An emergency bill giving the Government sweeping powers to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the UK has been passed by the House of Lords.

The legislation includes powers to ban gatherings and close pubs and forcibly quarantine suspected coronavirus patients.

It is expected to receive Royal Assent and become law before the end of the day after MPs from all sides agreed to let it pass without formal votes.

The legislation also means there will be a "moratorium" on evictions of tenants due to Covid-19 for at least three months.

Officials will also have the power to close the borders in the event that the Border Force is under intense pressure due to staffing shortages.

It also puts into law powers to isolate or detain individuals who are judged to be a risk to containing the spread of Covid-19.

Other measures are aimed at reducing the pressure on frontline sectors, for example by relaxing rules around detention under mental health laws and increasing the use of audio and video links in courts.

Organisations could be required to provide space or resources for the storage or management of dead bodies, while rules relating to investigatory powers will be relaxed while the law is in force.

It also allows employers to reclaim statutory sick pay funds from HMRC and scrap the three-day waiting period for workers.

Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has tabled a motion for the Commons to rise today, a week earlier than planned, and return on April 21.