Chancellor Rishi Sunak extends the furlough scheme until March 2021

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that the furlough scheme will be extended until March next year

BBC News says that the Chancellor will make an announcement soon in the Commons. The furlough scheme had been intended to finish at the end of October, but it was already extended following England entering a second lockdown. It is not yet known is if the extension will cover the 80% of worker's wages that is currently available. On Thursday, November 5th, England entered a second national lockdown. The restrictions are due to last until December 2nd. People in England are being told to stay at home, except for specific purposes and to avoid meeting people they do not live with. Many business have been told to close. Non-essential retail has been told to close, including clothing and homeware stores, though they are able to operate on a click-and-collect basis. Cafes, restaurants, pubs, and bars have also been ordered to shut, though they are allowed to offer takeaways. Venues such as theatres, cinemas, museums and galleries, bowling alleys, and theme parks must also close, though outdoor grounds can remain open. Shops allowed to remain open include essential retail such as food stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, hardware stores, building merchants and off-licences. The furlough scheme was first announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak on March 20th, 2020. It was originally intended to run until May, but was then extended to October, and then again to cover the lockdown in England. Since it was launched, around  £40bn has been spent on the furlough scheme. 9.6 million people have taken advantage of the scheme.