Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces £30 billion Budget boost to combat coronavirus threat | ITV News

A £30 billion package to stimulate the economy was announced by the Chancellor as the Government and Bank of England sought to protect jobs and livelihoods against the coronavirus crisis.

As he delivered the Budget in the House of Commons, Rishi Sunak said he would "do whatever it takes to support the economy" and will give the NHS "whatever extra resources" it needs to combat the covid-19 outbreak.

Mr Sunak said there was "likely to be a temporary disruption" to the economy as a result of coronavirus but insisted his plans would bring "stability and security".

As of Tuesday evening, six people in the UK have died from coronavirus and 382 have tested positive for the respiratory disease.

Just hours before this, the Bank of England also moved to bolster the economy against the impact of Covid-19 by announcing an emergency interest rate cut from 0.75% to 0.25% to help UK businesses manage the economic shock from the outbreak.