No-Buy7459's journey

I was laid off in the first week of May and remained on payroll until June 5th. I started interviewing at a new company around May 18th and recently received an invitation for an on-site interview scheduled for next Wednesday. Throughout the interview process, I was stating that I was still employed at my previous company since I was technically on payroll. However, now that the payroll period has ended, I can no longer claim that, and I worry about what to say during the background check. I'm contemplating whether I should start discussing my experience in the past tense and hope they don’t ask about my current employment status. If they do ask, I’m unsure how to address the fact that I was laid off without making it sound negative. I've seen advice suggesting that honesty might be the best approach, as many hiring managers understand the current layoff climate. I hope to navigate this situation effectively.