Back to work: Papers lead on lockdown loosening

Various stories about the coronavirus lead many papers on Wednesday, from the extension of the furlough scheme to the loosening of lockdown restrictions.

The Times says home buyers can now go a visit properties as the housing market is “kick-started”, with the paper reporting nearly half a million people were in the middle of moving house when the lockdown came in.

The Daily Telegraph carries detail of a Treasury document which estimates the UK’s deficit could reach £337 billion this year because of the pandemic.

While The Guardian leads with the extension of the furlough scheme, though employers will have to share some of the burden as the Government aims to “prevent widescale job losses”.

While the Financial Times reports on support from businesses and unions for the extension of the job retention scheme.

The furlough scheme also leads the i, The Sun reports that the Chancellor has gone “bails out”, while the Daily Express says there has been a “sigh of relief” as it was prolonged.

Metro leads with the “true” death toll from Covid-19 in the UK topping 40,000.

The Independent reports unpaid volunteers will be used to carry out coronavirus tests across the country.

The Daily Mirror says the nation is braced as “hundreds of thousands return to work”.

The Daily Mail leads on the doom and gloom, saying that while people can move houses they cannot go on holiday abroad.

While the Daily Star leads with Countdown star Rachel Riley and her “fury” at Eamonn Holmes.