THE COVID-19 vaccination drive has been given a £1.6billion injection in a bid to test new jabs agaisnt mutant variants.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak today announced the boost in funding for the jab programme.
So far in the UK over 20.4 million Brits have received a first dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech jab or the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine with over 840,000 having had their second.
This afternoon Mr Sunak said coronavirus was “still doing damage to the economy”.
He said the government would do “whatever it takes” to steer the economy through what he hopes will be the final months of coronavirus restrictions.
These themes are set to include “support, vision, recovery and honesty”.
Among pledges to extend the furlough scheme and a freeze on income tax, Mr Sunak revealed changes to other government priorities which have an impact on the health and wellbeing of the nation.
Also revealed as part of the budget this afternoon:
- Rishi Sunak saves jobs with more furlough & business bailouts but warns Covid black hole MUST be paid back
- Pay cut for MILLIONS of hard-working Brits as Rishi Sunak FREEZES income tax
- Grants of up to £18,000 to help shops, pubs and restaurants reopen in £5billion boost for the high street
- Thousands more people will be brought into the self-employment help schemes
- A fourth self-employed grant of up to £7,500 and a fifth one will come over the summer
- Fuel duty will be frozen in a huge win for The Sun’s Keep It Down campaign
- Universal Credit’s £20 a week boost will continue for another six months
