Brandon Lewis: Coronavirus is an invisible, deadly enemy, but working together we can beat it

We should be in no doubt about the seriousness of this crisis, and the measures the government has announced are unprecedented since World War Two. This is the biggest public health emergency we have faced in a generation, and it calls for decisive action, at home and abroad, of the kind not normally seen in peacetime.

As a government we promise to do whatever it takes to get through this together – supporting jobs and businesses and protecting the most vulnerable.

The Executive – particularly the first minister, deputy first minister and Health Minister Robin Swann – has shown real leadership in this time of crisis, and I was impressed when I visited the Department of Health’s Gold Operations Centre in Belfast last week to see for myself the processes being put in place to keep the people of Northern Ireland safe.

That is why the government has committed to bolstering support for Northern Ireland and the whole of the UK. We are doing everything in our power to tackle the pandemic and mitigate its impact. Last week, the Treasury announced that Northern Ireland will receive over £900 million as part of an initial package of measures detailed by the chancellor to support its response to the Covid-19 outbreak. But that was just the first part of our economic response.

On Friday, the chancellor went further by announcing that for the first time in history, the British government is going to step in and help pay people’s wages. The sheer scale of this intervention highlights the government’s commitment to protecting public services, people and businesses through this period of uncertainty and disruption. And we have put no limit on how much we are willing to invest in our UK-wide response.

Government grants will cover 80% of the salary of retained workers, up to a total of £2,500 a month. Which is above the average UK monthly pay package. The government is also deferring VAT payments and increasing our interest-free loan period to 12 months. This is in addition to the measures outlined by the Executive which include a small business grant to support 27,000 businesses in Northern Ireland and a grant scheme for those businesses in the hospitality, tourism and retail sectors.

Protecting people is at the heart of our strategy to mitigate the effects of Covid-19. While we cannot guarantee that no-one will suffer hardship, we will do our utmost to support individuals, families and businesses.

If we all practise social distancing and stay at home as much as possible, we will be able to save thousands of lives and protect the most vulnerable in society. When all this is over, let us be able to look back and think of the small acts of kindness we did for others. Let us be able to look back at the contribution we all individually made to overcoming this emergency. Because we will overcome it.

Details of the support the government have made available for workers and businesses can be found at gov.uk/nio. For information on the schemes to support the economy announced by the Executive, you can visit www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk.

I am very aware that Northern Ireland is in a unique position within the UK of having our only land border with another country, which is why I am in regular contact with the tánaiste to ensure our combined efforts protect everyone on the island of Ireland. We are clear that there is a need for continued strong cooperation North/South as well as East/West to support the concerted action being taken by the Northern Ireland Executive in response to this pandemic.

This must be a collective national effort, across the length and breadth of the country, and all four nations that make up our United Kingdom. As a government, we promise to work hand in glove with the Executive, the Irish government and business leaders to guarantee comprehensive and coordinated measures are in place to protect our families and communities.

As the prime minister has said the invisible enemy we face may be deadly, but it is beatable. We will not be found wanting when it comes to providing support to the people and business community of Northern Ireland.

• Brandon Lewis is the secretary of state for Northern Ireland