more here.

The chancellor said he agrees with the prime minister about keeping the two-metre distancing rule "under review", but says "we are not at the point" where it could be scrapped.

The UK hospitality sector in particular has pushed for a relaxation, saying pubs and restaurants may struggle to re-open if the two-metre distancing rule is enforced.

National Medical Director Stephen Powis said the two-metre rule was "not absolute" and other mitigation can be taken to reduce risks of transmission.

"But I don't think the science has fundamentally changed."

The chancellor is asked about the impact of the virus on the public sector, which is not eligible for the furlough scheme.

Rishi Sunak says many in the public sector are in "multi-year" pay deals and these will be reviewed in the normal way.

Asked whether ministers should take a pay cut, Sunak says "there's probably a process for that as well, which I'll look into".

The prime minister this week reaffirmed a commitment to all manifesto pledges, including the triple lock on pensions.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has just been asked if he will reaffirm his commitment to the policy, as questions are raised on how the wage subsidy scheme will be paid for.

"As always I agree with the prime minister... but will not write future budgets today," Sunak said.

Kevin Peachey
Personal finance reporter

The chancellor clearly wanted today’s announcements to signal that the UK is heading back to work.

Using phrases such as “re-opening” the economy, and shops and factories “starting to hum”, he wanted to look to the future.

But that future will see the support scheme for salaried workers wound up in October, and the self-employed will receive a “second and final” payment in August.

By then, the expense to the Treasury will be huge, but the end of subsidies will still come too soon for many businesses.

That is especially true as the chancellor said the furlough scheme would end, even if there is a second spike in the coronavirus outbreak.

There's another question on the Covid alert level remaining at 4, and whether it is therefore wise to ease the lockdown.

Rishi Sunak says the government is "in a position" to ease the rules because the government's five tests for doing so have been met.

He says rules are not being eased in a "reckless or big-bang way" and it has been done "in conjunction" with scientific advice.

Stephen Powis says it is "really important" to monitor infection closely and ensure "action is taken" if cases spike.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

The chancellor has hinted that the eight-month scheme of wage subsidies and cash grants will not make a comeback if a second Covid-19 spike leads to another lockdown.

Rishi Sunak said the wage subsidy scheme and the self-employment support in its current form would end for certain in October.

"Eight months is a generous and long period of time and allows companies across the UK to slowly ramp back up and gives them the best possible support to do that."

"We can't protect every job and every single business"

Reality Check

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said there have been 2,095 new infections over the last 24 hours (confirmed through testing).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) puts the daily number of infections significantly higher and estimates (using antibody tests on a random sample of households) that it could be 8,000 per day in England.

So, as the UK eases lockdown measures further how do these case numbers compare with other European countries relaxing their restrictions?

The UK has a population of around 66 million. Germany, with a population of 83 million, registered 741 new infections yesterday.

In Italy, a country of around 60 million, there were 593 new cases, while France, another country with a comparable population, has had the number of new infections in the low hundreds recently.

There's a question about whether total costs of the furlough and self-employed schemes will be £100bn over eight months.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak says it is difficult to give a "precise estimate" at this stage, and points to figures from the Office of Budget Responsibility.

Asked whether the UK remains at Covid Level 4 or is dropping to Level 3, Stephen Powis says a new centre is feeding in information.

He says it is important the NHS has information from the system.

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