tonight at ten, a sharp escalation in the response to coronavirus, as the government urges people to make drastic changes to their day—to—day lives. many of the uk's city centres are virtually deserted tonight, after advice to avoid all nonessential contact and all nonessential travel. the advice, a stark contrast to what the government was saying a few days ago, was delivered by the prime minister and his chief medical and scientific experts. we are asking people to do something that is difficult and disruptive of their lives. and the right moment, as we've always said, is to do it when it is most effective. the new measures are particularly important for anyone over the age of 70, for pregnant women,

and those with certain underlying health conditions. those three groups are the groups we want to take particular care to minimise their social contact, which of course will have very significant risks for them. the impact on the economy is going to be very damaging. aviation firms are badly hit, but it's notjust big business that's suffering. and we'll be reporting on the growth of community initiatives in all parts of the uk, offering support to those in need. and coming up on sportsday on bbc news: the biggest festival in the racing calendar is off. coronavirus causes the grand national at aintree to be suspended. good evening. as the pandemic of coronavirus

claims more lives around the world, the people of the united kingdom are now being advised to make drastic changes to their day—to—day existence. the prime minister, borisjohnson, rejected criticism that his government had been slow to respond to the scale of the crisis. mrjohnson said now was the moment to stop all nonessential contact with other people and to avoid all nonessential travel. the over 70s, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions needed to be particularly vigilant. entire families must self—isolate for m days ifjust one member has a persistent new cough or a high temperature. from this weekend, those with the most serious health conditions, should be isolated from social contact, for 12 weeks. the advice came as the number of confirmed cases in the uk rose to 1,515. and 55 people are known to have died in the uk, an increase of 20 on yesterday. the chief medical adviser warned

that the new restrictions on people's lives would need to last for a long while, as our health editor hugh pym reports. this evening around the uk, the streets were a lot quieter than usual after an extraordinary intervention which will affect everyone‘s daily lives. this is a huge and unexpected step change in the government's response to the coronavirus crisis. the prime minister said drastic action was needed to slow the growth in cases. he had a series of messages, first on household isolation and those with a persistent cough or fever.m you or anyone in your household has one of those two symptoms, then you should stay at home for m days. that means that if possible you should not go out, even to buy food or essentials other than for exercise, and in that case at a safe distance from others. there was

guidance on social distancing for the whole population. now is the time for everyone to stop nonessential contact with others, and to stop all unnecessary travel. we need people to start working from home where they possibly can, and you should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues. theatres and other such social venues. the over 70s and pregnant women were urged to be extra vigilant. infections in pregnancy are not a good combination in general, and that is why we have taken the very precautionary measure whilst we try to find out more to include pregnant women in the group alongside older women and people who have got pre—existing and significant health conditions. we may in retrospect find out that that was overkill, but we need to be precautionary now rather than the other way. many people, including

millions are fit and active people over 70, may feel listening to what i have just over 70, may feel listening to what i havejust said over 70, may feel listening to what i have just said that there is something excessive about these measures. but i have to say, i believe they are overwhelmingly worth it to slow the spread of the disease, to reduce the peak, to save life, minimise suffering and to give oui’ life, minimise suffering and to give our nhs the chance to cope. isolating the sickest is to be an immediate priority. in a few days' time, by this coming weekend, it will be necessary to go further and to ensure that those with the most serious health conditions are largely shielded from contact, from social contact, for around 12 weeks. the nhs, meanwhile, is pushing on fast to make room for the inevitable surge in patient numbers because of the virus. at this hospital in

belfast, they are preparing specialist beds with ventilators. nurses are being trained in using protective clothing to care for patients you have tested positive. it's warm, it's challenging, it's like you are in the desert, and there is no air. i can only be in there is no air. i can only be in there for about 40 minutes at a time, so trying to do everything you need to do for that patient in that timeframe to keep ourselves safe with the risks of the masks. hospital leaders point out that most patients will recover quickly and won't need specialist care, but they're worried about the large volume of cases expected. they're worried about the large volume of cases expectedlj they're worried about the large volume of cases expected. i think what scares us is the potential for the numbers of patients that could come, and we don't really know how many could come at the moment. but we have been preparing for the worst, absolutely preparing for the worst. but i'm confident that we are prepared for that. but some doctors elsewhere in the uk say the nhs

isn't prepared for what's coming. we are not ready. we are running out of masks already. we haven't even started into the crisis really. there is a crucial lack of ventilators, and even our oxygen supply might be in danger. it's a dramatic shift in policy, and critics will say it should have happened sooner, but officials here at the department of health say it was only today when government scientific advisers predicted a significant escalation in case numbers requiring radical new measures. it's the biggest public health policy intervention in peacetime. it will have profound implications. no one knows how long it will last, and when these streets will be buzzing with life again. hugh pym, bbc news. today's announcement marks a significant shift, from the government's position last week. minutes before the news conference took place, the world health organization called for stronger measures than the uk and some other countries were taking. officials are now convinced

that the uk is on the verge of a major surge in cases, and there are genuine concerns about the impact on the nhs as our medical correspondent fergus walsh explains. these images of makeshift field hospitals from northern italy explain why such drastic measures are being taken in the uk. coronavirus cases have overwhelmed some critical care units in lombardy, with over 800 people in intensive care there. that's why a key aim is to slow the spread of coronavirus in the uk. it's estimated we're three weeks behind italy, and if no action is taken, the epidemic here will double every five to six days. the objectives are to really suppress the curve in order to keep it below nhs capacity, so that the nhs can cope, and to shield the vulnerable and those most likely to get severe disease,

so that we protect them across this period. the aim is to reduce deaths and minimise suffering. four out of five people will have a mild illness. but a significant minority will need hospital treatment due to breathing problems and pneumonia. one in 20 of those infected may need intensive care. the uk has around 5,000 intensive care beds. if there's too much demand, then patients could die if there aren't enough ventilators, and it could also cause deaths in patients with other serious conditions. if the nhs became overwhelmed in any of the four nations, if the intensive care units got to the point where they were overwhelmed then people would die from indirect deaths because they did not have the ability to get medical care. the government is relying on sophisticated disease outbreak computer modelling to predict how

best to control the pandemic. it's thought there could already be up to 50,000 cases of coronavirus in the uk. these measures are going to have a major impact on society, indeed, even on health in other ways. there will be unintended consequences. they are going to shut down a large chunk of the economy. ithink... i think you have to be very sure you need them before you introduce them. neither do you want to leave it too late. government policy has shifted because new modelling suggested there would be a catastrophic epidemic, with up to 250,000 deaths predicted, u nless attem pts were made to suppress the outbreak here. but an effective vaccine could be 12—18 months away. and fergus is here now. i'm going to pick up on that last

point about projected deaths, which no doubt will have alarmed a lot of people. what has the government been told behind the seams that has prompted this dramatic shift? told behind the seams that has prompted this dramatic shift7m told behind the seams that has prompted this dramatic shift? it is new modelling that has come out of lombardy in the last few days showing the level of intense impact on intensive care units from the virus, and the advice was that if we carried on with the policy that was there only last week to mitigate and not completely suppress the outbreak, that we would have this catastrophic epidemic with the possibility of potentially up to 250,000 deaths. this is obviously only predictions, but by trying to suppress the virus now and putting in these extraordinary measures, the hope is that those deaths can be reduced to the thousands. the problem with this is that there is no exit strategy, and this applies to all countries around the world who are involved in lockdowns or

other restrictions. because as soon as you lift those restrictions, the virus can come back again. it's thought the current wave could peak in about 10—14 weeks, but we don't have any effective treatments. a vaccine could be 12—18 months away, so we really are in this for a long haul, and it's how much society can bear to put up within the coming months. fergus, for now, thanks. we will talk again before the end of the programme. in every part of the uk, people have been taking in the full import of the government's latest advice, which marks a very sharp change from just a few days ago. with advice to everyone to stop nonessential contact, and to avoid pubs, clubs and theatres, the change in people's lifestyles will be significant. 0ur correspondentjon kay reports. bristol tonight, but this could be anywhere in the uk. new advice from westminster

means life is changing. when is normalcy going to come back again? laura and ann's trip to the theatre was suddenly cancelled. if it's going to protect all of us, then it's a good thing that they've done what they've done. but it is scary. it's scary that this kind of takes control out of our hands at this point. its unknown territory, isn't it? we've just got to see what happens and it's scary for everybody. the new guidance on avoiding crowded places meansjemima and greg might have to rethink trips to the pub, but they don't think gathering should be banned altogether. it's down to the individual, isn't it? if they want to go out, they will go out. will you go out? yeah, i'm out! in my environment, they aren't really too scared, more annoyed, i think. this will be the last bus we use. joanne and lily are changing their plans, but they are still not quite sure what the prime minister means when he says to avoid nonessential travel.

i don't know how it's all going to be applied. it all seems very inconsistently applied at the moment. what do you think is inconsistent? well, some people say they are going to stay at home. some people say they are going to go out anyway and i don't know if anybody is actually really got it in the head that we might actually have to change our ways quite significantly. it is weird, it is weird... lawyer zak thinks she will now be walking to the office are working from home. as i understand it, we have been told what we are supposed to do, what the covenant would like us to do. i don't think it is as as hard—line as what exactly it is to do. would you like it to be harder? clearer? um, no, i think at times like this, you've got to trust people. those with the underlying health conditions must be largely shielded. suddenly, a relaxing meal out is anything but. i prefer black—and—white. after seeing what has happened in his native italy, this restaurant owner says he will accept even tougher restrictions. if the government said, right, now you

have to close down completely. i would do it immediately. you would do it? without a doubt. even if that affects business? that's life. and life is changing for all of us. jon kay, bbc news, bristol. the prime minister said the new measures were particularly important for pregnant women, anyone over the age of 70 and those with certain underlying health conditions. our special correspondent lucy manning has spent the day in brighton talking to some of those vulnerable people with particular health concerns. for everyone, life is going to be different. distant. and who can say for how long? if i were to have kidney failure... natascha mcintyre—hall has a compromised immune system. by the weekend, everyone with significant health risks of all ages will have to stay at home for 12 weeks. i'm partly really pleased that people are taking this seriously and that i have the best possible chance of protecting myself.

partly i'm really concerned about how i'm going to manage to self—isolate for 12 weeks. they saved the last dance for today. the older generation told, like everyone, they must step away from others and minimise contact. but the prime minister clear it's particularly important for the over 70s. simply to be told because i'm over 70 that i've got to stay at home is not... i know it's not going to be in my interests, in a way, although i know the intention is good. it's mothering sunday next sunday. am i going to be able to go and see my family? 0n the hove seafront, fresh air is allowed, but most other people are to be avoided. we kept our distance. that would be quite difficult, because we're very social animals, but even so, we've got skype for our family. we're calm, and we're unafraid. social distancing needs to happen because when the older generation are out and about, they can't be sure if people have coronavirus butjust aren't

showing the symptoms. but there is a clear danger that social isolation is also likely to be a big problem. readying to cut herself off, jane bellado. her daughter's already insisted her mum, a spanish teacher, works online from home. i'm in the age group, 72, and i suffer with type two diabetes. so i am a vulnerable person. i do miss you, but the good thing about all this technology is that actually, now, you kind of won't be able to get rid of me, because i'm determined that we'll be able to do some nice things together, whether that's cook—alongs, or book club. for everyone, particularly the elderly, the vulnerable and pregnant women, these are going to be the most difficult months. a different world, said one scientist. families split apart in the hope lives will be saved.

lucy manning, bbc news, brighton. let's pick up on a few other points after today's developments. in a moment, we'll talk to our education editor branwenjeffreys, but first, our chief political correspondent vicki young. clearly, today's set of announcements were sweeping, to say the very least. as the government got more surprises to come in the next few days? yes, if you think about boris johnson being next few days? yes, if you think about borisjohnson being re—elected just over three months ago, he can't have imagined he would be standing there today addressing the nation and announcing an effective lockdown of most parts of the country, the kind of measures not seen since the war. now i asked him about the enforcement of all of theirs. there are no cu rfews, enforcement of all of theirs. there are no curfews, not going as far as in other countries but he talked about us being a liberal democracy, saying people understood the advice they were being given. there was also talk of personal responsibility, really saying this has to be a national effort and we all have to do this in order to save

lives. alongside the health aspect of all of this, the government are looking at economic measures. i am told that chancellor rishi sunak had a committee meeting today, looking at what more help there could be. he will be the lead minister at the press co nfe re nce will be the lead minister at the press conference in downing street tomorrow and he's going to announce a significant package of measures to help businesses, including, i'm told, the airlines. jeremy corbyn, the labour leader, has been in downing street tonight. he wants more help for the low paid and those who don't qualify for sick pay but there is no doubt the government is fighting this on all fronts. 0ur lives have changed for a long time and no one can say when they are going to go back to normal. thank you forjoining us. let's go to the department for education now. time and again today, parents have been asking, why are schools still open if this amount of restriction is needed elsewhere in society? what are ministers saying there? the

position of the government remains that the school system as a whole should stay open, even though we are seeing some individual schools close for a deep clean after suspected cases, and then reopen. but head teachers leaders came here today to tell the education secretary gavin williamson it might simply not be possible for every school in england to stay open as soon as more teachers begin to self—isolate. and now we have the prospect of pregnant women being asked to reduce social contact and work from home. well, in a profession where the majority are women, that could have a significant impact, too. smaller schools, primary schools, those in rural areas, are very worried that they simply won't have enough staff to safely supervise children. and of course, as safely supervise children. and of course , as you safely supervise children. and of course, as you said, parents are asking lots of questions of head teachers. should they keep their child at home? what will happen to the crucial gcse and a—levels? we

know that exams were discussed here today, the union leaders told me that options are being discussed at that options are being discussed at that are on the table, including delaying some of them until september. no decisions yet on those exams, but there are going to be further meetings this week where they try to thrash out workable solutions. similar discussions of course in every part of the uk. but it looks as though ministers are trying to hold the line, to hold out forjust two or three weeks more, keeping schools open, until easter holidays. thank you forjoining us. branwen holidays. thank you forjoining us. bra nwen jeffreys and holidays. thank you forjoining us. branwenjeffreys and vicki young at westminster. vicki young mentioned the possibility of new measures on the economy tomorrow, there. the prime minister acknowledged today that the economy was now facing a "severe blow" from the impact of coronavirus. it's been another day of heavy losses on the world's stock markets. london's ftse 100 closed down 4%. there were even bigger falls in new york, frankfurt, paris and madrid. aviation firms are among those hardest hit, as our economics

editor faisal islam reports. across the uk, the eerie sight of airports turning into parking lots, as planes are grounded, unused, as people stop flying across the atlantic and within europe as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. pilots, air crew, ground staff, airlines forced to lay off workers and, in virgin's case, temporarily imposing leave without pay for several weeks, at least. preventing shutdowns in aviation, carfactories, most things, from becoming permanent economic scars is top of the in—tray of andrew bailey on his first day as the new governor of the bank of england. he suggested more support on its way. the damage that is done to the economy, and that is something that we want to minimise and stop, and that is why you saw prompt action last week. that is why you will see prompt action again when we need to take it. you can be sure, the public can be assured of that. indeed, his counterparts in the usa

slashed interest rates by i% last night, but markets across the world tumbled again, reaching their lowest levels for several years, before recovering half the losses. these are massive moves in stock markets, and they are happening every single day. they reflect the fa ct every single day. they reflect the fact that when parts of society shutdown, sectors of the economy do, too, from to car production. while right now the health emergency is obviously the priority, when companies run out of cash, they can't pay people and have to lay workers of which is why huge amounts of government help, more than they possibly could imagine last week, will now be required. in france, president macron took to the airwaves to pledge 300 billion euros to make sure no company goes bust because of the virus. that was after ag7 because of the virus. that was after a g7 meeting of world leaders, but not in person, of a video conference, seeking a more

coordinated response. the pm acknowledged the economic challenge. it is perfectly obvious from just a g7 conversation i was having today, everybody sees that this is going to be potentially a severe blow for the economy. many in business are choosing too much in at this time of national crisis. here, a gin distillery in bristol making alcohol hand sanitiser, others helping manufacture vital nhs equipment. but pretty quickly, it will be businesses large and small that will need a massive lower funding from somewhere. faisal islam, bbc news. in france, president macron has ordered tough restrictions on people's movement for at least two weeks to slow the spread of coronavirus, and said the army would be drafted in to help move the sick to hospitals. the french authorities have already shut down restaurants and bars and closed schools and universities. 0ur correspondent lucy williamson is in paris with the latest.

restrictions here has been tight into day after day after day but there was a real change in tone tonight. president macron saying everybody had to stay in their homes except for really core, really essential jobs, like except for really core, really essentialjobs, like going to the shops forfood, like essentialjobs, like going to the shops for food, like accessing medical care. and even for those outings, there is going to be a form they have to print off and carry with them at all times. there are going to be 100,000 police officers to monitor those rules across the country, and fines for anyone who brea ks country, and fines for anyone who breaks them. president macron also said that the eu borders, the schengen borders of the european union, would be closed, also, to try to stop the virus spreading. i think there's a real frustration to stop the virus spreading. i think there's a realfrustration in to stop the virus spreading. i think there's a real frustration in the government hear that a lot of people in france are simply, or has been simply carrying on as normal, flocking to restaurants, hanging out in parks. the director—general of health he said this morning it was a very worrying situation, the situation was deteriorating very fast, and i think the government

simply decided that something more dramatic had to be done. lucy, many thanks for the latest from paris tonight, lucy williamson, there. in europe's worst—affected country, italy, the number of deaths has now passed 2,000, with nearly 28,000 cases in total. but experts say the rate of new infections is falling, after some extremely tough restrictions on movement. 0ur correspondent mark lowen has been talking to those who have suffered losses, as the virus continues to spread. 85—year—old giuseppina pa nzetti on holiday in the city of genoa last month, just before the coronavirus took hold, killing her within days. we got through to her daughter, miriam, stuck in an area under lockdown, from where she was unable to reach her dying mother. bans on funerals meant a quick burial. 0ne story of more than 2,000 lives taken. translation: what hurts most is that i couldn't be there with her. it makes you feel powerless. it is devastating, surreal.

people are falling like flies, here. six people died the same day as my mother. every day, there are four orfive more. in a war, you can see the enemy. with this, you can't. it's worse. italy's only maker of ventilators is now quadrupling production, technicians from the army sent in to help, scrambling to keep italians alive. daniela de rosa is a lucky one. she's pulling through, with a warning. translation: today, i got my first negative result so i breathed a slight sigh of relief because i'm winning this battle. if you don't go through this, you will never understand the pain and desperation. but still, not everyone gets it. maybe out of ignorance or fear or thinking they're above it, they ignore the restrictions or the quarantine. but we each have to do ourjob. well, this is the second hospital in rome that, from today, is being used to treat coronavirus

patients, increasing the beds in this city dedicated to the outbreak to 1,000 as cases rise here. and this is far from the worst hit part of the country, in the north, where intensive care units are almost at capacity. and in the north, this is the cost. ten pages of obituaries. a month ago, it was one. how fast this silent killer has brought italy to its knees. mark lowen, bbc news, rome. in spain, the government has announced sweeping new measures allowing it to take over private health care providers and seize medical equipment. the country has 9,500 recorded coronavirus cases. streets were largely deserted on the first working day of a lockdown after the government announced a state of emergency at the weekend. in washington, president trump said the coronavirus emergency could last until the end of the summer, or even longer. the president said that over the next 15 days, americans should not gather

in groups of more than ten people and should avoid restaurants. the us has so far had 4,100 cases of the virus, and 71 deaths. mr trump urged all elderly americans to stay home for their own safety. 0ur north america correspondent nick bryant has the latest. foghorn. we live in a world right now where so much looks familiar, but almost everything feels different. and on the monday morning staten island ferry, these empty rows were a measure of community concern. these protective masks, a global badge of fear. people are worried and we don't know what to do and that makes us worry more. i was just actually thinking this morning about how apocalyptic it felt. i was lying in bed and i was thinking, this is a movie, it can't be real. unbelievable, unbelievable. never seen it like this in life. and i've been living here all my life. incredible. 0n the new york

subway system, social distancing would usually be impossible in the middle of the rush—hour. but this morning, it felt like a ghost train. this city of perpetual motion is shutting down. its bars, its restaurants, its school system, and it's frightening for new yorkers like liz sa nta na. oh, no, it's devastating, what's happening right now. it's a very emotional for a lot of service people,to lose theirjobs. sorry. times square is normally the pulsing heart of manhattan, bumper—to—bumper congested. but just about the only activity was on its dancing big screens. images from a chinese news channel, with scenes that are now playing out here. they call times square the crossroads of the world. but nobody wants to meet here any more. the nation's capital looked like a scene from some dystopian drama. and at the white house, the physical barriers that protect the president are now being augmented by medical checks on people going inside.