The much-needed and expected statement from Chancellor Rishi Sunak was made this afternoon. He said that self-employed workers can apply for a grant worth 80 per cent of their average monthly profits to help them cope with the financial impact of coronavirus. The money - up to a maximum of £2,500 a month - will be paid in a single lump sum, but will not begin to arrive until the start of June at the earliest. Mr Sunak told the self-employed: "You have not been forgotten." And, depressingly, the number of coronavirus deaths in the UK has jumped by more than 100 in a day for the first time. Interestingly, The Telegraph reports that millions of people will soon be able to order a home finger-prick test from Amazon that will tell them if they have had Covid-19. Sharon Peacock, director of the national infection service at Public Health England, said people could be allowed back to work if they have recovered and tests show they are now immune. This reinforces the urgency of these tests and the sooner the better. Again, my team has been working flat-out helping constituents over a wide range of concerns and issues. I tried to join a Skype link with colleagues from our Defence Select Committee, who were taking evidence from two witnesses on the security of 5G. Regrettably, I do not have the kit to enable this, so am awaiting a report that our clerk is distributed on what was said by James Sullivan, Head of Cyber Research at RUSI, and Rebecca Lucas, Research Analyst in Cyber Threats and Cyber Security at RUSI. Late in the afternoon, I visited a new foodbank on Littlemoor, set up and run by our councillor, Louie O'Leary. His efforts are hugely commendable and he'd managed to conjured up a significant amount of food. One lady in the Park District rang in tears, saying she had no food for her children. I grabbed the bags of food, loaded up my motorcycle and headed to her home. Ten minutes later, I was greeted at the door by a clearly distressed mum, who was very grateful to Louie and his team. People do seem to be obeying the Government's instructions and staying at home. The roads are empty, with a higher police presence.
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