Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that a further £30 million is being added to the Culture Recovery Fund to help support arts organisations amidst the disruption of the Omicron variant.

Sunak said that £30 million will be added to the £2 billion package "to support theatres, museums and other cultural institutions" until the end of March 2022.

The package will allow restaurants, bars, cinemas and theatres to apply for a grant of up to £6,000 for each of their premises.

The government has also reintroduced a rebate scheme for statutory sick pay, eligible for employers with less than 350 workers, who can claim back Covid-related sick pay from the government for up to two weeks.

This news follows a backlash against Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries comments on Twitter, which excludes support for the theatre’s freelance workforce.