Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants to close as the Government announced an unprecedented set of measures to pay the wages of workers during the coronavirus crisis.

"The speed of our eventual recovery depends entirely on our collective ability to get on top of the virus now and that means we have to take the next steps on scientific advice," the Prime Minister told the daily Covid-19 press conference.

"We are collectively telling cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants to close tonight as soon as they reasonably can and not to open tomorrow.

"Though, to be clear, they can continue to provide take out services

"We're also telling nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close on the same timescale."

Boris Johnson said the Government would be continually assessing the situation around pubs and cafes and other requested closures "to see if we can relax any of these measures".

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the Government will pick up "most of" the wages of workers.

He said: "I have a responsibility to make sure that we protect, as far as possible, people's jobs and incomes.

"Today I can announce that in the first time of our history, the Government is going to step in and help pay people's wages.

"We're setting up a new coronavirus job retention scheme. Any employer in the country small or large, charitable or non-profit, will be eligible for the scheme.

"Employers will be able to contact HMRC for a grant to cover most of the wages of people who are not working but are furloughed and kept on payroll rather than being laid off.

"Government grants will cover 80 per cent of the salary of retained workers up to a total of £2,500 a month - that's just above the median income.

Mr Sunak said "our planned economic response will be one of the most comprehensive in the world".

He said the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme will now be interest free for 12 months rather than the six months previously announced.

"And thanks to the enormous efforts of our critical financial services sector those loans will now be available starting from Monday," he said.

"Any employer in the country, small or large, charitable or non-profit, will be eligible for the scheme."

Mr Sunak promised further measures next week to ensure larger and medium sized businesses will be able to access the credit they need.

He said the next quarter of VAT payments will be deferred until the end of June in a cash injection of £30 billion.

Mr Sunak said: "To help businesses pay people and keep them in work I'm deferring the next quarter of VAT payments, that means no business will pay any VAT from now until the end of June.

"And you'll have until the end of the financial year to repay those bills. That's a direct injection of over £30 billion of cash to businesses equivalent to 1.5 per cent of GDP."

He also made an appeal to bosses to stand by their workers during the coronavirus crisis.

"Let me speak directly to businesses: I know it's incredibly difficult out there - we in Government are doing everything we can to support you," he said.

"The Government is doing its best to stand behind you and I'm asking you to do your best to stand behind our workers."