log into our bbc news website. you are watching bbc news. here in the uk, the duke and duchess of cambridge have lent their support to a campaign to help maintain mental health during the coronavirus pandemic. the british government is also giving mental health charities £5 million to expand their support services. 0ur royal correspondent nicholas witchell has the details. the cambridges have both taken a close interest in mental health issues. they have also been playing their part in supporting the health services dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. just over a week ago, before the lockdown began, they visited an nhs centre in south london to thank staff for that tireless efforts. they have now endorsed the latest initiative by public health england to help people to look after their mental health. in a statement william and catherine said... the simple steps recommended by public health england include maintaining contact with friends and family via telephone and video calls, and social media, keeping a regular routine and sleeping pa

this is bbc news. i'm james reynolds with the latest headlines, for viewers in the uk and around the world. president trump signs the largest ever us financial stimulus package, worth $2 trillion, as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. in italy, more than 900 people have died in the past day, the biggest daily rise so far in a country that has been locked down for almost two weeks. britain's prime minister and the health secretary, the men in charge of britain's fight against coronavirus, both test positive for the disease, as the uk's death toll climbs again. i've developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus — that's to say a temperature and a persistent cough — and on the advice of the chief medical officer have taken a test. that has come out positive. go home, go home! and police in britain start cracking down on people who are leaving their homes when they shouldn't. we will be covering all the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic, both in britain and across the globe,

or the bbc news app. you can reach me on twitter, i‘m @lvaughanjones. i‘m lewis vaughan jones, i‘m lewis vaughanjones, and this is bbc news. bye—bye. hello there. there was a little bit more in the way of sunshine to go around on friday and it really turned out to be quite a glorious day across many areas. this was the scene in cockermouth in cumbria. thanks to trevor for sending that beautiful weather watch picture in. you can see the extent of the sunshine we had. further south, we had this weather front with us again and it continued to bring some dull and damp weather into the very far south of england and even into the early afternoon, there was some light rain reported in hastings in east sussex. 0vernight tonight, many of us will have dry conditions. the breeze keeping the frost at bay across many south—eastern areas but the further north you go with those lighter winds, we‘ll see temperatures dip well below freezing. that said, there are just a few showers dotted around as well across

this is bbc news. the headlines. the government promises the nhs whatever it needs to tackle the coronavirus as the uk sees the biggest one—day jump and coronavirus as the uk sees the biggest one—dayjump and confirmed cases. 273 people have tested positive here. 16 million people in northern italy are placed in quarantine because of the virus. the number of people to have died in italy has shot up to 366, the highest figures outside china. a, there we go. in other news, the prime minister meets victims of flooding, announces he's doubling flooding, announces he's doubling flood defences funding, come into fa ns flood defences funding, come into fans not turning up when viewed lee was underwater. it's all too easy for prime minister to come to a place in the middle of an emergency. it's not so easy, frankly, for the emergency services, because what they have to do is then break off. she really is beautiful, isn't she? qv a schoolboy who brought the house down with his view of megan. and he gets a hug from the duch

this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories. stranded at sea, the cruise ship passengers infected with coronavirus. the us government reveals its plan of action. all passengers and crew will be tested for the coronavirus. those that need to be quarantined will be quarantined. those that require additional medical attention will receive it. italy announces its biggest daily increase in deaths from covid 19 with nearly 50 more fatalities. a special report from china, the country where the outbreak began, and their fight to continue with life and business as usual. and in other news, why a memoir by oscar—winning film—maker, woody allen won't now be published after protests in new york. hello and welcome to bbc news. in the last hour the us vice president mike pence has announced plans to deal with a cruise ship that's moored off san francisco with passengers infected with coronavirus. mr pence said 21 passengers and crew have tested positive on board the crown princess and says the ves

hugh pym, bbc news. this announcement about anyone who has a minor respiratory tract infection or fever to self—isolate, what does that mean exactly and how significant is this move? potentially quite significant. the advice now is if you come back from one of the —— was affected countries, you should self—isolate. what professor whitty is saying is because normal flu is what professor whitty is saying is because normalflu is dying what professor whitty is saying is because normal flu is dying away a new coronavirus cases are rising rapidly, the advice will probably be whoever gets a heavy cold, cough or a temperature should just stay at home and self—isolate and do so for seven days from the moment the symptoms first appear. that is quite a change. there were questions today at the press conference with the prime minister and professor whitty about why the uk is in following other countries, like closing down big public events? yes, they are stung in by the suggestion they haven't acted quickl

this is bbc news. the headlines: the us has overtaken china and italy to become the country that has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases. more than 82,000 people have been confirmed positive. the grim milestone came as president donald trump predicted the nation would get back to work pretty quickly. as countries in europe continue to be worst affected, leaders of the g20 countries have promised to do whatever it takes to minimise the damage to livelihoods. they're injecting $5 trillion into the global economy. there have been more than 700 deaths in italy in the last 2a hours. in the uk, 115 people have died from coronavirus in just 2a hours. the british government has announced a multibillion—pound rescue package for the self—employed. they will now be able to claim 80% of their average monthly profits from the state. now on bbc news, hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk with me, zainab badawi.

good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the to the bbc news at six. prime minister has warnec could the prime minister has warned there could be a very significant expansion in cases of coronavirus and has pledged to give the nhs all it needs to handle the outbreak. another three cases have been confirmed in the uk — all of whom had recently travelled to italy. the patients from hertfordshire, devon and kent, bring the total number of people across the country known to have contracted the virus to 39. across the world, nearly 90,000 people have been infected by the virus. the majority of the cases are in china. 3,000 have died across 62 countries. in a moment, we'll look at the nhs response, and how businesses and workers are being affected, but, first, here's our political editor laura kuenssberg. the gates are locked at a school in south—west london. a pub in surrey closed its doors when a customer took ill. a business park in kent, where one worker has been diagnosed and is now at home in isolation. coronavirus is here and the government expect

june kelly, bbc news. the high court has found that the ruler of dubai, sheikh mohammed al—maktoum, abducted two of his daughters, and subjected his former wife to a campaign of intimidation. in a series ofjudgments, the court also said allegations of physical abuse could be relied upon, and overruled the sheikh's efforts to keep the findings secret. here's our security correspondent, frank gardner. extraordinary and damning allegations of abduction and intimidation committed by dubai's ruler sheikh mohammed al—maktoum, published today by the high court in britain, and the details have emerged during a lengthy custody battle between the sheikh and his former wife, princess haya ofjordan. the princess described how she fled to britain after discovering what the shake had done to two of his daughters. this court case is lifting the lid on what is alleged to have been going on one of the more secretive royal families of the middle east what the allegations that include the forced return of two princesses.

hugh pym, bbc news. as we heard, the government is changing the rules around sick pay for people who quarantine themselves because of fears they may have the virus. 0ur economics editor faisal islam is here. let's clear up a couple of facts. who qualifies for this sick pay? let's clear up a couple of facts. who qualifies for this sick pay7m ordinary circumstances, this payment of just over £91; ordinary circumstances, this payment ofjust over £91; per week kicks in after four days. the ofjust over £91; per week kicks in afterfour days. the prime minister announced that it would now kick in on day one of an illness in these farfrom normal times. it applies on day one of an illness in these far from normal times. it applies to employees. so it doesn't apply to freelancers, self employed and to those earning below a threshold of £118 per week. essentially, this is a medical move, part of the content strategy that you just described, and it is seeking to create an incentive such that workers who might be

welcome to bbc news, i'm james reynolds. our top stories: stranded at sea: the cruise ship passengers infected with coronavirus. the us government reveals its plan of action. all passengers and crew will be tested for the coronavirus. those that need to be quarantined will be quarantined. those that require additional medical attention will receive it. italy announces almost 50 more deaths from covid—i9, its biggest daily increase so far. in other news, there's been a sharp rise in the number of premature babies born in syria's war—torn province of idlib.

hugh pym, bbc news. the government has said it will accelerate work on preparations for the next phase — the delay phase of its plan to tackle coronavirus. that's when it will introduce further measures to try to stop its spread. once the strategy is decided, it will be down to local authorities and communities to implement it. our special correspondent, lucy manning, reports from brighton on how they're readying themselves. brighton's already been hit by coronavirus. it contained the outbreak well, but like everyone else in the uk, it must now tackle delaying any further spread. those living here have questions about how moving to this mainly delay phase will affect them. are they going to impose us to all work from home? is that going to be something that employers have to make decisions themselves? we've had lots of big events that have been cancelled. it would be good to know how long this sort of thing would be going on for. it was a very simple message about washing your hands... for those in cha

jim reed, bbc news. as millions stay at home because of the coronavirus, they are looking to the internet and social media for advice. but there are concerns that misleading health information is being posted and shared. the government says it's working with social media companies to clamp down on false claims. marianna spring reports. social media right now is a place to keep in touch with family and friends and get the latest information. but social media sites and whatsapp groups are swarming with misinformation. everything from conspiracy theories to medical myths. so, how do you spot misleading information about coronavirus online? you might see a social media post, or a message on your phone, from a friend of a friend that, at first glance, looks pretty convincing. but it might not be all that it seems. facebook user peter, who is 84, compiled information that went viral last month. this advice had been circulating online and since then had been copy and pasted across social media. he said... and..

rich preston, bbc news. the world's largest airline by passenger volume, american airlines, is to cut three quarters of its international flights because of the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. the reduction will begin on monday and continue until may 6. american says the changes will mean parking almost its entire widebody fleet — about 135 aircraft. short—haul flights will continue as scheduled. 0ur news correspondent simon jones has more. american airlines transport around 200 million passengers each year. now it is effectively saying three quarters of its services will go because it will no longer fly to destinations like europe, after president trump initiated a banner saying people from mainland europe, the uk and ireland cannot travel to the us. so a lot of the players will be grounded. they will take a big financial hit over this and it will happen very soon. it will begin on monday and those players will not take to the air all of april and reassess the situation at the beginning o

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: almost 1,300 people have now died from coronavirus in the uk, a rise of 209. and in the us, a prediction from the leading government expert that coronavirus could kill up to 200,00 americans. -- 200,000. let's get more on this story now. despite the huge rise in cases of coronavirus, there are still a number of states to impose lockdowns, including florida, as infectious disease expert dr dena grayson explained to me earlier. simon, it's ridiculous. we had all these spring breakers that came and visited our wonderful state, likely many of them — not all of them — bringing the virus with them but equally as bad, a lot of these spring breakers then went home, potentially carrying the virus. it's really a very, very disastrous situation. we have a high number of floridians who are elderly as well, i mean, we are one of the older states in the country and many people enjoy retiring here, which is a great thing but certainly not in the case of a deadly virus that

this is bbc news. i'm kasia madera. our top stories: italy registers the biggest daily increase in deaths from the coronavirus anywhere in the world — 475 in the past day. world markets continue to plunge, with analysts warning the virus could send the world economy into recession. the us closes its border with canada and invokes a wartime law to increase supplies of vital equipment. we are going to defeat the invisible enemy, i think we're going to do it even faster than we thought, and it will be a complete victory, it will be a total victory. the world health organization urges extra vigilance, as the number of reported cases climb throughout south—east asia. don't assume your community won't be affected. prepare as if it will be. and finding musical comfort online — how virtual choirs are helping people sing away the containment blues. hello and welcome to bbc news. italy has reported the highest number of deaths from the coronavirus in a single day of any country since the outbreak began in

nick bryant, bbc news, new york. stay with us on bbc world news. still to come: in the midst of isolation, fear and uncertainty — we find out what can be done to protect our mental health. the two main symptoms of coronavirus to look out for are a continuous dry cough and/or a fever. if you're sneezing a lot, got a runny nose or a headache, you may be ill but you've probably not got coronavirus. so, how high a fever is a coronavirus one, and what exactly is a continuous dry cough? well, it's when you cough and there's no mucus or phlegm — basically no gooey substance in your tissue. and this is not the odd cough here and there, it has to be coughing regularly for no other reason, such as clearing your throat or smoking. so how high a fever is a coronavirus fever? well, if you have one, you will know about it. technically, it's a body temperature of more than 37.8 degrees celsius, or 100 degrees fahrenheit, but if you've not got a thermometer, basically you will feel hot and your chest and back would be hot. this is bbc world news, the latest he

this is bbc news, i'm mike embley. our top stories: italy's death toll overtakes china's — almost 3,500 have now died. we report from inside one of italy's hospitals battling to keep patients alive. the united states tells citizens to avoid any travel abroad and urges anyone who is out of the country to return home. australia bans non residents from coming to the country as it ramps up measures to control the spread of coronavirus. —— non—residents. as japan comes under increasing pressure to postpone the olympics, athletes are still training, including the surfers hoping to take part in their first games. the flame also arrives. this is the scene right now. hello and welcome to bbc news. the death toll in italy is now higher than anywhere else in the world, including china, where the coronavirus outbreak began. another 427 people have died in italy the past 2a hours alone, bringing the death toll to more than 3,400. the bbc‘s mark lowen is in rome. in this theatre of war, the heroes hardly rest. brescia in n

damian grammaticas, bbc news, madrid. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: life under lockdown in europe's worst—affected country. we speak to italians about dealing with the pain of losing loved ones. today, we have closed the book on apartheid and that chapter. more than 3,000 subway passengers were affected. nausea, bleeding, headaches and a dimming of vision — all of this caused by an apparently organised attack. the trophy itself was on the pedestal in the middle of the cabinet here. now, this was an international trophy, and we understand now that the search for it has become an international search. above all, this was a triumph for the christian democrats of the west, offering reunification as quickly as possible, and that's what the voters wanted. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: france's president warns anyone who violates a ban on non—essential travel will be punished, as the country engages in a "health war". the uk issues new guidelines urging also urging people to stay at home as much as possible, though schools will

this is bbc news. i'm simon pusey with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. almost 1,300 people have now died from coronavirus in the uk, a rise of 209. deserted roads and empty parks — a top official says the uk could face up to six months of restrictions. over time, probably over the next six months, we will have a three—week review, we will see where we're going. we will need to keep the lid on, and then gradually we will be able to hopefully adjust some of the social distancing measures. in the us — a prediction from the leading government expert that coronavirus could kill up to 200,000 americans with a peak in around a fortnight. for the next two weeks, and during this period, it is very important that everyone strongly follow the guidelines. italy grapples with the world's highest death toll from coronavirus and a severe shortage of medical staff in the north. and life and death in india as prime minister modi apologises for a chaotic lockdown that has hurt the

this is bbc news. the headlines at 11:00: sweeping and extraordinary measures to deal with coronavirus — the forced closure of pubs, restaurants, and gyms, and an unprecedented rescue package for workers and businesses. you may think that you are invincible but there is no guarantee that you won't get mild symptoms and you can still be a carrier of the disease and pass it on to others. it came as the government promised to pay all employees 80% of their salary — up to £2,500 a month — an "unprecedented move", said the chancellor. today i can announce that, for the first time in our history, the government is going to step in and help to pay people ‘s wages. but for businesses across the country, there's huge anxiety. iam going i am going to be honest, i'm struggling to hold it together at the moment and it is notjust going to be me, it is going to be all of us. a major london hospital becomes the first in the uk to temporarily run out of critical care capacity for coronavirus patients. and at

this is bbc news. the headlines: more beds, ventilators and thousands of extra staff will be made available from next week, after a deal between nhs england and the nation's independent hospitals. another 53 people with coronavirus have died in england, bringing the total of deaths in the country to 220. the death toll in italy has seen another dramatic rise — 793 people have died in the last 2a hours from coronavirus. it's by far the worst single—day total worldwide since the pandemic began. in spain, there's been a big rise in the number of coronavirus—related deaths — an increase of more than 300 people, bringing the total number of deaths there to more than 13 hundred. "be responsible when you shop." an appeal by a senior british government minister, who estimates that £1 billion worth of extra food has been stockpiled. it is making life more difficult for those front line workers, such as oui’ those front line workers, such as our doctors and nurses and nhs support staff, who are workin

sophie hutchinson, bbc news. you can find out more about the symptoms of the coronavirus and how to protect yourself on the bbc news app and website. time for a look at the weather. here's helen willets. not great on the weather front. we have numerous flood warnings and rain on the way. the wind has been the main story today. we still have a lot of showers around and about and the wind is still blowing a gale gci’oss and the wind is still blowing a gale across northern and the wind is still blowing a gale gci’oss northern areas and the wind is still blowing a gale across northern areas particularly. we had more snow today, winter returning across scotland. a wintry element to showers across the south wales hills. as we go through the evening and overnight, showers easing and still a bit more snow to come across scotland even at lower levels as we pick up an arctic northerly wind. as that sets in we will see the sky is clear. a sharper and more widespread frost in the north. a few icy patches where we will se

this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories: president trump declares a national emergency — unlocking billions of dollars to fight coronavirus in the us. to unleash the full power of the federal government i am officially declaring a national emergency. two very big words. as italy struggles to cope, the world health organization says europe is now the epicentre of the pandemic. more cases are now being reported every day that were reported every day that were reported in china at the height of its epidemic. more european countries seal their borders — and the uk prepares emergency legislation to ban mass gatherings. and the pandemic wipes out most of the world's major sporting events — football, golf and formula i all postponed. hello and welcome to bbc news. president trump has declared a national emergency in response to the coronavirus outbreak, with more than 1,700 confirmed cases in the united states and 47 deaths. the move gives the government access to up to fifty billion

hugh pym, bbc news. let's take a look at some other developments linked to the global coronavirus crisis. shares in europe and the us have risen — recovering some of the ground lost on monday when markets saw the biggest falls since the 2008 financial crisis. london's ftse 100 was up 2.4% — after a 7.7% drop in the previous session — while us markets opened up 2%. spain has shut down schools in several regions, suspended flights from italy and closed the lower house of parliament for at least a week after a politician tested positive for the coronavirus. the number of cases there has risen to over 1,600. and china's president — xijinping — has visited the city of wuhan — the centre of the coronavirus outbreak. his visit is being seen as a sign that the authorities believe they have the situation there under control. it comes as china recorded its lowest number of infections — just 19 on tuesday. all were in wuhan apart from two people who had arrived from overseas. after five days stuck on

that is in half an hour here on bbc news. good afternoon. welcome to bbc news. in the past hour we have learned that the number of people diagnosed with coronavirus in the uk has risen once again. the deputy chief medical officerfor england once again. the deputy chief medical officer for england says the country remains in the containment phase in dealing with coronavirus. but doctor jenny harries warned the chances of the uk now missing an epidemic are slim to nil. the number of cases in the uk has reached 206. more than 21,000 people here had —— have been tested. dominic hughes joins 21,000 people here had —— have been tested. dominic hughesjoins us now. can you just break these figures down for us, please? yeah, we are still waiting for the department of health and social care to give us a breakdown of the countries. we do know that 16 of the cases are now in scotland. i believe that is five new cases in scotland. but the breakdown between the rest of the countries is not quite clear yet. but we know that there are 206 positive cases. that of course

freya cole, bbc news. we have been hearing about the millions of people in the us and around the world and told to practise social messaging and kevin bacon posted an instagram message to his fans, telling people to stay at home under the hashtag i stay at home for a loved one. many other stars have also joined the campaign as each celebrity nominated another to show their support. as always, plenty more information and advice on our website. including this article on how you can keep up a healthy outdoor exercise. you can find that piece, as well all the latest coronavirus developments at bbc.com/news or the bbc news app. you can obviously download but at any point. that is just about me for now. you can reach me on twitter. i'm @sipusey. but for now, do stay tuned and thanks a lot for watching. hello there. there was a little bit more in the way of sunshine to go around on friday and it really turned out to be quite a glorious day across many areas. this was the scene in cockermouth in cumbria. thanks to

this is bbc news. the headlines: 273 people in the uk have tested positive for coronavirus — that's up from 209 yesterday — according to latest figures. 16 million people in northern italy are placed in quarantine for a month because of the virus. the official death toll in italy's worst affected area jumps 100 and stands at 257. here, new emergency laws — including court cases over video link or phone — to help tackle the virus — are announced. the prime minister meets victims of flooding, announces a doubling in flood defences funding and defends not turning up when bewdely was under water. it is all too easy for a prime minister to come to a place in the middle of an emergency. it is not so easy for the emergency services because what they have to do is then break off. meghan uses one of her last appearances as a senior royal to urge men to do more to respect women. value and appreciate the women in your lives, and also set the example for some men who are not seeing it that same way. and

mark easton, bbc news. india's prime minister, narendra modi, has asked for his country's forgiveness after imposing a sweeping coronavirus lockdown that he said had hurt millions of the country's poor. in his weekly radio address, he apologised for the impact of the three week lockdown, but said india was in a life and death battle. translation: first of all, let me seek forgiveness from all countrymen. my conscience tells me that you will definitely forgive me, as i had to take certain decisions which have put you in a lot of difficulty. especially when i look at my poor brothers and sisters, i definitely feel they must be thinking, "what kind of prime minister is this who has placed us in this difficulty?" i especially seek their forgiveness. possibly, many will be angry at me for being locked in their homes. i understand your troubles, but there was no other way to wage a war against coronavirus. for a country like india, with a population of 1.3 billion, it is a battle of life and death and we have to

clapping guy hedgecoe, bbc news, madrid. stay with us on bbc news. still to come, stolen during the coronavirus lockdown — burglars target a dutch museum and make off with a painting by van gogh. the accident that happened here was of the sort that can at worst produce a meltdown. in this case the precautions worked, but they didn't work quite well enough to prevent some old fears about the safety features of these stations from resurfacing. the republic of ireland has become the first country in the world to ban smoking in the workplace. from today, anyone lighting up in offices, businesses, pubs and restaurants will face a heavy fine. the president was on his way out of the washington hilton hotel, where he had been addressing a trade union conference. the small crowd outside included his assailant. it has become a symbol of paris. 100 years ago, many parisians wished it had never been built. the eiffel tower's birthday is being marked by a re—enactment of the first ascent by gustave eiffel. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: a navy hospit

this is bbc news. i'm simon pusey with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the uk records its highest number of deaths from coronavirus bringing the total to more than 1,000 as officials warn that social distancing restrictions must be kept in place. if we can keep down to below 20,000, we will have done very well in this epidemic. as the death toll doubles in the us, president trump decides against imposing a quarantine on new york. in italy, more than 10,000 people have now died from covid—19, more than any other country. russia imposes a partial shutdown in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus. singing and millions of people tune in as spain's biggest stars from the world of music and football hold a virtual festival to raise money and spirits. hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments in britain and globally. the uk has recorded its highest number of deaths linked to the coronavirus

hello, welcome to bbc news. governments in europe, the continent now at the heart of the pandemic, have been introducing extra restrictions to fight the coronavirus pandemic. the french president, emmanuel macron, has ordered people to stay at home orface fines. germany is closing non—essential shops, most leisure facilities and suspending religious services. eight european union countries have now re—introduced some form of border controls. rich preston reports. as the number of coronavirus cases in europe continues to rise, france has intensified its response. restaurant, cafe ‘s and other nonessential businesses have already been closed but that measure has been deemed insufficient. now all movement restricted unless it is absolutely necessary. france has had more than 6500 cases and over 140 deaths. the president says the country is ina president says the country is in a health war. translation: for at least 15 days, our movements will be highly reduced, gatherings and meeting family orfriends reduced,

jean mackenzie, bbc news, rome. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: the german personal trainer who's lifting weights and spirits during these trying times. the accident that happened here was of the sort that can at worst produce a meltdown. in this case the precautions worked, but they didn't work quite well enough to prevent some old fears about the safety features of these stations from resurfacing. the republic of ireland has become the first country in the world to ban smoking in the workplace. from today, anyone lighting up in offices, businesses, pubs and restaurants will face a heavy fine. the president was on his way out of the washington hilton hotel, where he had been addressing a trade union conference. the small crowd outside included his assailant. it has become a symbol of paris. 100 years ago, many parisians wished it had never been built. the eiffel tower's birthday is being marked by a re—enactment of the first ascent by gustave eiffel. this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: almost 1,300 people have now died

rich preston, bbc news. spain has now recorded more coronavirus deaths than china. 738 people with the virus have died in the past day alone, taking the total over 3,000. more than 2,500 are in a serious or critical state. 0ur correspondent, damian grammaticas, reports from madrid. on a dark day for spain, a sobering sight. van after van carrying bodies of virus victims. this is madrid's biggest ice rink. it has been requisitioned to hold the dead. they need it, there are so many now. arriving at spanish hospitals are more and more cases, infection is here leaping every day. more than 5,000 medical staff have fallen sick also. so part of spain's urgent efforts are these new rapid testing centres, specifically for those on the front line. this nurse feared she has the virus. a colleague has it. the swabs are invasive and unpleasant, handled with extreme care in case they have picked up the pathogen. toni's worried because she has a family she might have infected too. translation: i am very worried, especially

mark easton, bbc news. in a moment, our economics editor, faisal islam, on the new action from central banks but first our medical correspondent fergus walsh. the advice is if you have a continuous new calf or high temperature, you stay at home for seven days. regular hand washing can cut your chances of getting covid—i9 and if you are infected, we are stressing that four out of five people will have a mild infection. the flip side is that one in 20 may need intensive care. tomorrow the prime minister will chair another emergency cobra meeting where they will discuss when to pull these levers on social distancing, such as restrictions on mass gathering and there will be a move to daily senior minister press conferences to try to explain why britain is not going as far as its near neighbours, but they will stress they are being led by the science and worth remembering, the science and worth remembering, the peak of this outbreak could be up the peak of this outbreak could be up to three months away. bring

hugh pym, bbc news. major supermarkets are taking new measures to try and stop panic buyers emptying the shelves. leading grocery brands are keen to stress that the food supply chain is still functioning and there is enough for everyone as long as shoppers behave responsibly. emma simpson reports. they're open, butjust for elderly and vulnerable customers. at this iceland branch in glasgow today, a two—hour window to shop before the masses, and it's gone down well. it's brilliant, honest to god. tremendous. i don't know how long it'll last. i've got quite a few neighbours who are quite elderly and they might need help as well, so that's why i got two, you're allowed to take two. sainsbury‘s is saving the first hour at all its 600 supermarkets tomorrow for those most in need. not easy when demand is still growing. this was the scene at 6:30am this morning in south—west london. shoppers queueing for the doors of this supermarket to open. we are asking everyone to do the right thing as they show up to

we rely on them to keep the bbc news on the airand we rely on them to keep the bbc news on the air and ijust wanted to say thank you. finally to australia, where the control measures stopped a pub choirfrom where the control measures stopped a pub choir from being where the control measures stopped a pub choirfrom being able where the control measures stopped a pub choir from being able to perform at their local watering hole, so they went online and asked people to film themselves singing close to you by the carpenters stop in more than 1000 different people from 18 countries responded to their request. # why do stars fall down from the sky # every time you walk by # just like me, they long to be # close to you # they want to be close # and on the day that you were born, the angels got together # that's it for now. you can keep up—to—date with all the latest information on the lockdown in yourarea and latest information on the lockdown in your area and your country on our website. you can contact me at any time on twitter. thanks for watching. hello. in more ways than one, a lot h

david campanale, bbc news. this is bbc news. the headlines: the italian government's preparing emergency measures against coronavirus, which it's reported, will prevent people entering or leaving the entire northern region of lombardy. passengers stranded on a cruise ship moored off california have started being tested for the virus. let's return to the response to the virus outbreak in the americas. dr saskia popescu is a senior infection prevention epidemiologist with honorhealth in arizona. shejoins me now from phoenix. you have one of the longestjob titles i have seen. could you please describe to our viewers what exactly your role involves. yes. i work to help prepare hospitals for infectious disease events are covid-19, but infectious disease events are covid—19, but also when we are not dealing with outbreaks, make sure that patients don't apply infections, nor do healthcare workers. we try to keep them out of hospital. how are you and healthcare workers coping up the moment? we are very busy. it is something that we ne

hugh pym, bbc news. our global health correspondent tulip mazumdar is at an nhs 111 call centre in the west midlands — and gave a sense of the volume of calls they are receiving. the night shift has just actually started here. some of the night shift staff members havejust come in and they are getting settled down. staff members, nurses, doctors, call handlers, are working 24/7 to advise people who think they may have been exposed to this coronavirus. with the volume of calls they are receiving — on normal weekday they deal with around 3000 calls for a wide variety of health issues. it is now looking at more than about 4000 cases every weekday. so quiteajump. that is why bosses here looking at recruiting 115 more call handlers here for this call centre in the coming days and weeks as the uk braces itself for more cases. there hasn't yet been a case identified in the west midlands here since this outbreak started. the economic cost, of the spread of coronavirus, is also being felt. global growth forec

this is bbc news, i'm lukwesa burak. the headlines... another big rise in the number of people infected by coronavirus in the uk, 163 people now have the virus. the government has pledged an extra £46 million for research into coronavirus vaccines and faster testing. it looks to me as though there will certainly be a substantial period of disruption when we have to deal with this outbreak. reassurance for shoppers. the government says retailers have robust plans in place to ensure people can buy the supplies they need, amid concerns that some

that's all at the bbc news website and on the bbc news app. the prime minister, borisjohnson says he'll continue to lead the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis, despite contracting the infection himself. the health secretary, matt hancock, has also tested positive. both have said they have mild symptoms and are isolating themselves. here's our chief political correspondent vicki young. keeping their distance. like many neighbours, the prime minister and chancellor stepped outside to pay tribute to nhs staff last night, but four hours later, borisjohnson tested positive for coronavirus. i've taken a test, that has come out positive. so i am working from home, i'm self isolating and that's entirely the right thing to do. but, be in no doubt that i can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fight back against coronavirus. that top team has been spending less time in the same room this week. cabinet was held remotely. the chief medical and scientific advisers whe

hugh pym, bbc news. our global health correspondent tulip mazumdar is at an nhs 111 call centre in the west midlands. tulip, just a quick update on what they are up to at the call centre, they are up to at the call centre, the volume of calls and what they are telling you? yes, huw, the night shift has just started here. some of the night shift staff members have just come in and are getting settled down. staff members, doctors, nurses and call handlers, are working 24/7 to advise people who think they may have been exposed to this coronavirus. with the volume of calls they are seeing, normally they see around 3000 calls a day for a wide variety of health issues. they are now looking at about 4000 cases every weekday, so quite a jump. that is why bosses here are looking at recruiting 150 more call handlers for this call centre in the coming days and weeks as the uk braces itself for more cases. there hasn't yet been a case identified in the west midlands here since this outbreak started. tulip, thanks fo

this is bbc news. the headlines: the united states now has over 65,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the third—highest number behind china and italy. about half are in new york, where the state governor has said health officials fear there could be more than twice as many virus patients as available hospital beds. spain has now recorded more coronavirus deaths than china, the cradle of the pandemic. 738 people with the virus died in the past day, taking the total to more than 3,600. the country's deputy prime minister has tested positive for the virus. the australian man accused of the mass shootings of muslim worshippers in christchurch in new zealand just over a year ago has changed his plea to guilty. during an unscheduled hearing via video link, brenton tarra nt admitted murdering 51 people.

laura scott, bbc news. all day, we are answering your questions about coronavirus, how to best protect yourself, and how to interpret the government's public health guidelines. here's our science correspondent pallab ghosh. thank you, reeta. our first question from a person who is concerned about the impact of the epidemic on the elderly. i have elderly parents, so how do you look after them? the elderly are particularly at risk of developing severe symptoms of the disease. so the best advice is to try and avoid getting the disease in the first place by avoiding crowded areas. but if you do get the disease, then stay in touch with friends, family and neighbours and ask for help if necessary. if you do start developing some of the severe symptoms, then call your doctor immediately. our next question is from john mcgall. i have a heart condition. what would happen to me if i couldn't go to a doctor is due if i couldn't go to a doctors due to the doctor's shutting or the nhs hospital shutting? where would i go

this is bbc news. i'm reged ahmad. our top stories: a moment of history — the united states and the taliban sign a deal that it's hoped will end 18 years of war in afghanistan the us sees its first death from the coronavirus, but donald trump calls for calm and says everything possible is being done. we've taken the most aggressive actions to confront the coronavirus. they are the most aggressive taken by any country. polls close in south carolina's crucial primary, where democratic party supporters have been choosing their party's pick to take on trump. one of britain's most senior civil servants quits and says he'll sue the government, accusing the home secretary of a vicious bullying campaign. hello and welcome to bbc news. the united states and the taliban have signed an historic agreement which could see thousands of american troops withdraw from afghanistan in the next 1a months. as part of the deal, signed in qatar, the taliban must begin peace talks with the afghan government and break with a