this is bbc news i'm shaun ley. the headlines at 18:00... 1a more patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the number of deaths in the uk to 35. the health secretary warns that measures to combat coronavirus will disrupt the lives of everybody — and older people and those with health conditions will be asked to stay at home. the protection of the vulnerable and elderly by asking them to stay away, to stay at home, that is in our action plan, but we do not want formally to say yet that people should do that. british companies are urged tojoin a national effort to produce more ventilators and other medical equipment at speed. huge queues today as supermarkets urge shoppers not to buy

more than they need, saying there is enough for everyone if people are considerate. the foreign office advises against "all but essential travel" to the united states after president trump introduced a travel ban on the uk. the eu warns its member states against closing borders, saying checks at frontiers are increasing the risk of shortages. in this moment of crisis it is of utmost importance to keep our internal market going. good evening. welcome to bbc news.

the department of health says 1a more people across britain have died after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths here in the uk to 35. the health secretary matt hancock has warned that the measures the government will take to combat the coronavirus will disrupt the ordinary lives of almost everybody in the country. he confirmed that in the coming weeks, people over 70 and vulnerable people would be asked to self—isolate, staying at home and cutting down contacts. the department of health says they will put out more guidance tomorrow on what social—distancing measures elderly and at risk people should take. here are the day's other main developments... in total 1,372 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the uk. over 40,000 people have been tested. matt hancock said ministers would ask the nation's manufacturers to switch to the production of ventilators needed to treat people who develop severe symptoms — more doctors would be trained in their use.

at present, there are just 5000 ventilators available in the uk. the chair of the construction companyjcb said he had been approached to help by ministers. supermarkets in the uk are urging customers not to panic buy during the outbreak. and the foreign office has advised against all but essential travel to the united states following the us government imposing restrictions on travel from the uk. the foreign office is also advising against all but essential travel to spain, and the balearic and canary islands — easyjet is the latest airline to cancel all flights to spain, beginning tuesday. ryanair is also limiting the number of flights to the country. here's our political correspondent, nick eardley. for weeks now we have all been told to wash our hands more, but the government is increasing its response to coronavirus. already, if you have a persistent cough or fever you are to stay

at home and new measures could be coming soon. many of them will be focused on those most at risk, in particular the elderly. they could soon be asked to shield themselves from the virus by staying away from other people for months. protection of the vulnerable and elderly by asking them to stay away, to stay at home, that is in our action plan, but we do not want formally to say yet that people should do that, and the reason for that is simply this length of time that they would need to stay self isolated, stay at home, to protect themselves, it is a very big ask. it is a very long time. the scottish government says its plans for the elderly focus on reducing contact rather than complete isolation but soon families are likely to be asked to isolate together, too, if someone in the household show symptoms. engineers will be asked to produce as many ventilators as possible.

the government needs more and has said it will buy as many as can be produced. there are also plans to take over beds in private hospitals if the nhs comes under too much pressure. i think this response is going to be one of the biggest challenges that our generation faces. some questions are being asked about the response, though, including about the idea immunity can be built up by protecting the most vulnerable while others get a mild illness. ministers say that is not the plan, despite the government's chief scientist suggesting it was part of the approach. labour wants more information about how decisions are being reached. we do that not to undermine the government, because we want the government's strategy to succeed, but it is important we can all reassure ourselves the government is taking the right approach. the prime minister is holding talks with officials this afternoon. emergency legislation will be published in the coming days and new measures are likely

to be introduced soon. one of the 35 people in the uk to die from coronavirus has been confirmed nick matthews from nailsea in north somerset. the 59—year—old died at the bristol royal infimary yesteday. in a statement his wife mary matthews said... the family also confirmed they were currently in self—isolation until they get the all clear. with me is out political correspondent, jessica parker. that story is one ofjust 35, sadly and each one of those figures is a person and family and friends affected by this. not expecting to lose a loved one in the circumstances. it is an incredibly sensitive time, in terms of the government for how it keeps public support for measures if things are necessary and measures it looks like

it will be ramping up this week? that has been the education. if you're a mother prime minister's press c0 nfe re nce you're a mother prime minister's press conference last week struck a sombre note. he gave a warning that many families were going to lose loved ones before their time. in terms of what is going to happen this week, you mentioned before we are likely to get more guidance about the sorts of social distancing measures elderly people can take going forward. this is after matt hancock, the health secretary, talk this morning about how within the number of weeks they could be looking at a radical plan of self isolation for the elderly, over 70s and vulnerable as well. i think over this weekend one of the concerns has been, one of the criticisms levelled at the government is around communication. this idea of over 70s having to self—isolate for a long time is starting to spill out. having to self—isolate for a long time is starting to spill outm having to self—isolate for a long time is starting to spill out. it is still not clear, is it, what sort of

timeframe? exactly, when we might hear it and how long they will be asked to self—isolate for. there has been some criticism of that and then there was this issue of herd unity. it is the idea where quite a lot of people get infected with the virus but build up some immunity to it. matt hancock saying that is not the policy, that is not the aim. so there has been criticism of the communication and some the labour leaderjeremy corbyn has picked up on today. we are suffering a pandemic and it is very, very serious and the government seems to be complacent and the advice is different to that of almost every other european country. i have written to the prime ministerdemanding a country. i have written to the prime minister demanding a meeting and demanding to know what will be in the emergency legislation that is going to be presented to parliament next week. downing street have

indicated we will get sight of this emergency legislation fairly soon. there is a cobra meeting tomorrow as well, so we will have to wait to see what comes of that. meanwhile, there has been a development from the european union. the eu commission president should have underlying has said they need to keep certain medical products and equipment within eu borders. at one point, germany and france were saying we will just keep germany and france were saying we willjust keep them to ourselves, thank you very much. other eu countries were saying, hang on a minute, what happened to the common europe principle? she is talking about, not only trying to keep that equipment within eu borders, it is something that is coming into force right away, today and individual national governments, saying a german company wants to import equipment, the national government of germany would have to give permission for that to happen. i

have been checking with the eu, given we are in this transition period, whether the uk would count asa period, whether the uk would count as a third country or a member state ? as a third country or a member state? i am told currently, after a bit of confusion, we would be included in this and we wouldn't be treated as a third country so we wouldn't be affected. but we would have this application of medical equipment keeping within eu borders. let's listen to what she has been saying today. we need to keep in the eu, the protective equipment we need. that is why we adopted today, and an export authorisation scheme for protective equipment. this means that such medical goods can only be exported to non—eu countries with the explicit authorisation of the eu governments. this is the right thing to do, because we need that equipment for our health care systems. we need to share that

equipment in the european union. selling protective equipment to other nonmember state is not good. we need to help each other and no country can produce on its own, what it needs. just on this question of communication, the criticisms jeremy corbyn and others are raising, do they get it in downing street? is there an appreciation the messaging has become a little bit confused and there needs to be more definite points in the course of the day or during the week when people know that if i listen at this point, if i turn the tv on at this point, i will see the prime minister of the chief medical officer or matt hancock and they will tell me what the latest thinking is? the pressure has been building on this issue and it will be interesting to see if there is a change on approach this week. from downing street's perspective, they will say there has been regular press c0 nfe re nces will say there has been regular press conferences and they have upped the publication campaign. the health secretary was doing the rounds this morning, but he did have

to combat various bits of information that had spilled out over the weekend. some people would say, people are worried, social media and a lot of information out there, perhaps a level of confusion is inevitable in the situation. but there will be pressure on the government to do everything they can and control the message and make sure there is little confusion as possible. i was trying to think of a recent comparison and i was doing yourjob at the time of foot and mouth. it was different than because we didn't really have 24—hour social media. it was easy for the government to say, this is the message and for it to be controlled and its distribution. it is much harder now. ijust want and its distribution. it is much harder now. i just want to stay on and raise a questionjessica was talking about, medical equipment being exported from germany. simon jack has been making contact with various countries who are manufactured in the uk. this is on the question of supplying ventilators and we are told there

are 5000 ventilators to help people who experience severe breathing difficulties as a result of coronavirus. and those who are vulnerable that have pneumonia or have weakened lungs already. the government has sent out this word for manufacturers to switch production to ventilators. at the moment ventilators are not produced in this country, so it is a new thing for medical countries even based here. simon says, manufacturers tasked by the government are not ready to fill the demand yet. firms including jcb, unipartand demand yet. firms including jcb, unipa rt and rolls—royce demand yet. firms including jcb, unipart and rolls—royce and others are in close communication with the government. but according to thejcb chairman, one of those companies the government often turn to for advice now, although they are willing to help in whatever way they can, it is unclear as yet if we can assist with what is obviously an important

request. ventilators are considered critical as medical experts estimate that between ten and 20% of those who develop the coronavirus only critical care and many of those will need help reading. firm stand ready helping to produce ventilators have said confusion and clarification is neededin said confusion and clarification is needed in the design. in italy, there has been a shortage of ventilators and that has led to some difficult calls for medical staff. if we are a couple of weeks ahead of the situation in italy, the government wants to close the gap and close it fast. we will bring you more on that as we get it and we will be watching for further developments from companies who may be able to develop in developing and producing new ventilators to ease the pressure that could potentially could result from the coronavirus outbreak. train companies havejoined airlines today in calling for government support as passenger numbers plummet because of coronavirus. it's thought the numbers using some

lines could have fallen by up to 18% last week. as airlines continue to struggle easyjet today said it will stop all flights in and out of spain from tuesday following the state of emergency declared there. 0ur transport correspondent told us the threat the aviation industry is facing. it is far—reaching in respect when you look at the railways, one of the contingencies railways are looking at is if the government does limit public transport. we are not there yet but the immediate problem is the financial position of train companies. a lot of train companies in britain have been losing money before this outbreak. now the outbreak as hick, passenger numbers have dropped significantly and probably the true figure is more than 18% because the data takes a while to sift through the system, if you like. therefore, train companies are effectively in trouble. they are

negotiating with the government, they are commercial negotiations and they are commercial negotiations and they are commercial negotiations and they are looking for the government to give them more wriggle room around the payments which they make to government for running franchises in those negotiations are ongoing. so effectively a payment holiday? some form of wriggle room, call it a bailout, whatever, but they need some kind of exceptional measures if some kind of exceptional measures if some of them are going to survive, effectively. i notice sas, scandinavian airlines said the demand has fallen off a cliff. that has just demand has fallen off a cliff. that hasjust come in demand has fallen off a cliff. that has just come in and it demand has fallen off a cliff. that hasjust come in and it is incredible. they said they will cut 90% of their workforce and it effectively feels the workforce is staying in existence in name only, but in terms of the flights, we are going to see a drastic cut to their schedule. 9096 of the staff will be laid off, hopefully temporarily? yes, they employ 10,000 people. that isa yes, they employ 10,000 people. that is a significant number of people. british airways has told its staff it may have to lay off some

temporarily. the question, it has already been a question with a couple of airlines going under in recent months, whether there would be some reconfiguration of the airlines anyway, me daily—macro presumably coronavirus is the ca ta lyst presumably coronavirus is the catalyst that will force this to happen more quickly? it is very and every airline affected. some airlines were in a more precarious position in terms of the liquidity and debt before this crisis. norwegian air, jumps to mind. they are taking measures and everyone else is taking measures, they are cutting their passenger schedules drastically. we are in uncharted territory and it is hard to imagine the whole airline industry is going to survive and that after this outbreak, when it eventually is over, that the airline industry is in exactly the same shape than it was before. that was the message that came from the industry body representing airlines in the uk late last night. they put a stark warning

out to government and said, you need to step in, we want exceptional financial measures. 0therwise, some degree of the industry is going to go under. tom burridge. tens of millions of europeans are living under lockdown and countries are bringing in new restrictions to combat the spread of the virus. in italy the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has increased to 1,809, with the total number of cases reaching nearly 25,000. spain's 47 million citizens have been ordered to stay indoors except for necessary trips. spanish police have been using drones to enforce the in ireland, the government called has called for the closure of all pubs in the country until the 29th march. france has announced the closure of all public places that are nonessential to public life. that includes, restaurants, cafes and cinemas. long—distance train, plane and bus travel is going to be progressively reduced over the coming days. local elections have taken place across the country today —

although turnout appears down by 5%. germany is to close its borders with france, austria and switzerland tomorrow. goods and commuters will be able to cross between the countries. in austria itself, where around 800 cases have been reported, gatherings more than five people have been banned. and, the netherlands will close all schools, bars and restaurants until six april as it steps up its measures. several cruise ships are reported to have cases of suspected coronavirus. more than 600 british passengers are on board the braemar, which is off the coast of the bahamas. 20 guests are in isolation, having shown flu—like symptoms, after five people tested positive for covid—19. there are also 20 crew members who are isolated, including a doctor. the foreign office is working with fred olsen cruise lines to help bring uk citizens home from the vessel. us airports have been thrown

into chaos as new coronavirus health screening measures for people returning from mainland europe come into force. long queues formed as travellers waited for hours for the screenings before passing through customs. the uk government is advising against all but essential travel to the united states. president trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, the white house says. mr trump underwent a test days after hosting a meeting at his florida resort with a brazilian delegation, some of whom had the virus. i've been speaking to our north america correspondent peter bowes, and i asked him whether any decision had been made to move passengers from the affect cruise liners. not at the moment and to be honest, i don't have many details about that, i have been focusing on the details at the us airports, which is causing a tremendous amount of concern. a lot of americans attempting to come home. travel

clearly is the issue for everyone right now and the focus is on getting home, if you absolutely can and if you safely can, but that is what is causing a lot of the chaos the country. a lot of students trying to get back home as opposed to potentially being stranded a long way from home. what sort of measures are people having to undergo, are they physical checks of temperature? that's the kind of testing, it is screening. they are not being tested for the virus, but they are being screened for the temperature, whether it is going into meetings at the white house or indy, arriving into the united states. it is causing a tremendous amount of congestion. huge crowds and people have been complaining about the seemingly almost dirty conditions at some of these airports with people in very close quarters. it is something the president has responded to just something the president has responded tojust in something the president has responded to just in the last hour. the alarm overcrowding at airports

and he said the united states is doing precise medical screenings at airports. pardon the interruption and delays, we are moving as quickly as possible but it is important we are vigilant and careful. we must get it right, says the president. safety first. there have been some criticism about the amount of testing america was carrying out as opposed to other countries with significant rates of infection. opposed to other countries with significant rates of infectionm that situation improving, what is the federal government doing to try and ensure testing facilities are available? it is improving, but the problem, which cannot be rectified now, was one of a month ago when those testing kits should have been getting out to the districts that needed them. as every day passes, the us administration says millions more testing kits are being made available around the country. clearly, we a re available around the country. clearly, we are not in the situation and nor is it necessary for every

individual to be tested, especially if you don't have any symptoms. what they are doing at the moment is focusing on those people, especially those people who are taken to hospital with their symptoms. they are, if you like, first in the queue to be tested. peter bowes in los angeles. supermarkets are urging shoppers to stop stockpiling during the coronavirus outbreak. in manchester today, there were long queues outside wholesale supermarkets as people rush to buy supplies the british retail consortium is asking customers not to buy more than they need as our business correspondent katy austin reports. queues outside supermarkets and shelves emptied of essentials like loo roll, hand wash and long—life foods show many shoppers have not heeded the official advice that there is no need to stockpile. people at this store in london felt there had been an overreaction. there's no nappies, toilet paper, nothing, nothing. so it's going to be a struggle. i think that somebody needs to put kind of a cosh on it and say, you can only take so much. it's a little bit over the top, frankly. one of my friends said, like,

you've got to get bog roll, tea bags, and i was like, why? so now, she's frightened me, so i've come out to get it all. supermarkets have had to adapt quickly by speeding up supplies, increasing warehouse space and they're running online delivery services at full capacity. they are also being allowed to extend their delivery hours, but still many shops are limiting the purchases of the most in—demand products. here at aldi, customers are being asked not to buy more than four of anything. now they've written to customers, asking them to be considerate in the way they shop, telling them that buying more than is needed can sometimes mean others will be left without. shoppers are reassured, though, there is enough for everyone if we all work together. the risk is that we alljust buy that little bit more than we actually need, and, if we all did that, then that would cause more of a problem in terms of making sure that we've got the right supplies coming through the system. today's letter is a plea to all customers to stop panic buying for fear of overstretching the system and leaving the most vulnerable without what they need.

katy austin, bbc news. and earlier we spoke to the chief executive of the british retail consortium, helen dickinson, who you saw in that report. well, what they are experiencing is a real pick—up in demand, particularly for certain products. they were mentioned there in your clip, whether it is everything from toilet paper to pasta, rice and long life goods. i think the reason behind the letter that a number of them has signed today, is firstly to get that level of reassurance to the public that the businesses themselves and all the colleagues that work within them are working very ha rd to that work within them are working very hard to make sure that we've got what we all need and to ask everybody to really be considerate and only to buy what it is that we

do actually need. because that will ensure there is enough for everyone. in terms of the practicalities in the weeks ahead, you have to maintain your supply chains, you don't know how many people are currently working in retail will be affected, the number of people who might be affected in terms of being able to get replacement supplies into shops and restaurants and so on. in those circumstances, it is not exactly irrational what people are doing, is it? you can give us reassurance now that everything is fine but you don't know what the health consequences will be and the knock—on effect for retailers. retailers are already saying we cannot meet home delivery schedules because there has been this uptake in demand. but it is a dilemma for you and for the customers? it is, but i guess the reason for doing what has been done today is to request that let's not make that situation any worse than potentially

it could be. because certainly at the moment, while there are shortages of some products, there is plenty of food in the supply chains across the businesses. what retailers have been doing over the last few days and the last couple of weeks is bringing more supplies in. it is feeding through into the warehouses, into the distribution networks and it's just those shortages are in certain goods across some stores in some areas, in particular categories. but there is still fresh foods, the supplies are good. there's lots of other things available even if there is a shortage of some things. that was helen wilkinson talking about british retail consortium advice to consumers. italians are embracing life under lockdown by taking to their windows, balconies and terraces, from where they've played instruments and burst into song.

this latest neighbourhood performance was in the borgo area of central rome... volare by dominico modugno. this latest performance in rome was one of many and it seems to be quite a thing catching on around the cities. their protests and banging of saucepans that has happened in some cities, but in rome they are celebrating and it is a chance to see other people, when you cannot leave your apartment. some advice on self isolation. let's see how terry edwards from little mix and her partner alex 0xlade—chamberlain have been spending their time.

how do you do that? now, it's time for a look at the weather with tomasz schafernaker. this skies continue to clear across the uk. a little bit of rain here and there but by the time we get to midnight, it will be clear and by dawn on monday, it will be chilly and in parts of scotland, down 2—4 and in parts of scotland, down 2—4 and temperatures around freezing in some southern towns and cities as well. it starts of sunny, crisp in places and that is how it will stay. sunny through much of england and wales, but across the north—west of the country, different story for northern ireland and western scotland. cloud and rain and windy conditions, the best of the weather will be across england and wales on monday. 0n will be across england and wales on monday. on tuesday, the weather im proves monday. on tuesday, the weather i m proves across monday. on tuesday, the weather improves across the north west, but not completely dry because there is still a little bit of rain on the

way. the best of the weather will a lwa ys way. the best of the weather will always be towards the south and east and a very mild day awaits us on tuesday with highs getting up into the mid—teens quite widely across england. it's fair to say, it's been a rather strange weekend for many sports fans with the majority of events called off. premiership rugby are now considering a number of options including a 12 week suspension of top flight matches due to the coronavirus outbreak. the pro 1a and top 1a have already postponed fixtures. a meeting will take place tomorrow with premiership clubs discussing the next steps. how long the postponement is for is up how long the postponement is for is up in the air. it will be discussed on monday. it could be quad mac weeks or as many as ten or 12. there isa weeks or as many as ten or 12. there is a feeling that continuing to play

at the current time is unfeasible. the call will be made in the next couple of days and i am hearing that european cup rugby will be postponed. ferrari has suspended its formula one team operations and closed its road carfactory in italy until the 27th march to reduce the spread of the virus. the company say they've taken the decision to protect its staff. 0ther f1 teams are still working for now, despite the uncertainty over when the season will start. netball‘s superleague is the latest league to postpone their fixtures due to the pandemic. matches were played yesterday but the three remaining games that were meant to be played tomorrow, have been called off. the league's board and all clubs will meet on tuesday to consider options for the rest of the season. super league champions st helens have suffered back to back the league's board and all clubs will meet on tuesday to consider

defeats after losing 28—14 at castleford, who are now joint top of the table, as michael redford reports. this has been a rare sight around sporting venues this weekend — supporters in the stadium ready for some live action. after suffering defeats last time out, both castleford and saint helens were ready to make amends. 0nly castleford and saint helens were ready to make amends. only one team looked like doing so, castleford in control from kick—off and soon in front. two more tries would follow ina dominant front. two more tries would follow in a dominant first half, the home side looking unstoppable. saint helens were struggling to reach the same heights until tommy makinson went over. a lifeline for the defending champions. castleford proved too quick, too strong, too good. there was a reaction from saint helens, with two second—half tries, but it was too little too late and castleford had the final word. three successive home wins for

them and the tigers now have wigan in their sights. a nick rawsthorne try seven seconds from full time prevented a shock in the fifth round of rugby league's challenge cup, as hull kingston rovers squeezed past leigh by 22 points to 19. sheffield eagles and widnes were among today's other winners. world number one judd trump is through to the final of the gibraltar 0pen after beating zhow gudong from china by 4 frames to three. trump will face kyren wilson later tonight, after the englishman beat the three time world champion, mark williams 4—0 in their semi final. leicester riders have won the women's british basketball league trophy for the third year in a row after beating durham by 70 points to 66. in the men's final, it took this free throw from darius defoe for newcastle eagles to secure their eighth bbl trophy. the eagles saw off a late comeback from the semi—professional side, solent kestrels to win 96—91; in over—time.

that's all of the sport. bye for now.

coronavirus deaths rise to 35, as the government says new advice for older people will come within weeks. at that point, the over 70s and those with certain health conditions will be told to stay at home for an extended period. it at home for an extended period. is going to be a n. and it is going to be a national effort andi it is going to be a national effort and i don't mean those words likely, every single person in this country is going to be affected and will have to do things. amid the concern about stockpiling, supermarkets urge shoppers not to panic buy. train companies echo the airlines in warning of the effect of the virus, as passenger numbers drop. we'll have the latest, too, on the international response to the virus. in spain, a near total lockdown has begun with strict rules

on who can leave their homes. and chaos at some us airports, with the travel ban about to extend to the uk. good evening. the government has said that in the coming weeks, it will advise people over the age of 70 and those with underlying health conditions to stay at home to protect themselves from coronavirus. the health secretary, matt hancock, warned that when this measure comes, it will be for a long period, and also asked manufacturers to see if they could switch their production lines to making extra ventilators for the nhs. today, the number of people who have died in the uk after testing positive for coronavirus rose to 35, an increase of 1a in the last 26 hours.

the number of confirmed uk cases now stands at 1,372, however it's thought the real number of infections is much higher. our home editor mark easton has the latest. the centre of leeds today, as the government warns we may be just weeks from asking britain's elderly to go into self—imposed quarantine. to protect those most vulnerable to the virus, ministers plan to encourage more than 10 million pensioners and those with respiratory conditions to consider isolating themselves for what may be several months. we do not want formally to say yet that people should do that, and the reason for that is simply this length of time that they'd need to stay self—isolated, stay—at—home, to protect themselves, is a very big ask, it's a very long time. it is a big ask, a measure that poses agonising questions for every family.

both myself and my wife have elderly parents who at the minute are relatively physically fit, but we've had to change plans with having them looking after our children. my mum, she's 87 now, and i've given her the advice myself to stay in and not go out. whatever they advise, we'll have to follow, won't we? so, we trust in them, don't we? the government knows there's a balance between shielding at—risk groups from the virus at its height and exposing them to the health risks of loneliness, anxiety and depression. i've got underlying circumstances and, yeah, i'm 77, so i'm right into that category and i don't fancy it. i do think we do have to take it very serious, and people to protect themselves. hasn't everything gone crazy, you're just walking around, people are going constantly. some nursing homes are already restricting or stopping visits, but what if you're caring for someone in their own home? the health secretary says britain will need an army of volunteers. every single person in this country is going to be affected and going to have to do things.

if you are healthy and they are healthy, then please go and help them. the government's plan is based on reducing infections while increasing nhs capacity. this is how the virus might spread without interventions. scientific advisors hope the peak of the virus can be delayed, allowing time for the health service to free up more beds, train more staff and source more equipment. hospitals like this one in central london may soon run out of intensive care beds, so, one idea is to requisition what these days are largely empty hotels, for extra space, drafting and retired medics and volunteers to treat and support patients. 0perating theatres, with their supply of oxygen, may be used as emergency wards. there aren't nearly enough medical ventilators in britain for those whose lives may depend on them, so the government is asking engineering companies to switch resources to making as many of those as possible. and tonight, it was confirmed that nick matthews, a 59—year—old former

police officer from somerset, is among those who've died after testing positive for the virus. he'd previously suffered a heart attack and had been off work. ministers don't want to spread panic along with the infection, but they do want to prepare the country for some very difficult days ahead. mark easton, bbc news. fergus walsh, our medical correspondent, is here. we had a warning today of what the advice could be in the coming weeks, but where do we stand on coronavirus advice to the public right now? at the moment, if you have high temperature or a new, continuous cough, you stay at home for seven days. we all have a role in combating coronavirus and we can all dramatically reduce our chances of getting infected if we take the advice on hand washing for 20 seconds. as a society as well we had a role to play in not panic buying. there are levers government can pull and we have seen many near neighbours closing borders and schools and shutting down normal

daily life. the government here will be keen to be seen it is not behind the curve and is being led by science but as a society, i think we have to brace ourselves for a very uncertain period with a lot of pressure on the nhs. and we have to pace ourselves because we could be three months from the peak of cases here. fergus, thank you very much. supermarkets are urging people not to buy more than they need as concern grows over stockpiling. in a joint letter, 12 large food retailers said they were working night and day to keep the nation fed and asked customers not to panic—buy. here's our business correspondent katy austin. queues for supermarkets and shelves emptied of essentials like loo roll, hand wash and long life foods. pictures like these show shoppers aren't listening to official advice. how was it in there? absolute nightmare, to be perfectly honest. not a lot on the shelves left. no toilet roll at all. have you tried to stock up on anything yourself? yes, to be perfectly honest, just

because everyone else is doing it. but they did limit us when we went to pay. it's a bit ridiculous. i can't find toilet paper. i'm looking for toilet paper for a couple of days, three days, actually. supermarkets have had to adapt quickly by speeding up supplies, increasing warehouse space and they are running online delivery services at full capacity. they are also being allowed to extend their delivery hours. but still, many shops are limiting the purchases of the most in—demand products. here at aldi, customers are being asked not to buy more than four of anything. now food retailers have written to customers asking them to be considerate in the way they shop, telling them, "buying more than is needed can sometimes mean that others will be left without." they are reassured, though, there is enough for everyone if we all work together. the risk is that we alljust buy that little bit more than we actually need and if we all did that, then that would cause more of a problem in terms of making sure that we have the right supplies coming through the system. superstores may be selling out,

but stocks are holding up better at corner shops, although they say wholesalers' prices have soared. today's letter from retailers is a plea to all customers to stop panic buying for fear of overstretching the system and leaving the most vulnerable without what they need. katie austin, bbc news. train companies today joined airlines in calling for government support as passenger numbers drop because of coronavirus. it's thought the numbers using some rail lines last week were down by nearly a fifth. here's our tranport correspondent tom burridge. passenger numbers are significantly down at peak times in major train stations across the uk. as the coronavirus spreads, more people are working from home and avoiding nonessential travel. i do a lot of travelling with work,

and now we've restricted that to dire need only, so a lot of work is being done via the internet, conference calls etc. with what's happening at the moment, i think we are definitely like looking in a bit more detail and only going places where we have to go, so, yeah, i suppose our habits will be changing. the worry and expectation from train companies is that passenger numbers will continue to fall, so they are negotiating with government and they want relief on payments they make to run franchises. some train companies were already losing money before the coronavirus outbreak, so with passenger numbers falling, drastic measures are now needed from government, i'm told, if those companies are to survive. all of our travel habits will, for a period of time, change. my grandparents have just gone away to spain, and they are stuck in an airport at the moment, wondering whether they are going to get back, so it's made me think

about travelling, obviously. ryanair is the latest airline to cut virtually all flights to and from spain for the coming days, the airline telling staff they'll have to take unpaid leave. job cuts could follow. jonathan matthews was due to fly back home with ryanair tomorrow from ibiza. now we've read this lockdown that was supposed to start on monday has been brought forward is and we are not supposed to leave, so all today's plans are cancelled. this airline will temporarily lay off 9,000 of the 10,000 people it employs. tomorrow, virgin atlantic will tell the prime minister that uk airlines need a bailout of several billion pounds. the civil aviation authority called it the worst moment ever, as travel companies fight to survive. tom burridge, bbc news. close to a complete lockdown came into force in spain today, with people banned from leaving home except to go to work, buy food or get medical care.

in the last 26 hours, spain has reported 2,000 new coronavirus cases and more than 100 deaths. damian grammaticas reports from madrid. she is gasping, grief stricken and infected with the virus. last night in this hospital, her husband died. today doctors have told her to go home. there are not enough beds to treat her, she is not sick enough, not yet. around her trying to calm her are her children, now at extreme risk as well. they want us to wear masks and keep a distance. spain is in the grip of the virus, everywhere it is close at hand. this woman told me the medics working double shifts are overwhelmed and fearful of being infected themselves. translation: are overwhelmed and fearful of being infected themselves. translatiosz so hard, you go home and you can't

get close to your child or husband but it's what we have to do. and this is that frustration boiling over. don't come to the hospital if your symptoms are mild, the doctor says. people have to stop flooding emergency rooms. and so spain has ordered everyone off the streets. madrid, a major european capital, silent. the police and tell anyone they see to go home. unseen, the virus is propagating, and also the anxiety point of this is what happens when a country really starts to fear the threat posed by the put it is part of the madrid financial district and look down here, one of the biggest avenues through the city. just two days ago this was full and almost empty. you are only allowed out to buy food or go to

work. petrol stations are one of the few places that are open and people have to keep a distance. but spain was slower to do this than italy. they should have put up the measures before because we are neighbours. it was impossible that it was not going to spread to here. and last night, this happened... applause, all across spain, to thank the country's doctors. they came out of their clinics for a few minutes to acknowledge the gesture. and then got back to work on are trying to save hundreds more from succumbing to the virus. damian grammaticus, bbc news, madrid. the effect of the virus is being felt in many other countries, too. south africa has declared a national state of disaster. its president, cyril ramaphosa, said people from high risk countries would be denied entry and that screening will be strengthened at all major airports.

in france, voting in local elections went ahead today despite sweeping restrictions on public life. cafes, bars, restaurants and many shops have been told to close and schools will be closed from tomorrow until further notice. in ireland, pubs and bars will close for two weeks from this evening. in a statement, the government also asked people not to organise house parties. new measures in austria include banning gatherings of more than five people as of tomorrow. and germany is set to bring in new restrictions at its borders with austria, france and switzerland. our correspondent jenny hill is in berlin. what will change? good evening from berlin which is much quieter than usual following the closure of bars and clubs here over the weekend. the country's schools are due to close, most as of tomorrow and this evening we have heard from the german

interior minister who has confirmed he is temporarily reintroducing controls on the country's borders with france, switzerland, luxembourg, austria and denmark. as of eight o'clock tomorrow morning, u nless of eight o'clock tomorrow morning, unless you have a good reason for your journey, he unless you have a good reason for yourjourney, he said he will not be allowed to go in or out. there are some exemptions, people who can prove they are commuting for work, people bringing goods in and out of the country but i think this does illustrate the concern now being felt at the highest level in germany at the number of cases, which had been continuing to rise over the last few days. we have just had the latest official figures which show that nearly 5000 people have now tested positive for the virus. 12 people have now died. jenny hill in berlin, thank you. us officials say they're working to improve waiting times for health screening after chaotic scenes for returning travellers at some american airports. the trump administration's decision to include the uk and ireland in its european travel ban comes into effect on tuesday.

our washington correspondent jane o'brien reports. as the last link to europe closed, panicked americans rushed to beat the travel ban. immigration at chicago's o'hare airport was overwhelmed, with passengers reporting enormous crowds and unsanitary conditions. here at washington's dulles airport, though, it seems that the shutdown is already taking hold, because it really is eerily quiet here. this is normally one of the nation's busiest international hubs, but looking at the arrivals board, there is already only a handful of planes coming in from europe. americans returning on a plane from london were grateful to be home. just given the timing, i think we honestlyjust lucked out, given that we got back today, instead of tomorrow, because that would have been a lot more hectic. the airline industry is reeling from the travel bans and cancellations, as fewer americans risk travelling even within the country. american airlines, the world's second largest carrier, is cutting capacity and suspending almost all long—haul international flights from monday.

the trump administration is promising sweeping measures to help prop up the economy as america grinds to a halt. what i'd focus on, is, one, what do we need to do right now? because it's clear we need to get economic relief to the economy. a shortage of testing kits continues to hamper efforts to get an accurate picture of how far the coronavirus has spread. in denver, colorado, people queued for hours at one of the drive—thru sites that are starting to open up. but at least one person has been cleared. president trump, who faced public pressure after coming into contact with an infected person, has now tested negative. but across the country, cases are rising, and so is the death toll. jane o'brien, bbc news, washington. all the latest developments on coronavirus and advice such as symptoms to look out for are all on the bbc news website, bbc.co.uk/news, or

via the bbc news app. we're back with the late news at ten. now on bbc one it's time for the news where you are.

hello. this is bbc news. with football matches off, panic buying taking place, and fears of increased pressure on the nhs, coronavirus is affecting us all. but it's also brought out a great deal of community spirit, as alexandra mackenzie has been finding out. singing at this london nursery, children are learning that washing their hands is important, but it can also be fun.

they're filming a music video with a specially composed song about hand washing. they want to encourage families around the world. excellent! i think it's important to wash your hands because then you will get all the germs in your hands and you will get ill all the time. wash your hands to get off the germs. there is germs spreading around because people are sick. so to avoid the germs you have to wash your hands. the message seems to be getting through to these youngsters. washing our hands often helps us slow down the spread of covid—19 and other germs. if i can save the lives of one child, if they are going to see our campaign, and the importance of it, then i would be so happy. here in stenhousemuir in falkirk, it is the elderly who are being looked after. shop owners jawad and asiyahjaved

have spent around £2000 of their own money on hand sanitiser wipes and masks for some of the older people in their community. david, this is for you and your wife. i'm concerned because of my age, but i also think the job they're doing is magnificent. whatever age we are, the next few weeks are likely to bring a great deal of uncertainty, as covid—19 tightens its grip across the uk. fine weather on the way from monday. still a bit of clout around across the country bringing pockets of rain, but that should move out of the way and high pressure builds in from the southern climes. that will

give clear skies overnight and are sunny start to monday. early on monday morning, not everywhere will see a touch of frost. parts of northern and eastern england could be frost free as a result of a bank of cloud sitting across this part of the uk, but that should fizzle away. then mostly sunny skies across england and wales during the course of monday. temperatures around 13 celsius. a different story in northern ireland and western scotland, rain on the way come monday afternoon. very blustery weather in the western isles on monday, too. on tuesday, the weather front sinks further south into central parts of the uk, meaning cloud amounts across the country during the course of tuesday will increase. after that beautiful, sunny monday, tuesday will end up being a good deal cloudier across some parts of the uk. a return of

wet weather later in the day to some north—western parts of the uk, but look at the temperature — 13, 1a celsius, winds blowing from the south—west, and that wind will continue into wednesday. there is some cloud and rain, at least a little bit to talk about during wednesday, but notice this mild wealth is —— this mild south—westerly wind. in scotland, it will be fresher because of the north atla ntic will be fresher because of the north atlantic winds, temperatures into single figures. in london and east anglia, we might hit around 16 celsius on wednesday. on thursday, a question about what will be happening from then into friday. this weather front a fly into the ointment on friday may bring rain to the week —— end of the week.

this is bbc news. the headlines at 7pm: 16 more patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the number of deaths in the uk to 35. the health secretary warns that measures to combat coronavirus will disrupt the lives of everybody — and older people and those with underlying health conditions will be asked to stay at home. the protection of the vulnerable and elderly by asking them to stay away, to stay at home, that is in our action plan, but we do not want formally to say yet that people should do that. british companies are urged to join a national effort to produce more ventilators and other medical equipment at speed. huge queues today as

supermarkets urge shoppers not