Three quarters of UK businesses continue trading amid COVID-19 outbreak: survey

Around 25 percent of businesses in Britain reported a temporary closure or trading pause between March 23 and April 5, while three quarters have continued operating, said the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Thursday.

As part of the efforts by the ONS to measure the impact of COVID-19 on the country's economy and society, the Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey (BICS) received a total of 5,316 businesses' response, according to the ONS.

Among the respondents, 38 percent reported that their turnover was substantially lower than their normal range. Of the affected businesses, 99 percent of those who reported that their turnover was abnormally affected between this period attributed this to COVID-19, the ONS said in a statement.

Data showed that for the businesses which were trading, on average 21 percent of the workforce had been furloughed under the terms of the British government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in the period.

The scheme, announced in March by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, allows businesses to furlough employees and apply for a grant that covers 80 percent of their usual monthly wage costs, up to 2,500 pounds (about 3,109.7 U.S. dollars) a month.

The British government has also pledged to offer self-employed people impacted financially by the pandemic with 80 percent of wages for at least three months up to 2,500 pounds (3,109.7 dollars) a month.

Meanwhile, the Opinions and Lifestyle (OPN) Survey results revealed that some 53.1 percent of adults across Britain said coronavirus was affecting their well-being, with 46.9 percent of adults reporting high levels of anxiety, said the ONS.

In addition, figures showed that 22.9 percent of adults said coronavirus was affecting their household finances, with 72.9 percent being concerned about reduced income, 31.9 percent having needed to use savings to cover living costs and 22.1 percent being struggling to pay bills.

The death toll of those hospitalized in Britain who tested positive for the novel coronavirus hit 13,729 as of Wednesday afternoon, a daily increase of 861. As of Thursday morning, 103,093 people in Britain tested positive for COVID-19, said the Department of Health and Social Care.