schools across britain will close this week, as the death toll from coronavirus climbs to 104. the prime minister says all children, except those of key workers and the most vulnerable, will be at home from next week — no—one knows for how long. after schools shut their gates from friday afternoon, they will remain closed for most pupils, for the vast majority of pupils, until further notice. a levels and gcses are cancelled. a decision is yet to made in scotland and northern ireland. we've worked so hard, and the past two years, it's always had that long end goal, gcses, and it hasjust got to the point where that's inside in sight, and now it's not any more. for people renting their homes,

the prime minister promises to protect private tenants unable to work, saying he'll stop them being evicted. the pound plummets — it has plunged to its lowest level in 35 years against the dollar. in italy, a record rise in the number of deaths — 475 people have died in the past 2a hours, bringing the total to almost 3,000. eastenders theme music. and the bbc halts filming on eastenders and other big dramas, as broadcasters are hit, but lessons for children stuck at home are among new programmes being brought in. and coming up on sportsday on bbc news... "going ahead with the olympics would be irresponsible," — the words of an organising committee member as pressure builds to postponejuly‘s games in tokyo. good evening. all schools across britain

will close by the end of the week until further notice, as the death toll from coronavirus reached 104. borisjohnson said schools will close their doors by friday. from next week, most children will be at home until further notice, except for children of key workers, like nhs staff, police and delivery workers, as well as the most vulnerable. a levels and gcses will not go ahead in england and wales — a decision has yet to be made in scotland and northern ireland. the government said it would make sure every child got the proper recognitions they deserved, but didn't say how. the dramatic move came as the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the uk jumped by almost 700 to 2,626. 104 people have now died. the nhs said those who died in england were aged between 59 and 94, and had underlying health conditions. 0ur political editor laura kuenssberg is in westminster.

this was a decision the government never wanted to have to take, a decision they put off until they felt it was the crucial moment to act, but as the number of people infected by this disease continues to mount, so too the impact on all of our lives continues to become more and more profound, and this time it has turned the lives of millions of children, and therefore millions of children, and therefore millions of children, and therefore millions of families around the country, upside down, with the school gates closing after lessons on friday for the time being, and no one knows until when. home time. notjust until the morning, but maybe for many months. the school bell on friday will signal the end of normal life for millions of families for the foreseeable future. i think it's good for the children, right, but i think it's going to be hard for the parents who've still got to go to work. i'm very worried. why? because it's scary, scaring the people. i'm kind of a stay—at—home dad. it's not such a problem, my wife is the kind of main breadwinner. so it's not too bad. it's perhaps not the last resort for the government,

but certainly closing school gates was one of the measures ministers were desperate to avoid. after schools shut their gates from friday afternoon, they will remain closed for most pupils, for the vast majority of pupils until further notice. now, i know that these steps will not be easy for parents orfor teachers and, for many parents, this will be frustrating and it will make it harder for them to go out to work. families will wonder maybe more than anything else tonight how long these closures might last. can you give us any indication? 0ur judgment right now is that this is the moment to provide further downward pressure. i wish i could give you an answer about how long it will be, laura, but we've got to do it right now. for the children of key workers, it could mean school as usual, but, for teenagers, that means exams off for now.

we've worked so hard, and the past two years, it's always had that long end goal, gcses, and it'sjust got to the point where that is in sight. and now it's not any more. school closures could make business even trickier for firms struggling to stay afloat. if she can get them for mother's day, that would be brilliant. sally field, a florist in bristol, has plenty of orders for mother's day, but, despite the government's promise to prop up the economy with hundreds of billions of pounds of loans, she is uncertain, deeply uncertain, about what might come next. if the staff were to have to not come in, look aftertheir children, if we don't get the orders in, i wouldn't be able to pay the rent up the shop. it is a massive worry. there's a rush for more support. the government promised a night to help renters, with the plan to banish evictions. with well over 2,500 cases of the disease, ministers and officials keep daring to do whatever it takes.

ministers and officials keep vowing to do whatever it takes. whitehall is scrambling to keep up with the demands of this crisis. for the government to be able to explain clearly and precisely exactly how they plan to keep the many promises that have been made. there is a sense there could be more interventions and more restrictions on the way. the national safety net is expanding, but there are still holes. like the gaps on the commons' green benches today, mps deliberately keeping their distance. coronavirus may be a mild illness for the majority, but the effects on the country could be grave. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. the closure of schools poses a huge challenge to parents who are trying to earn a living — many of them now working from home. the government also stressed that children shouldn't be left with grandparents who are the most vulnerable to the virus. all exams have been cancelled in england and wales, and scotland and northern ireland are due to make a decision in the coming days. 0ur education editor bra nwen jeffreys reports. you need to take home your books and anything else you need in order to be able to work successfully at home.

a last glimpse of normal school life, before education is largely set aside. schools, instead, a crisis service. headteachers now expected to lead. well, i suppose there has been a sense of, really, inevitability. we've got to muck in. this is a national emergency and schools are the bedrock of communities and we will do everything that we possibly can to help. they've worked for exams now cancelled in england. even before they knew for certain, they were worried about next steps. yourfuture, which you have to be worried about, getting your qualifications, how that's going to affect your life in the future, so it's a really big issue at the moment. it's our year group for gcses, but, for others, it's their year group for a levels, their first year at university, all sorts of things and it'sjust so disruptive for everyone's lives. everyone's been saying how they think it will completely impact the way we all socially interact, like, moving forwards, so handshakes, greetings, etc and,

yeah, it's quite an eye—opener. so, that's it, schools closed for the foreseeable future. they will still have a stripped—back role, providing somewhere safe for the children of key workers, such as those working in the nhs, and looking out for vulnerable children. but that's only children with social workers, or those with education health care plans. as classrooms empty, no place for those on free school meals, only an offer of food vouchers. and, for parents, challenges ahead. fortunately, i work from home, and so does my husband, so it won't affect us but i'm pretty sure it's going to have a significant impact on lots of other parents. especially knowing that it's going to go round the school and come home to every grandparent, other person in your life, everyone could get it, you know, so the sooner they shut it down, the better. for children, the anchor of routine cut loose, as schools prepare to ride out this storm.

bra nwen jeffreys, bbc news, west sussex. let's talk to our political editor laura kuenssberg in westminster. we seem to be following in the footsteps of countries like france and spain — school closures this week — a lot of people are wondering if further restrictions are next? the government's position has a ways been quite clear, that they have taken decisions as and when the data looked at and produced by government scientists has been changing over time. but they have also been quite clear that there has been a range of things on the table, a kind of series of steps, or to use the jargon in whitehall used, it is like a ladder with different rungs, and as we go up a ladder with different rungs, and as we go up the stage of getting through this outbreak, the government needs to take different actions to try to clamp down and above all else to save lives. it was notable today that the prime minister didn't rule out increasing the level of restrictions on our lives. in fact, the level of restrictions on our lives. infact, he the level of restrictions on our lives. in fact, he was quite explicit in doing so, but i think

that said, we should also be clear that said, we should also be clear that the government has been trying very ha rd that the government has been trying very hard and clear about the fact that they are taking a step—by—step approach. they are trying to be guided every day by the best information that is put forward to them and what is clearly a very rapidly changing situation, where all sorts of demands are being put on everybody in government, and of course everybody around the country, and there is no question with that schools announcement today, that's been something that has been coming for a while, the direction of travel has been quite clear, but we are already at a stage where people's lives are being profoundly changed by the way in which this disease is unfolding, not just in by the way in which this disease is unfolding, notjust in this country but of course around the world, and there is a sense that whitehall is really trying to scramble to keep up with the pace of how this disease is spreading, and for the government of course, that means there are no straightforward decisions here. they are making very, very big promises, but there is of course a lot of political pressure over how in the

days, weeks and months they will be able really to make them come true. laura kuenssberg, thank you. another main focus today was on the legislation being brought forward to protect tenants who may soon be at risk of eviction and the three—month mortgage payment holidays extended to landlords. there have also been concerns about a lack of support for people who work for themselves. 0ur political correspondent alex forsyth has been speaking to people to find out how small businesses and those who are self—employed are coping. simply staying open is the priority for many small businesses now. hetty‘s spent years building up her cake supplier, but demand has slumped. determined to keep going, she is offering brownies by mail order to stay afloat. the feeling is definitely, like, fear of losing everything, but i'm trying to stay positive, as best as i can. she says new government measures, grants, help with sick pay are hugely welcomed, but reluctant to take out a loan, her biggest fear is how to keep paying her six members of staff.

i don't want to lose them, but if i could put them on some kind of subsidised paid redundancy, or temporary redundancy, that would be ideal, and then they can cover their costs and we can still afford to keep running, perhaps at a lower capacity, in the meantime. the government has offered billions to stop businesses closing, but some want more support for those who face losing theirjobs, or those self—employed, or not in line for sick pay. john is a freelance lighting designer. his work has completely dried up. he's thinking of selling his car to help with rent and bills, saying people in his position have no safety net. anything would be a good start. maybe suppress credit card interest. people are going to go into debt spirals just putting their shopping on their credit cards, otherwise. it's really distressing, not just for me, but to see, you know, all my friends and colleagues in the same boat. it's just happened all in the same week. the government's been clear, the measures announced for businesses so far are just the start. it's said there will be more support

for those struggling, and today the prime minister promised no one will be evicted if they can't pay their rent because of coronavirus. this letting agent says detail is key, but welcomes news that landlords will be given a mortgage break to help tenants who can't pay. it's brilliant that we've got support for tenants, and that they know they're not going to be evicted during this time. we just now need to make sure that tenants know where to go for the help, and also that landlords know where they can also go for help, if the tenant can't pay. with the next few days and weeks so uncertain, so many will be relying on support to simply keep going. alex forsyth, bbc news, gloucester. the pound has plunged to the lowest level in 35 years — trading at $1.15 — as the threat of coronavirus spooked investors. it comes as financial markets tumbled again after major stimulus plans failed to quell fears

about the economic impact of the virus. 0ur economics editor faisal islam reports. the city is emptier than it ever has been on a trading afternoon, as bankers and traders work from home, but the international financial markets are still open and, today, they set their sights on the uk, forcing up government borrowing rates and sending the pound sterling plunging to near—record lows. the pound fell up to 5% today against the dollar, meaning a 12% fall since early last week, down to its lowest level since 1985. it also fell sharply against the euro, as traders raised in new york, some sharp stock market falls suspended trading yet again. the dowjones ending up at a lower level than inherited by president trump. but the us dollar is strengthening, as investors seek out safe havens. some have suggested that these massive daily market moves are not helping pandemic fighting efforts

and they should be suspended. this morning, the governor of the bank of england told the bbc that the markets should be kept open, but he warned speculators to think very carefully about exploiting the crisis. you need to think very carefully, you know, going out and frankly shorting in a way that is just designed to sort deliberately exploit the situation, just stop and think about, frankly, the broader ethics of what you are doing. it is an extraordinary sight, this symbolic heart of british capitalism. there is hardly any people, traffic, tourists, workers, and that's a good sign for public health, but it's a bad sign for the economy. it shows something close to recession and it is the job of this institution, the bank of england and governor andrew bailey, to use its unlimited firepower to stop that getting worse and having permanent economic scars of a depression. industries across the uk and the rest of europe have been closing down, from car factories to airlines.

laying off workers, temporarily, some without pay. what is your message to a boss right now facing plunging customer revenue, massive uncertainty and one, you know, hovering over a computer mouse deciding whether or not to click and fire people or not pay people? stop, look at what's available, look at what the government is doing, look at what the bank of england's doing, we are working in close coordination. look at what's available, come and talk to us, talk to the government, talk to us before you take that decision, because supporting companies and enabling companies to support their workforces is critical here. but the economic challenges are spreading. reduced services in the rail industry, another sector to bail out for a government who has vowed to use whatever it takes to prevent the whole economy coming off the track. faisal islam, bbc news. the government says it wants to increase the number of people being tested for coronavirus from around 5,000 a day at the moment to up to 25,000 in a few weeks. meanwhile, some frontline staff say they're worried and scared

about the lack of protective equipment available when they're treating patients. but the prime minister told mps that there was a "massive effort" ongoing to ensure that staff had enough equipment to deal with the outbreak. here's our health editor hugh pym. this is a message from the government's chief medical 0fficer about coronavirus. it's important we all protect older people and those with existing health conditions from coronavirus... starring in a new tv advert, the chief medical officer for england, getting his message straight into people's homes. even if those symptoms are mild, you should all stay at home. good morning, mr whitty. chris whitty, hardly known a few weeks ago, is now a household name, at the forefront plans at the forefront of plans to tackle coronavirus threat. one of the problems they are facing up to is protection for nhs staff. some say they haven't got masks and other personal protective equipment, ppe, so they are at risk of infection at work. we don't feel that the government

have been transparent with how many masks they have, how many advanced masks they have and how much protective equipment is available for frontline staff over the coming days, weeks and months. we fear that it might be already too late. if i've already been exposed, then it's too late. in the commons, the prime minister wanted to reassure staff it was a priority. there is a massive effort going on, comparable to the effort to build enough ventilators to ensure that we have adequate supplies of pp equipment, not just now, but throughout the outbreak. a major ventilator company, though, said the uk was very poorly equipped. ministers this week appealed to british businesses to develop new products. the government says virus testing will be more than doubled, to 25,000 a day, focusing first on hospitals, then on extra tests. on extra tests for staff and then in the community. preparations for a surge in very

sick patients include a temporary mortuary, set up to increase capacity by westminster council. and the nhs is clearing the decks. at the whittington hospital in north london, they prepared this ward with piped oxygen for covid—19 patients. the beds are normally used for those who had non—urgent operations. they've now been stopped for the next few months. so this is my tiny attic room. it is our kind of spare room, two beds, one small window to the garden and that's about it, really. and i've been here since friday. dr maria goddard told me what it's like to be isolated and unwell with coronavirus symptoms. it's just complete exhaustion. cough, fever, slightly short of breath. so how well prepared does she think the nhs is? i've worked in the nhs for more than 30 years. it's an unprecedented response and it's really impressive. i'm very, very impressed and i think the public will be very well looked after. ijust hope the resource is enough.

and that is the big question. will the nhs preparations be enough? nobody right now can really answer that. 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 tomorrow morning. we are seeing more food coming into our supermarkets every day, more than any other time of the year, and we are continuing to be able to enable that supply. if everybody bought what they needed for themselves and for their family, there will be enough food. 0ur supermarkets are now on a crisis footing, putting in place unprecedented measures to keep the food on the shelves. everyone, to some extent, is limiting the amount of products customers can buy. for our biggest grocers, it's now three items on all products. at sainsbury‘s, for the most popular essentials, it's down to two. supermarkets are also streamlining their operations.

for instance, sainsbury‘s, asda and tesco are closing specialist counters to free up staff. 0cado, the online grocer, is shutting down its entire website until saturday for changes to free up more delivery slots. right now, it can no longer meet demand. at morrisons, they're getting ready to produce basic food parcels, which can be ordered by phone. they'll be dispatched direct from their distribution centres starting next week. another example of how our supermarkets are working to keep everyone fed. emma simpson, bbc news. older and disabled people who are cared for at home are particularly vulnerable and the care companies who look after them say they're having problems getting protective equipment. the government says it will be made available. they're also calling for virus testing for their staff, and financial help to meet the pressures. here's our social affairs correspondent, alison holt. we've had a couple of issues,

is there any chance you can pick up a couple of double—ups this evening? in the control room of trinity home care in surrey, care co—ordinators are busy managing the increasing pressures on their staff caused by the coronavirus and reassuring the older and disabled people they look after. we ain't going to let you completely run out of food. we will grab some bits. he is quite high—risk, so i don't want too many carers going in there at the moment. 0n the prescription, usually, there is the date of when it was prescribed. they are training new care workers to try to meet the growing need, but in a sector which has faced years of underfunding and staff shortages, many care companies say they are already struggling. frustrating for senior care worker shona, who has a lung condition so is now office—based to keep her safe. i will miss my clients because they are so used to me calling in and seeing them. and i've had to explain... not tell them what is wrong with me, butjust that i will not be physically visiting them but i will make sure

that they are well looked after. care providers are also desperate for protective equipment, like gloves and face masks, needed to care for people with covid—19 — and they want testing for staff, so those without the virus can work. company bosses say, to cope, firms need councils to start paying for services upfront. the role of the care sector's been understated at all times in recent years. we have seen a decimation of funding to this sector. we are the fourth emergency sector, and we need to be recognised as that. the government says companies will get more financial support and personal protection equipment is on its way. alison holt, bbc news. in spain, the outbreak continues to spread fast. there are now almost 14,000 confirmed cases, with over 600 deaths. all hotels will close in spain by next tuesday and the foreign office has urged british holiday—makers to return home before then. 0ur europe correspondent damian grammaticas is in madrid this evening.

sophie, i am talking to you from the very heart of madrid. the city has about half of all spain's cases and this is the point, the axis, at which the city's two biggest avenues cross and, lo, you can practically walk down there now. here, they are starting to requisition hotels. the first one here in madrid will be taken over tomorrow by the government to use for hospital patients so they can recover. what is really concerning the authorities, their nightmare scenario, is that the virus has found its way into care homes here, where some of the most at—risk populations can be found, as we saw when we visited one of the worst hit homes here in madrid today. inside this madrid care home are 120 frail residents — and, also, now, the virus. in just a week, it has taken a terrible toll here. every day, a hearse is called each time another resident has succumbed. from his home across the street,

miguel campos says he has watched the vans come and go. 17 of them now. translation: from my window, i have seen them, they put the body bags inside and go directly to the crematorium. they are trying to avoid any risk of contamination. so the care home has been sealed off — relatives, too, not allowed inside, even as their parents or grandparents have been dying. what is happening now in spain is the scenario many fear, covid—19 spreading among the most vulnerable. today, we watched as carlos fuentes tried to get in to see his mother. the last he'd heard, she has no symptoms. this is her, jesusa, 89 years old, celebrating last christmas with a staff member. "i couldn't get inside," he says. "i don't know what's going on in there. "i just want news about my mother." when he tries to phone,

it is constantly engaged. volunteers at the care home say there has been little assistance for the staff trying to fight the virus here. translation: we are worried because no one has come to sanitise this place. in the surrounding streets, people are hunkered down, part of what is now a nationwide confinement. so, this is what you find now, all across spain, people shuttered inside their houses, communities that have fallen silent because everyone now is acutely aware of the dangers posed by the virus and only venturing out if it's absolutely necessary. spain only imposed these measures from last weekend, but, given the virus's incubation period can be up to two weeks, cases continue to rise fast. another 2,500 confirmed today. so police are now enforcing the lockdown more vigorously. in madrid, they've begun handing out fines to people who are outside without a valid reason.

it all means a strange quiet has fallen over the capital. a city stilled by the outbreak here. damian grammaticas, bbc news, madrid. italy is still the hardest—hit country in europe, with more than 35,000 cases. the death toll has also surged again in the last 24 hours by 475. almost 3,000 people have now died. in germany, there have been over 12,000 cases and 28 deaths. tonight, chancellor angela merkel has given an unprecedented televised address, describing the virus as the country's greatest challenge since the second world war. in a moment, we'll speak tojenny hill in berlin, but, first, let's speak to mark lowen in rome. another terrible day for italy with this record rise of the number of people who have died in just 24 hours. yes, sophie, today's figures

ta ke hours. yes, sophie, today's figures take the number of deaths here just below that of china, the worst hit country and likely to overtake it tomorrow, but the real total may be even higher because, in some nursing homes, virus —related deaths are not being recorded because they're sick there are not being tested. in terms of the number of cases, that is rising by about 13% every day, compared to 23% a week ago, so the rate is slowing but there is an urgent need to flatten the curve, to help ease the pressure on hospitals. the worst hit area remains by far the north, where, in some small towns, mortuaries are being used to store coffins and crematoria are working 24 hours a day. in terms of the restrictions across the country, italians are, on the whole, still abiding by them but the government is considering whether to extend them even further, banning all outdoor activities, including going for a outdoor activities, including going fora run or outdoor activities, including going for a run or riding a bicycle. 0ne final thought, you see those pictures and videos of british

supermarket aisles virtually empty. that is simply not happening here in italy, there is virtually no panic buying, despite the fact that italy's outbreak is far more advanced at the moment than that of britain. italians are numb with shock but they are behaving, generally, remarkably calmly. and jenny hill in berlin, angela merkel today giving this extraordinary address to the nation, impressing upon people that they really must ta ke upon people that they really must take this virus very seriously. yes, angela merkel said that the outbreak posed the greatest challenge to german society since world war ii. she addresses the nation every new year's eve, but not once, not in 15 yea rs of year's eve, but not once, not in 15 years of leadership, has she ever given a televised statement like this one, urging germans to take this one, urging germans to take this seriously and to abide by the restrictions which currently limit so much of daily life here. the number of cases here in the last 24—hour is has risen by