people to take this seriously for developed immunity to it. and the :-- travel restrictions in yourself, as well as taking it benefit of that, obviously, is if traffic —— travel restrictions in that country. in a few minutes we you know you have had it you can go seriously for all of society, and as will have a bbc new special that will have a bbc new special that will have a conference with the about your daily life. professor a way of taking pressure off the crieff prime minister and that is presented nhs. thanks very much. gordon... the professor chris witty said it was by reeta chakra barti. telegraph, last question, i'm more to be used when it was wider afraid. thank you, prime minister. just to pick up on what beth asked as schools prepare spread of the virus and at the to shut down pupils, early, you quoted the figure of 12 teachers and universities say weeks to turn the tide, the first moment when trying to suppress and they need to know what will happen to gcses and a—levels, time you've said that. you have an ministers promise answers tomorrow. stop people catching it, so lots of our aim will be to issue define for us what turning the tide people will not have developed the pupils' gcses and a—level means but i don't know whether examinations in august, perhaps chris or sir patrick can immunity and that antibody testing as we usually do but it will be explain what it would look like, under a different process and a different system as to how doesn't mean we will be well over we've done it always in the past this and returning to our normal with traditional examinations. lives? orjust this and returning to our normal lives? or just hit this and returning to our normal lives? orjust hit the peak and starting to go back the other side? in about 30 minutes time, we'll bring you today's daily what does it actually mean? well... will not show they have got the briefing from the prime minister in downing street. what does it actually mean? well... as the death toll in what i want to do immunity and the other thing that the uk rises to 128, scientists tell the government place should start an impact on the rate of growth of the epidemic. and that the risks and benefits the antibody testing is that we are those are significant measures, as

of further drastic actions to contain the coronavirus need we all know, and they are expected not sure it works yet, so there to be properly weighed up. to then delay and break transmission we are dealing with chains, so you'd expect the epidemic could still be quite a bit of time a brand—new virus. to come down. and the sooner we get learning as we go along. that down, the more then we can move and i think now to put absolute before it is available. and overall, into phases as well where we can timelines on things is not possible, and we can see that in other test, trace, and make sure we keep countries, where people are now do you get the impression as you beginning to experiment with releasing some of the measures on top of this. and there is a start a bit to see what happens. have sat and watched these press the bank of england makes another emergency cut to interest rates of clinical trials, first patient conferences for four days now, bringing the base rate now to just enrolled today. there is the start 0.i% down from 0.25% have sat and watched these press conferences forfour days now, do of vaccine trials in mid april you get the impression that the set just last week. scientists are coming to grips with expected. these are things which, a glimmer of relief in china altogether, start to tell us we've the scale of the challenge here? which records no new domestic cases moved from a phase of it is growing scientists are coming to grips with of coronavirus for the first time the scale of the challenge here7m isa and we need to take these measures the scale of the challenge here7m is a new virus and it's only been since the pandemic began last year. to try to stop growing, to ones around three months and they are where we are saying put a lid on it and keeping the kids amused, one playgroup‘s efforts to keep going online. and begin to start looking at what we do beyond that in order to get

into the right position. sol learning a lot, week by week. the we do beyond that in order to get into the right position. so i think thatis into the right position. so i think that is where we need to get to and plans they have got in place now, good afternoon and welcome to this bbc news special. that is where we need to get to and thatis that is where we need to get to and that is the timescale over which we these are the strongest plans short across the uk, all schools need to push to make sure we get are waiting to close their doors of locking down cities like we saw indefinitely after lessons tomorrow, in an unprecedented nationwide shutdown. there. thanks very much, everybody. but there are continuing unanswered i don't want to sound... i am often questions for the government in europe. we are really trying to about the closures, and exactly how they will affect accused of being unnecessarily pupils, and parents. booster about things and i don't squash down on the virus and that they include who counts as a "key worker," that is people wa nt to whose children will still be booster about things and i don't want to strike at note today but i allowed to go to school. genuinely think that, by the that list is due to be released. combination of these two things, we will turn the tide, and we will get it's also unclear how older pupils through it, but it is vital that we will be awarded their grades after gcse and a—level exams all do the first of those two steps in england and wales were cancelled yesterday, and scotland cancelled its exams today. ministers are also coming under together. we do need... a very increasing pressure to announce a package of financial help for people who are losing income

because of workplace closures. buys us time, and that time can be and 20,000 military personnel valuable. we heard at the press are on standby to help conference about the fact there is a with essential services to help patient going into clinical trials the police and the nhs in london, energetic, concerted effort to follow the medical advise. and there's been a partial shutdown everybody knows what it is. we will for a treatment to treat the disease of the tube network, caused by the virus and we heard all make a difference if we all do although downing street has played about work towards a vaccine to stop down speculation of a wider restriction of movement in the capital. and the bank of england it together. then i think what will people catching it. the more time we has cut interest rates to 0.1% in an emergency move can buy, the nearer we get to those, to shore up the economy amid the outbreak. happen is that we will start to see but they are, i'm afraid to say, this afternoon, another 29 people developments such as we've seen in with coronavirus have died, other countries, where things got some way away. nick, we have to bringing deaths in the uk to 137. leave it there, but many thanks, our the curve has started to come down, we'll be live in downing street later for the latest briefing the curve has started to come down, from the prime minister but, the impact of our testing programme, first, here's our some of our new tests we were health correspondent, nick triggle correspondent charlotte rose. there. self isolation will be a talking about, we will start to see challenge for all ages in the coming week so people are coming up with the rush of the school run in the those making a profound difference. more inventive ideas for coping. one midlands. and that is why my message to music and rhyme group for toddlers when schools close their gates tomorrow, they are shutting has started streaming free videos to indefinitely, except to the children of key workers and vulnerable help parents of young children. children, who make up around 10% of pupils. companies is really think very many parents seem

supportive of the move, but worried about the impact. open. so that is what the tesco carefully before you start laying supermarket is going to be doing in the face of this coronavirus a bit anxious, to be honest, because i work at the hospital, outbreak. now, tonight, we will be so i need to sort out to see bringing you more answers to your what i can do with him off staff. we want to stand behind questions on coronavirus. and my younger one. i think it's the right decision, we have to look out for bigger problems across the society, so yeah, it's a good idea. that's in a question time i hope that they're not good companies, we want to make sure special presented by off until september, fiona bruce at 8pm on bbc one. because that is a considerably long time, but for the foreseeable, panellists include matt hancock, the health secretary. it has to be done. you can keep up with the latest not happy. developments about the coronavirus what are you going to do for the next few weeks? outbreak, the symptoms to watch out we have to do school homework for, how to guard against the virus on laptops and tablets. and what it means for you, that people recognise that if they on the bbc news app and it's a challenge and on our website. for schools, too. stand behind their staff, they we are looking at sending packs of work out to our families, should stand by them because we and because not all of them have internet access or access so do take a look at that. now the to laptops, and also we are mindful the government are going to stand of children spending all their days news, with sophie raworth. in front of a screen. behind british firms. and, as i say, the cabinet office will later publish a definitive list you've heard a lot about that from of people doing key roles, but the education secretary has been the chancellor, you'll hear more clear, it's not business tomorrow about what we will do to as usual for schools. it's going to be a safe place support employees. thank you very for those children to be, much. this is probably, i can't it's not going to be an educational remember how many of these we've

setting, they are not going to be had, you are all moving further and teaching the national curriculum, further away from each other, in but it's going to be a safe place for people who are key to combating deference to the virus. i think this virus and keeping there may be a moment where we start the country moving forward. to do this remotely. i don't know the hard question for many what the plan is. but it is... i students who have been revising for exams — hope you agree that however we do what happens now? it, it is important that we should just over 4% need hospital continue to have these discussions treatment. a third of those end up the government says all students every day. i think they are will be given grades, valuable. we've been trying to be as but hasn't set out how that in intensive care, needing will be done. candid as we possibly can about what ventilation to support their failing a number of qualifications already is going on and i hope you've found have online examinations, lungs. to help with its planning, that's something we could consider them useful so, we might have to for a broader range of subjects. researchers have been looking at how find some way of getting them done they could be done remotely long patients need hospital via social distance. ina way treatment for. from evidence such as find some way of getting them done in a way that doesn't look to we can use predicted grades, everybody else as though we are places from china and italy shows absolutely, but one of the things somehow not following the advice that we give the public, do you get that on average, people will spend we are considering is perhaps eight days in hospital. running some students through some more papers. me? i know you're all sitting a long and how to protect vulnerable children. way away from each other but it may those with special educational needs be we need to do more, even more or who have an assigned social worker will stay in school, social distancing, what do you but there are fears some could still fall through the cracks. think? some sort of remote press charlotte rose, bbc news. conference. can you live with that? asked, i see you are worried you the prime minister says it will take cannot ask questions. i see your 12 weeks to turn the tide on anxiety. well, i make a pledge, if coronavirus in the uk, but that will we have to move, and i think we in the last few minutes, buckingham only happen if the public takes probably will, if we have to move to government measures seriously. as

palace has released a message from her majesty the queen and i would just like to read it to you. it is the queen left london, she should a more remote form of interrogation about the coronavirus outbreak. her solidarity to the nation, boris johnson said it was vital we all i will absolutely ensure that majesty says, "as philip and i everybody gets to ask questions, arrived in windsor today, we know play our part. i know how difficult although not necessarily at the same many individuals and families across it may be, or it may seem it right the uk and around the world are meeting. thank you all. thank you now, but if we do this together, we very much. the prime minister they entering a period of great concern and anxiety. we are all being are promising to go on answering will say, as i say, many, many reporters questions and the answer advised to change our normal to which press briefing it was, it thousands of lives. do your bit says routines and regular patterns of was the fourth, the fourth one we life for the greater good of the have had. let's recap the main the prime minister, and the worst community we 11 and in particular to could be over in three months' time. points we have just heard at that protect the most vulnerable within but this still is a dangerous time. them. at times such as these, i am press co nfe re nce . points we have just heard at that press conference. mrjohnson said, i interest rates are slashed to the do think we can turn the tide within lowest ever reminded our nation history has been the next 12 weeks and he added that forged by people and communities coming together to work as one, the next 12 weeks and he added that the disease could be beaten, but concentrating our combined efforts only if we take the steps we have with the focus on the common goal. outlined. the prime minister also we are enormously thankful for the told reporters that the government expertise and commitment of our is in negotiations today to buy a so—called antibody test to tell you scientists, medical practitioners and emergency individuals, and if you have the disease. he said public services but now more than at that if the test worked, they would any time in our recent past we all have a vitally important part to play as individuals today and in the buy hundreds of thousands of them. and responding to rumours that the

coming days, weeks and months. many capital is to be put into lockdown, of us will need to find new ways of mrjohnson said, there was no staying in touch with each other and prospect of closing public transport making sure loved ones are safe. i in london. let's bring in our chief am certain we are up to that challenge. you can be assured my political correspondent, vicki family andi challenge. you can be assured my family and i stand ready to play our young, who is in downing street for part." the green signs that elizabeth r. the message from her us, and what struck you from what majesty the queen. the chief medical officer you heard there? i think that for england, professor chris whitty, putting a number on how long this says the risks and benefits of measures to tackle coronavirus might go on for was very need to be weighed up before asking people to take further drastic action. he also said the virus interesting, because they can't appeared to be behaving as scientists expected it to. our health correspondent really be sure about how this is lauren moss reports. another daily briefing for the uk's progressing and they cannot be sure top science and medical experts. yet how the measures that have as cases climb into the thousands already been introduced, mainly the here, tactics to tackle and manage the coronavirus are changing every social distancing and closing of schools, what impact that will have day, with social distancing, working from home and school closures, on the spread of the pandemic. they all with consequences. said there was a three week lag time

so stop doing things which actually increase people's social distancing so they won't know for three weeks sounds fine until you realise that might also increase loneliness, it might, if you're not careful, increase people's inability to get exercise. there are a whole variety of negative consequentials from some of the interventions, and if you do them too early, what the impact has been. we know you get all the negatives but you get a relatively small or almost non—measurable effect on the epidemic. supermarkets are imposing limits on the number of items shoppers can buy, and setting aside an hour especially for older and more vulnerable customers. still, though, some are queueing to be the first inside when the doors open. we came to sainsbury‘s yesterday, couldn't even get milk or butter. from what they said yesterday that and were you are able to get what you needed? we were able to get what we needed, we are at the beginning of the curve and i'm not stockpiling, i'm just getting basics, because i don't believe in it. things like hand wash, you know, of infection going up quite rapidly, everybody seems like they want toilet roll but i don't know why. which is why they've taken the

people are panicking now, aren't they? decisions they have, but to say we if they didn't panic, we wouldn't have all this, you know, we would be able to get what we wanted. restricting the number of people allowed inside a supermarket has been ruled out. we are told there is enough food but getting it out on the shelves quickly enough is a challenge. that is why we have taken steps, including setting aside delivery curfews, so that lorries can run around the clock, relaxing driver can turn it round in 12 weeks, turn hours to ensure that deliveries can take place more frequently, and we are in discussion with other the tide, i think people will feel government colleagues in mhclg around other support that we will deliver locally that that is a hopeful message to get food to those who are self isolating. a0 tube stations in london have now because a lot of the issues with closed, and a reduced rail service will be running from tomorrow. this is that if people are willing more than a third of the uk's confirmed coronavirus cases, to ta ke over 900, are in the capital. this is that if people are willing to take these measures and change 20,000 army troops have been put their lives very radically, but not on standby to support public services if required. some will begin training next week

knowing where the end of that is to drive oxygen tankers. emergency legislation to give makes it really, really difficult the government more powers if needed during the outbreak has been put andi before parliament this afternoon. makes it really, really difficult and i think it does make people even measures may include more anxious. so that really was the recalling retired nhs staff, shutting airports or quarantining anyone suspected of having the virus, and could last for up to two years. we are dealing with he did not set out was what does that mean. there is a hope that if a brand—new virus. learning as we go along, and i think now to put absolute timelines on things we can suppress the number of is not possible, and we can see infections that the virus will go that in other countries, where people are now beginning away but people think that is to experiment with releasing some of the measures a bit to see what happens. unlikely. the chief medical officer, the welsh government has announced all front line patient facing nhs staff are to be tested for the virus, and yesterday the prime minister said work was progressing on an antibody test to detect whether people had already professor chris whitty in a briefing earlier today said it would be contracted it and become immune. the queen has now left buckingham unrealistic to expect virus to just palace for windsor castle, where she is expected disappear so it was interesting as to stay beyond easter. as people follow health advice, sir patrick vallance, the chief

towns and cities are only scientific adviser, the cases again, like we saw the likely to become quieter, start, they might be able to curb with further measures yet to come. lauren moss, bbc news. the spread, but if that doesn't work, then you have to put those 0ur chief political correspondent vicki young measures back in place again and we is in downing street for us. could be in a cycle of those we are waiting for the prime measures being put on and off, on minister's daily conference and what are we expecting today? we haven't been told what the focus will be for this press conference which is unusual because we have had an idea of what is to come up until now. and off for maybe 18 months, so they are referring to towns and turning the tide and beating the cities getting quieter, we had a lot of speculation about what is happening in london because we've been told by the scientists london is about three weeks ahead of the coronavirus is a very optimistic rest of the country in terms of the spread of the pandemic and whether piece of language. what did you there might be extra measures here. make, as we had about two tests, one the government is absolutely denying there will be some kind of lockdown, for the virus itself and one for the where travel in and out of the capital will be blocked in some way antibodies, the antibody test, what but i think there is a difference did you make of developments there? between lockdown and some other stricter measures. it was striking the antibody test is very

yesterday boris johnson stricter measures. it was striking yesterday borisjohnson several times said we are ready to move more interesting on - to it. and the and to move faster, in terms of more restrictive measures. lots of people here wondering about the fact that restau ra nts, here wondering about the fact that restaurants, cafe is, bars, they are still open, which means the workers in those places are still travelling into london on public transport. so it is whether we might get some more restrictions around all of that. the prime minister will face questions about things like exams, a lot anxiety about gcses and a—levels, how is it going to work, how will they get those grades, will it be based on predictions, based on mock exams? more pressing than that is theissue exams? more pressing than that is the issue of key workers because if you think about its schools will close tomorrow but they are going to be open for the most vulnerable children and for those who are the children and for those who are the children of key workers, and schools need to know who those key workers are, how many they will have to look after, what stuff they will need so thatis after, what stuff they will need so that is quite pressing and i think

waiting for that list of who those categories will be. yes, indeed, and there is also pressure on the government to act to help businesses and specifically to help businesses pay their employees. it was interesting today in the house of commons because parliament is still sitting, ministers coming under quite a lot of pressure from their own side about an employment package, giving money directly to workers, some were saying, not enough has been done on that, that workers will be sent home, they have no idea whether they will have any kind of pay, any kind of salary, and calls from quite a few conservatives about doing more around all of that, and from the former leader of the conservative party iain duncan smith calling for benefits to be raised. the chancellor met with the unions today and the cbi, people looking for much more to reassure people in the coming weeks that they will have some money coming in. 0k, many thanks. 0ur chief political

correspondent, vicki young. we will be going back to her when we know more about when that press conference is. a little bit of breaking used to bring you about changes tojob breaking used to bring you about changes to job centre appointments. job centre appointments are going to be cancelled according to the department for work and pensions. some details, people receiving benefits don't have to attend job centre appointments for at least three months, starting from today, from thursday 19th march. people will continue to receive their benefits as normal but all requirements to attend the job centre in person are suspended, and people can still make applications for benefits online, if they are eligible. it finishes off, job centres remain open and will continue to support people who are not able to use phones online, including homeless people. so that information just including homeless people. so that informationjust coming including homeless people. so that information just coming to us from the department for work and pensions, their response to the coronavirus crisis. the nhs, already stretched after the winter, is being urgently

prepared to deal with the pressures of the outbreak. so, how ready is our health service? 0ur health correspondent, nick triggle, has the details. all across the uk, people are reducing their social contact with each other to suppress the spread of coronavirus. but behind the scenes, the health service is getting prepared for a surge in cases. so is it ready? the first thing to say is that most people will only get a mild illness with symptoms passing in a few days. but a minority end up severely ill. just over li% need hospital treatment. a third of those end up in intensive care, needing ventilation to support their failing lungs. to help with its planning, researchers have been looking at how long patients need hospital treatment for. evidence from places such as china and italy shows that, on average, people will spend eight days in hospital. if they end up on a ventilator, that doubles to 16 days. another challenge is that the number of cases can come quickly if the steps being taken do not manage to suppress the virus.

as many as half can come in two or three weeks. so the nhs is trying to free up beds. in england, there are around 100,000 hospital beds. currently nine in ten are occupied. but nhs bosses are attempting to free up another 30,000 by cancelling routine ops and discharging patients quickly. this will also benefit intensive care units that will be crucial in saving lives. england has 3,700 critical care beds. add in the rest of the uk, and there are well over 4,000. eight in ten are occupied, but perhaps a quarter will be freed up if they're no longer needed for patients who've undergone surgery. you can open more by using the ventilators that would've been used in operating theatres, as well as sourcing others from old stocks, the ministry of defence and the private sector. but if you did that, you could possibly get close to 12,000 ventilated beds. staff, though, would then have to be

redeployed and retrained to help care for patients. whatever happens, it promises to be a huge challenge for the health service. nick triggle our health correspondent is with me. you were earlier at a briefing by the government's top two advisers on coronavirus. what did you learn? yes, it was professor chris whitty, the chief medical officer, and sir patrick vallance who addressed journalists earlier. they were asked what the long—term strategy was and where do we go next with this? and they were quite clear. chris whitty said we should not expect the virus to disappear if these measures are successful. we are trying to suppress the virus and obviously people are being asked to reduce their social conduct and people with symptoms are being asked to isolate and it could go on for months, but he said it would be improbable to expect the virus to completely go away, but if we can reduce it to a level where the nhs can cope, in

particular intensive care services could cope, then we are seeing the virus to be less likely to be transmitted and we might be able to relax some of the measures but we have to see. they are relying on this modelling from imperial college london. this modelling published on monday said some of these drastic measures may have to be in place or perhaps up to two years and there's a possibility that you could lift the brakes a bit, but this is a long—term strategy so we have to see where it goes, what happens with the number of cases being reported. up to two years? people listening to that will be very alarmed. yes, it isa that will be very alarmed. yes, it is a very difficult situation, a very fine balance that the government is having to tread. they will be watching what happens with the cases. we know london is ahead of the rest of the country in terms of the rest of the country in terms of getting closer to the peak. there isa of getting closer to the peak. there is a lot of hope that we might develop a vaccine, but that could be

a year 01’ develop a vaccine, but that could be a yearor18 develop a vaccine, but that could be a year or 18 months away. the thing is, at the moment, we don't know where this might go next. one of the things chris whitty talked about was testing. the uk has been criticised for not testing enough. currently we are testing just over 5000 people per day. the government hopes to get that up to 25,000 so we can test health workers and allow them to get back to work properly and maybe do some testing in the wider population, and that might allow us, if we reduce the number of infections, to contain it and that could be one of the options in the long term strategy. if we get the numbers low, we might get back to be able to contain it but there is a long way to go before that happens. and chris whitty did also say that the virus was acting as they were expecting it to. yes, it's been a very fast changing situation. a week ago, we were being told if you had mild illnesses to self—isolate for seven days, then on monday, they brought in the more drastic measures

with everyone having to reduce their social contact and those in the at risk groups had been advised strongly to reduce their social contact but it is a new virus and it's only been around three months and we are learning a lot as we go. by the hour, they are studying the virus and there is a lot of work going on globally to look into treatments which might be available more soon than a vaccine in terms of relieving the symptoms. so there is a lot of work going on. ok. we will have to leave it there. nick, thank you very much. let's take a look at how the virus is developing in other parts of the world. china reported no new domestic cases on wednesday for the first time since the outbreak. but china, as well as south korea and singapore, are among asian countries facing a second coronavirus wave, driven by people importing it from outside. and australia and new zealand are closing their borders.

for the latest on the current situation in china, stephen mcdonell sent this from beijing. what a day, symbolically at least in china, to go from more than 80,000 infected people to a 24—hour period when according to officialfigures, not one extra home—grown case has been added. this comes as in wuhan city, the government has said that people who've been cooped up for six weeks, a month and a half, can finally go outside, have a walk, breathe in some fresh air. but the emphasis now is on overseas arrivals. because that's where the new infections are coming into the chinese system. so the emphasis is on airports, and it's why this country is maintaining a very strict quarantine regime for anybody entering, coming off an international flight.

in the united states, president trump has been giving an update on the country's progress in battling coronavirus. he said the us has been incredibly quick at working to create anti—viral medicines to help treat it. they are doing great with the vaccines but it's still a long process but the therapies are something we can move on much faster, potentially. and the treatments that will be able to reduce the severity or duration of the symptoms, to make people better, essentially, we are looking at things to make people better, or at the very early stages, they wouldn't even know they had it. and that's where i believe it's going to work, even the best. the fda commissioner is with us. he is fantastic. and he has been working 2a hours a day. he's been...

he has worked as hard as probably than anybody in the group, other than maybe mike pence. or me. and what the fda is doing is incredible. they've done the things in times that were not even thinkable. and i've directed the fda to eliminate outdated rules and bureaucracy so this work can proceed rapidly, quickly and, i mean, fast. and we have to remove every barrier. there were a lot of barriers that were unnecessary. and they've done that... to get the rapid deployment of safe, effective treatments. and we think we have some good answers. we will find out very, very soon. here, the bank of england has cut interest rates to their lowest level in history. it is the second cut in interest rates injust over a week, bringing them down to 0.1% from 0.25%.

our economics correspondent andy verity explained why the bank had taken those measures. rock bottom interest rates. that's right, the lowest in history, 0.1%, and it's almost giving away free money if you only want less than 0.1% foryour money if you only want less than 0.1% for your money back, and that is the official rate but the problem is the official rate but the problem is the official rate but the problem is the previous cut to interest rates last week did not feed through. they threw the kitchen sink at it, cutting it to its lowest ever rate and introducing £445 billion of bond purchases to try and pull the interest rate down in the market and it didn't succeed in lowering the cost of borrowing and there's a reason for it. there is panic on international financial markets. investors are so worried about the scale of the economic shock here they are pricing in a bigger financial crisis than the global financial crisis than the global financial crisis than the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. they fear that the cost could be larger. it is across the world this

time. no one is immune from the effects of the virus and the measures taken to combat it. perhaps an unfortunate word to use, but we are talking about the markets and eve ryo ne are talking about the markets and everyone is affected. andrew bailey, who succeeded mark carney, has been telling people about why they decided to do it now rather than wait until a week from now when they actually had a monetary policy committee meeting. he said, for example, there had been sharp moves in financial markets in the last few days and the pace was increasing rapidly, bordering on disorderly. one of the things that is happening is that investors are so worried they are taking money out of all assets apart from us dollars. it is assets apart from us dollars. it is a runfor assets apart from us dollars. it is a run for dollars, assets apart from us dollars. it is a runfor dollars, a assets apart from us dollars. it is a run for dollars, a flight for safety, and that's because holding the other assets is now regarded as risky, whereas previously, it was regarded as pretty much risk—free. particularly lending to the uk government. now, if the uk government. now, if the uk government wants to borrow money, it costs a lot more than it did say just eight days ago, and that means

it will be more expensive for rishi sunak to borrow the large sums he wa nts to sunak to borrow the large sums he wants to borrow in order to soften the blow from the economic shock caused by the antivirus measures. and separately, the government is under a lot of pressure to help businesses and to help employees through their businesses. that's right. there is concern, particularly amongst mps of all parties that businesses are facing a catastrophic shock to their income. whereas in normal recessions, they expect to have a business cycle and you get a bit of a downturn and you might lose even up to 20% of your revenue, but here they are losing 90 or 100% of their revenue and they cannot afford to pay the wages, so do they keep the staff or not? the loa ns do they keep the staff or not? the loans on offer from the government are not necessarily a help with that because it means even if they don't have to pay them back now, it still them bearing the cost of the antivirus measures down the road. so the mps are saying that the

government has to step in and momentously pay firms wages for them by throwing the tax system into reverse so use the paye, instead of taking money from firms, goes the other way, from the government to the firms, to pay their wages bills on condition they don't let anyone go and that is the mps idea of how there could be swift action to try and prevent the mass redundancies that they fear. andy, we have to leave it there. many thanks. our chief political correspondent vicki young is in downing street for us. are we any clearer about what we will get in today's press conference? we do at least know who will be there and it is a similar line up to the ones we have had before, so the prime minister, boris johnson, alongside him will be the chief medical adviser and the chief scientific adviser to field questions. we don't know if there is any particular announcement coming today but i think there will be lots

of questions about some of the things that have already been announced, particularly those school closures will stop we had a lot of anxiety and people contacting the bbc about exams that have been cancelled for may and june, so lots of children who are planning on doing their gcses and a—levels wanting to know how exactly those grades are going to be decided, whether it will be from mock exams or teacher assessment. all those kind of thing is that they are anxious about. but what is more pressing for schools, as they look to close tomorrow, of course, they will be staying open for the children of key workers. now who will those key workers be? how many children will that involve? they have to sort out the staffing for monday morning so they need to know that as soon as possible. gavin williamson, the education secretary, said he thought around 10% of pupils would end up still being at school, including the vulnerable children as well, so head teachers all across the country are trying to plan for

that without really knowing who exactly will be turning up. so there will be questions about that. and probably questions about the economic package not being given to businesses, but being given to people being sent home from work you are now looking at the possibility, potentially, of no income coming in in the coming weeks and they do not know long how four. a lot of conservatives today challenging their own government about this, asking for a more direct package like we have seen in other countries and also people like iain duncan smith, the former tory leader, calling for the level of benefits to be raised and to make sure people can get that more quickly. so i think those kind of things. and we cannot rule out more measures, possibly in london. we are not talking about a lockdown here. we may be talking about things like the closure of restaurants and pubs, and i say that, because we listen to borisjohnson i say that, because we listen to boris johnson yesterday i say that, because we listen to borisjohnson yesterday it i say that, because we listen to boris johnson yesterday it was i say that, because we listen to borisjohnson yesterday it was quite striking that several times, including the last thing he said, was that the government is ready and willing to go further and faster in

terms of those measures, while acknowledging the ones taken were pretty restrictive. they've made it very clear that in london the situation is different to the rest of the country, maybe three weeks ahead in terms of the spread of the pandemic, so i think all of those issues will be raised by the questions at least, and we will have to the prime minister. so much there, isn't there? specifically on the first to points you raised about a list of who is going to be allowed to go to school, that list of the children of key workers, and also on the financial aid for businesses, are you getting an impression that the government is making big and bold decisions but without the details necessarily being filled in? yes in some people will criticise them for that but it shows they are fighting this on every front because it is affecting every single aspect of society, of our lives, which means of society, of our lives, which m ea ns every of society, of our lives, which means every government department is being asked to respond to all of

this. so if you are the education department, you're speaking to schools not just about department, you're speaking to schools notjust about closing down, about who's going to open, you are looking at exams, there are so many different elements to all of this, and particularly in the treasury, of all the places, that is where they are under huge pressure. we had that big announcement from the chancellor ofa big announcement from the chancellor of a huge injection of cash, helpful people, but it still leaves others asking questions about what they might get. i think we all know from people contacting us in speaking to us people contacting us in speaking to us there is a lot of anxiety out there particularly amongst the self—employed, people who are not able to work right now because they are in isolation, and they feel they can't get the help they need. so i think people are asking for more clarity, they want as quickly as possible, and i think it was interesting today there are conservative mps also feel the same because they as mps, will be

speaking a lot to their constituents, listening to what they have to say, and wanting those kinds of a nswers. have to say, and wanting those kinds of answers. broadly, the government has been very clear — whatever it ta kes. has been very clear — whatever it takes. we heard it repeated several times over the last couple of days. they are saying they will get there but there are people who want them to get there without having to set up a whole new scheme, a whole new system, so i think that is what they are working on, and don't forget this is on top of, of course, their main priority, which is treating people and trying to get people better. that is of course the focus on the nhs, the focus on hospitals and trying to make sure there are mainly intensive ca re make sure there are mainly intensive care beds, so we know about the cancellation of elective surgery just to free up resources, whether thatis just to free up resources, whether that is intensive care beds along with ventilators, of course, but, crucially, staff as well. that's why

theissue crucially, staff as well. that's why the issue of schools are so important, they have to make sure that by monday morning there are lots of doctors and nurses and lots of other people who are crucially important it is, whether in food production, supermarkets, delivery vans, those people need to be able to go to work to make sure people have everything they need. 0k, vicki young, many thanks and we will be back with you shortly. i am joined by our health correspondent. we are waiting for this press briefing with borisjohnson. he waiting for this press briefing with boris johnson. he is waiting for this press briefing with borisjohnson. he is being joined by chris whitty, the chief medical for so, and the government's chief scientific adviser as well, sir patrick vallance. what does that indicate to you? what do expect to hear from indicate to you? what do expect to hearfrom them? indicate to you? what do expect to hear from them? i think we hear a plea to the public to follow the advice, to reduce their social context, especially in london, to stay out of pubs and theatres, to work from home if necessary. there isa

work from home if necessary. there is a concern that not everyone is following that advice. earlier, at a press co nfe re nce , following that advice. earlier, at a press conference, patrick vallance, the chief scientific adviser, said it was important for young people to follow this advice. they quite rightly believe they are at a very low chance of getting seriously ill by this virus but they do spread and put those vulnerable groups at risk so there will be a stress to young people to stay out of those pubs and restau ra nts, people to stay out of those pubs and restaurants, to follow the advice come and see if we can press down, suppress the rising numbers of cases that we are seeing. would you expect to hear any more about testing because there have been concerns that key workers, health workers, for example, haven't been able to get tests when they've needed them. testing is an issue, it's been growing for a couple of days. we've got the capacity to test about 5000 people a day. compare that to south korea where they are testing over 40,000, the uk is lagging somewhat behind. the government said they

wa nt to behind. the government said they want to get up to 25,000 tests, they are using the private sector, the hospital labs, it is taking some time to get there but if we can get there, we can get testing health workers to make sure they have got the virus, and they can return to work quickly. at the moment we are testing hospital patients with flu—like symptoms there is a desire to do more testing in the community and this will be crucial in terms of where we go next with the drastic measures in place. if we can get the numbers of cases down, that might allow us to do some more containment of the virus, might allow us to lift those drastic measures, to allow people to have more social contact. i think we will hear a lot more about that today. i think they will be pressed on how long are these drastic measures going to be in place. they are having, as we've been hearing, huge economic impact, a huge social impact so they will be

on there because the modelling paper published on monday that prompted this announcement talked about the need to keep some of these measures inforas need to keep some of these measures in for as long as 18 months to two yea rs, in for as long as 18 months to two years, perhaps with some lifting so i think they will be asked questions about that, what is happening next, what is your goal. and potentially a very sobering timeframe. you are at this briefing, the medical briefing, that happened earlier today. was there any talk about immunity and what do these scientists feel, whether you are immune whether you've had the virus? one of the things or problems in many aspects with this virus is it is a new virus, only been around for three months. there is so much we don't know about it. immunity is one of those things. generally with viruses, when you become infected, your body fights it and get a memory of how to find it which gives you some immunity. we'd expect the same to happen for this virus but we don't know for how long. there has

been some reports of reinfection, no one is sure about that. you'd assume some immunity but we don't know for how long. that's one of the reasons why they are working hard to find treatment for it, they are testing hiv and malaria drugs and in the long term working towards getting a vaccine. ok, knit, stay there because we are waiting for boris johnson to come out onto that stage in downing street with the two top scientific advisers. but before we cross to them, i want to read you out some words we got from buckingham palace just a short time ago, a message from her majesty the queen in this time of great uncertainty. she and the duke of edinburgh are arriving in windsor today. she says she knows many individuals and families across the uk and around the world are entering a period of great concern and uncertainty. "we are all being advised to change our normal routines and regular patterns of life for the greater good of the communities we live in and in particular to protect the most

vulnerable within them. at times such as these i'm reminded our nation? history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one concentrating our combined efforts with the focus on the common goal. we are enormously thankful for the expertise and commitment of scientists, medical practitioners and emergency and public services, and emergency and public services, and that, along with that, everyone has a vitally important part to play as individuals, today and in the coming days, weeks and months." she concludes by saying that everyone can be assured that she and her family stands ready to play their part. so, that message there from her majesty the queen. let's go back now to our chief political correspondent vicki young, who is in downing street for us. vicki there isa downing street for us. vicki there is a emergency legislation brought in today to give the government extra powers to deal with this

crisis. that's right. they publish that today. it is hundreds of pages of these emergency measures. it'll be pushed through the house of commons on monday in one day. the government wanting to make sure they have the powers to respond to this on all sorts of levels and we've heard about a lot of it over the last few weeks but just to give you an idea of the kind of thing they are looking at when it comes to health and social care for example, they want to be able to have emergency registration of nurses and doctors, and bringing those ones out from retirement, we heard quite a lot about that, as they try to boost the workforce, encouraging people back to work. you can'tjust do that in normal times, that'll need a change. things that relaxing the rules around teacher ratios, now that schools are closing, that probably won't be necessary because they will be dealing with a much smaller number of children who will be still attending school from monday. things like the home secretary needing special powers to

close the borders, if the border force isn't able to function. what about court proceedings? there's been a big change there but can they do video and audio court proceedings? these powers are extraordinary, the kind of thing you'd never expect a government to bring in. and at other times would have been very, very controversial. there are still some people uneasy about this partly because the government is bringing these in for two years. some people saying, look, actually, this should be may be shortened, they need to bring in a sunset clause, which means it fades away after six months and would have to be voted back in by mps but we don't get the indication that'll happen because we've also heard in parliament they are not going to vote in the normal way. all this legislation will be going through with a bit of debate but, actually, on the nod, as they call it, so there will not be votes where mps for obvious reasons are crowding into a small room to vote because

thatis into a small room to vote because that is the way they do it in parliament. on parliament, they are still sitting. it was very clear today that far fewer mps were in attendance, many of them going back to their constituencies. they were absolutely spacing themselves, social distancing, a lot more than they had been because there had been raised eyebrows particularly from doctors watching all of that, thinking they are crowding into the house of commons, and we know there have been cases in westminster, a lot of cases around westminster, particular there have been some mps who have had it. so i think they are realising at this point that they have to take this seriously and really show a need to give an example to people, to make sure that people are following all of these guidelines, which have been guidelines, which have been guidelines up until now. we talked earlier about what is happening in pubs and restaurants and shops, the fa ct pubs and restaurants and shops, the fact they are still open means, of course, that people, particularly in

london, workers in those shops and restau ra nts, london, workers in those shops and restaurants, they are still travelling into london so, even though there has been a reduced service on the public transport network, lots of people are still travelling, and, so, you wonder whether there will be more restrictions on that, particularly asi restrictions on that, particularly as i think listening to boris johnson in the press conference, he talked about the government being ready to take further measures. what they're trying to do is do it gradually, and warn people about what is coming next. vicki young, we are waiting to hear from the prime minister and also from the government's chief scientific adviser and the chief medical for set. but just the focus adviser and the chief medical for set. butjust the focus is all on government action but you talked there about the emergency legislation and questions about it, what is the opposition's point of view? what are labour saying? they have raised some of these issues. what they are particularly worried about, and we heard jeremy corbyn laying it out pretty clearly during prime minister's questions, he is very worried about peoples wages.

they've seen this help that is being offered to businesses, particularly in the form of loans, some cash grants, yes, some tax breaks as well. but he is saying that isn't going to be enough because businesses are not necessarily going to carry on paying their staff once they're closed. already not many customers. so, the worry is people are sent home from work with this huge uncertainty, where they don't get any pay at all, and they don't know how long this is going on for, that's the other striking thing about this, the scientists are being very open by saying we don't know what the exit strategy is for this, that once you go into this, shutting it down, and sending people home, we don't know how long that'll be four. people can hope it will be for a couple of weeks but certainly we are not near the peak of the spread of this pandemic yet. so, jeremy corbyn laying out a number of questions to the premised on wednesday about the kind of help and whether it can be given more directly to people so

that they have that. there is questions over bills. people will be offered a mortgage holiday. but lots offered a mortgage holiday. but lots of people don't have a mortgage which doesn't help them. they want more. i think that was the message coming through loud and clear not just from the opposition today but from some conservative mps as well who are obviously speaking to their constituents and hearing the anxiety thatis constituents and hearing the anxiety that is coming from people at a time when they are already anxious about relatives, they're anxious about health, and on top of that this economic uncertainty. we saw today the bank of england taking action yet again but people talking about this incredibly huge, momentous shock, really, to the british economy and the economy around the world, and people still wondering whether that'll be enough. world, and people still wondering whether that'll be enoughlj world, and people still wondering whether that'll be enough. i want to bring in nick, our health correspondent, here with me. there is some sobering news just in of the death toll in italy from coronavirus. and that has just gone

up coronavirus. and that has just gone up by coronavirus. and that has just gone up by 427 to 3405. there are by overtaking the chinese death toll. that is very sad news. it is in very worrying. obviously, the uk, france, germany, they are watching closely what has been happening in italy. they are said to be two or three weeks ahead of where we are. one thing to say about italy is that it was spreading probably before they knew it. they had less time to prepare. now, the nhs in the uk has been working hard, has been trying to prepare behind the scenes for the surge in cases we are expecting. we heard earlier this week routine operations are being cancelled for three months. that is important. it creates some headroom for the health service. it allows staff to be redeployed into intensive care. the number of intensive care beds is being increased. at the moment, we have between 4000—5000 across the uk

but simon stephens, the chief executive of nhs england said we could possibly get up to 12,000, nearly 12,000 ventilators, he identified could be used so the nhs does have a little bit of time to get itself ready and hopefully we'll be in get itself ready and hopefully we'll beina get itself ready and hopefully we'll be in a better position than italy was when we do see this expected rise in cases. vicki young was mentioning that part of the government plans includes bringing government plans includes bringing government —— doctors and nurses out of retirement, and i think we can go to downing street right now. here comes the prime minister. responding to ourour comes the prime minister. responding to our our advice, and that is where i want to begin, by thanking everybody, thanking you in the media and also thanking everyone for the

huge efforts that the country is making to comply with the advice we have been giving, and we are asking such a huge amount, asking students to put their education on hold, asking people not to socialise in the normal way, and already we can see the impact this is having on the uk economy and on business, and on great, great companies, so it is vital that we in government stand behind them when what we are asking eve ryo ne behind them when what we are asking everyone to do is so crucial for saving literally thousands of lives. by saving literally thousands of lives. by defeating this virus. and i'm conscious as the days have gone by that people will want to know how long we are expecting them to keep it up. and i wanted to try to say something today about how i see the timescale of this campaign and where we are going and what we need to do. and i do think, looking at it all, that we can turn the tide within the

next 12 weeks, and i'm absolutely confident that we can send coronavirus packing in this country, but, only if we take the steps, we all take the steps that we have outlined, and that is vital, because thatis outlined, and that is vital, because that is how we are going to reduce the peak, and once we've achieved that, and i think that we will, if we ta ke that, and i think that we will, if we take the steps that i have said, then the scientific progress we are making will really start to come into play, and i wanted to discuss a little bit of that this afternoon with you. because we are rapidly becoming so much better at understanding the genomics at the heart of the virus and all of that thatis heart of the virus and all of that that is going on in this country and we are getting better at understanding the medicines that may treat and cure it, and today we have put the first british coronavirus patient into a randomised trial for

drugs that might treat the disease. uk experts, scientists expect to start trials for the first vaccine within a month and above all, we are getting better at testing. this crisis is so difficult because the enemy is invisible. and the answer is to remove the cloak of invisibility, and to identify the virus and to be able to know which of us is carrying it, or who has actually had it and got over it. and to give you an idea of what is coming down the track, we are in negotiations today to buy a so—called antibody test, as simple asa so—called antibody test, as simple as a pregnancy test, that can tell whether you have had the disease. it's early days, but if it works as its proponents claim, then we will by literally hundreds of thousands of these kits as soon as practical because obviously it has the

potential to be a total game changer. because once you know that you have had it, you know that you are likely to be less vulnerable, you're are likely to be less vulnerable, you' re less are likely to be less vulnerable, you're less likely to pass it on and you're less likely to pass it on and you can go back to work. and of course, by the same token, we are massively increasing the testing to see whether you have it now and ramping up daily testing from 5000 a day up to 10,000 then up to 25000 and then up to 250,000. and that knowledge of where the virus is will make a huge difference to our management of the disease and our ability to reduce disruption and economic difficulties. and i wanted to set that out, because this is rapidly coming down the track, as i say, but it will take time to come on stream. and that is why, in the

meantime, to get back to a theme which you know i am going to repeat, it is absolutely vital that we follow the advice that we've been hearing over the last few days, the announcements we've already made about staying at home if you have the symptoms, if your family has the symptoms, about avoiding unnecessary contact, avoiding gatherings where you may pick up the disease, pubs, bars, restaurants. please, please follow all that advice scrupulously. work from home, if you possibly can. wash your hands. wash your hands. and it's by this combination of ruthless, determined, collective action and scientific progress that we are already seeing that we will succeed. and i know how difficult it may be, or it may seem right now, but if we do this together, we will

save, as i say, many, many thousands of lives. and to everybody in the uk business world, and everybody who is worried about their jobs, business world, and everybody who is worried about theirjobs, and everybody who faces difficulties because of the advice we are giving, i say to business, stand by your employees, stand by your workers, because we will stand by you. and you will be hearing more about that in the course of the next day or so. and that is how, by a mixture of collective, determined collective action, and scientific progress, i have absolutely no doubt that we will turn the tide of this disease and beat it together. now, i don't know if either of our two distinguished experts need to add to anything that, so why don't we just go straight to questions? i don't propose to spend a very long time on

this particular one since we have had four orfive of this particular one since we have had four or five of these already in the last few days and i don't want to weary you with these occasions. do you feel they are useful? yes. that is positive. let's go round to laura first, laura kuenssberg, bbc. thank you, prime minister you told the country yesterday that you would not hesitate to take extra measures and people are worried about what that might mean. can you tell people what might be next? will you, within days, seek to shut pubs, cafe phase, clubs? and a lot of people have contacted us today to say that the measures set out for businesses to apply for loans is simply not quick enough for them to be able to keep their staff on. we had a lot of messages from people who are running businesses and are deeply worried. is it good enough to say to business, you can apply for a loan when many of them face immediate decisions that might mean they have

to cut staff? first of all, on decisions about pubs, bars and restau ra nts a nd decisions about pubs, bars and restaurants and so on, as i say, we are guided very much by the science and whether we think that the advice we have given is working. so, as long as we think that people are actually staying away from places where they may transmit or pick up the disease in the way we have recommended to avoid those places, if we feel that is working, then we just want to say thank you to everybody for their extraordinary effo rts everybody for their extraordinary efforts and encourage everybody to do likewise. if we feel it isn't working, as i said yesterday, we need to bring forward tougher measures, then, of course, nothing is ruled out. but i want to thank everybody for what they are doing. i know it's tough, i know it's difficult, but we've just got to do it together. and please, please, please, follow the advice. the second thing you mention,

businesses, a lot of them will get gra nts businesses, a lot of them will get grants upfront and i'm all too aware of the difficulties and worries they face. there will be on this tomorrow from rishi sunak, the chancellor, and my message to business is the one i gave just and my message to business is the one i gavejust now, stand by your employees because we are going to stand by you and we are going to stand by you and we are going to stand by you and we are going to stand by the workers of this country. there is an important point i want to make. this time it's going to be different. as we come through this difficult economic phase, you remember what happened in 2008 and people said we bailed out the banks and he didn't look after the people who really suffered, but this time we will make sure we look after the people who really suffered from the economic consequences of what we are asking them to do and we will be directing our support to them first, looking after the people first. beth? just a couple of questions, prime minister. over the beth? just a couple of questions, prime minister. overthe half beth? just a couple of questions, prime minister. over the half of the 29 deaths today are in london, sol

have to ask you on behalf of londoners, do you not think it is now right to move to a more substantial lockdown of the capital like they have done in italy, spain and france, where you cannot leave your house unless you are a key worker or you are going to the shops for food or medicine? are you not doing that yet because you don't know how to enforce it, or you can't e nforce know how to enforce it, or you can't enforce it, or rather you will do it but the time isn't quite right? and secondly, a bit of hope there. you are suggesting to the public that if they follow the rules that you can turn the tide on this disease. are you telling people that by the summer theyjust you telling people that by the summer they just might be you telling people that by the summer theyjust might be able to go back to normal life and be able to go on theirsummer back to normal life and be able to go on their summer holidays? thank you. thanks, beth. the crucialthing varies, i want to stress that we do wa nt to varies, i want to stress that we do want to see people following the advice that we have given in the capital, which, as you rightly say, is the place where the disease seems

to have been making the fastest progress, and it's vital that people follow that advice. and there is huge evidence that they are in the takings in the retail and hospitality sector, and tfl, and thatis hospitality sector, and tfl, and that is down about 80%, down 60% in outer london. but there is evidence in some parts of the capital that it is very patchy and some areas where people are perhaps not following it in quite the way that we need them to do, so that is why, to get back to do, so that is why, to get back to the answer i gave to laura, we might have to consider going further. but i want to stress that there is no prospect of us wanting to stop public transport in london, or stop the tube or the buses. we will not be telling people that under no circumstances if they really need to go to work they can't. i hope people understand. there are people, and it's through no fault of the media, but there has

been a bit of misunderstanding floating around about that. we are going to want people to avoid gatherings where they can transmit the disease. we are absolutely emphatic about that. and if it becomes necessary to do more to ensure that, then we certainly will do so. on your second question, which was really about the timing, i am very confident we will get this thing done. i am very confident that we will beat coronavirus. i think we can turn the tide within the next 12 weeks, but, it depends on collective, resolute action. and i think the encouraging thing is that the more disciplined we can be in doing that, the greater the chances that the scientific community will be able to soon be able to come up with fantastic results on testing,

to say nothing of the other treatments. robert? robert preston, itv. ifi if i could ask a couple of questions to chris whitty, there's quite a lot of concern within the nhs about the capacity running short in london hospitals. could you tell us a bit about how you see the capacity issue in london question mark secondly, as you will also be aware, there is a lot of concern amongst medical staff that they are not getting the protective equipment which is apparently in the system, just not in the right places. how quickly will you be able to get it to the right places? and finally, prime minister, you came up with this interesting number right now. you said 250,000 tests. what did you mean by that? are they on course soon? i will pass that straight down the line to patrick who gave me the figure early on, but that is where we wa nt figure early on, but that is where we want to get to.

testing is i think crucial to our success in defeating this virus. we are making fantastic progress on testing. we had a great meeting in number 10 testing. we had a great meeting in number10 a testing. we had a great meeting in number 10 a couple of nights ago with people supplying tests of all kinds, not just the with people supplying tests of all kinds, notjust the antibody with people supplying tests of all kinds, not just the antibody tests with people supplying tests of all kinds, notjust the antibody tests i mentioned but much faster and more efficient tests to see whether you currently have the disease and the potential of those to help us is obviously enormous. we are not there yet but we will get there very soon. patrick, anything you want to say about testing? chris has an answer there as well but the testing... public health england are currently leading the testing on this, ramping up leading the testing on this, ramping up to 25,000, there are proposals to get that much higher through other

mechanisms for the virus itself. and then the antibody test, if that turns out to be something that can be applied, that is one we'd want to mmp be applied, that is one we'd want to ramp up as well so ideally you'd like to get those sorts of numbers, you'd like to be able to do it for both testing the infection itself and testing the antibody. practically, that can be done. the testing for the virus is a pretty standard technology. it just testing for the virus is a pretty standard technology. itjust happens to be precise for this virus but it isn't a new technology you have to invent. and if the antibody test is reliable and works, and there are ifs in that sentence, but if it does it is easy to scale up relatively. on pressure in london, at the moment, london from the coronavirus is under pressure but indirectly but thatis is under pressure but indirectly but that is going to go up, and that is

the reason for doing all of the things we are trying to do. and the first thing that will get under the greatest pressure will be the intensive care and respiratory care system, that is the thing, that is the first point of real pressure on the first point of real pressure on the nhs that'll happen. and to be clear, even if everybody does all the things we hope and really, really would ask they do, the numbers will continue to go up over the next two weeks because it continues... it takes a while... it ta kes a continues... it takes a while... it takes a lag for things to improve. we need to do three things. the know whether that is enough, that'll pull the peak down. if they don't, that'll be a problem. this is the national effort. the second thing we have to do, and this is an nhs

issue,is have to do, and this is an nhs issue, is to increase the number of beds which are capable of taking respiratory patients because that is the big bottleneck for this particular infection. so, that is very important. the third thing we have to do is, at the moment, all nhs staff who are getting symptoms compatible with this virus are quite rightly self isolating and isolating with theirfamilies rightly self isolating and isolating with their families if they have a household, and that is taking people out of the system, and the key thing we need to do is get the testing out. first priority, then second priority or people with symptoms, then next priority is to get the nhs workers so we can test them quickly and if they've got it, fine, they continue but they know they've had it once, if they haven't got it, then they can come back to work, or if the reason they've stayed at home is because someone else and their

family has got the symptoms, we will test them and see if they've got it. on ppe, there is... there is a local and global issue on this. i com pletely and global issue on this. i completely understand the that my in the nhs are concerned about on ppe. they write to me regularly about this and entirely reasonably. this isa this and entirely reasonably. this is a major strand of work for the department of health and social care, it is to make sure this works. obviously, in the short term, this is about making sure the ppe stocks that there are go to the right places. in the longer term, it's about making sure the global system, because everybody wants this, and the supplies in some areas have gone down, there is a global issue need

to put together. the final thing to get right on ppe is training because if you use ppe incorrectly it doesn't have any advantages and occasionally it can make things worse. so it's important to get all three of those sorted thanks, chris. the daily express. firstly, on the antibody test you mentioned, can you see a bit more about how that will be rolled out? will people be tested in theirown be rolled out? will people be tested in their own homes? how will people be selected? and secondly, there is some evidence on shops and online retailers have been racking up the prices of in demand goods. are you concerned there is profiteering going on in this national crisis? i'm going to ask chris and patrick to talk about the test kit, although

asi to talk about the test kit, although as i understand it, it is like a pregnancy test kit, i think blood is required rather than urine. that is the basic idea but i will give it over to the scientific experts to comment on the test. on mass buying, and the price issue, i really hope that retailers will continue to be reasonable. i certainly wouldn't wa nt to reasonable. i certainly wouldn't want to see profiteering of any kind, and as i've said before, we've got good supply chains from farm to fork, there is no reason for the shops to be empty. of course, everybody understands why people are buying stuff, and we're all being advised to stay at home if we think we have symptoms and so on, but please be reasonable, please be reasonable in your shopping, be and thoughtful of others as you do it. on the antibody tests, we should be clear that, although we are confident there will be antibody tests, we a re confident there will be antibody tests, we are not confident whether the ones currently on the market are the ones currently on the market are the right ones, and that needs to be

tested out, and that is something which is an absolute priority for public health england but once we have these the key thing for in the first case health care workers and then other workers and members of society is we will be able to say to someone you've had this virus, you're not likely to get it again, at least in the immediate term, now we can be confident you can return to work, now can be confident you don't need to take some of the precautions you've been taking to date. it'll be awhile before we've got this in large enough numbers. and this is more usefulfor a variety of reasons, probably not the right environment going to, but more useful the further on in the epidemic verses. this will be something which help society to normalise little little, even whilst we still have a significant number of cases. so, this will make, as the

prime minister says, a very big difference in the long run, once we have tests we can rely on. thanks very much. lucy fisher, the times. thank you. two quick questions, if i may. firstly to the experts. new data from the centre of disease control and prevention shows 40% of patients sick enough to be hospitalised in the us were aged 20-54 hospitalised in the us were aged 20—54 so is there any concern the pandemic is affecting younger people in the uk worse than previously thought? secondly, prime minister, the tide of redundancy sweeping the country and your own mps have said government isn't doing enough to help struggling businesses retain workers. you've mentioned the chancellor will talk more about this tomorrow but do you accept every day you delay announcing new support measures will cause thousands of jobs to go? well, let me say, first of all, on that, everybody‘s deed

everybody understands we will stick by businesses and i hope businesses will stick by their employees. this country will bounce back. we will need some fantastic companies remaining to bounce back as well. it is absolutely vital everybody understands that. rishi sunak will be saying more tomorrow about the package we are putting in place for workers across the country, to support everybody through this difficult time. we've been talking to the trade unions and others today, and we think we will have a great package ready to go. i hope people will stick by their employers because we will all need them. on the second question you asked, it is clear there are three things people need to think about simultaneously. firstly, the great majority of people who get this virus, irrespective of age, will recover from it and most of those will have

a mild or moderate illness not requiring hospitalisation. it's important to make that point. because i think that is a key point for people to remember, it is particularly true for children, where children seem to have this as a milder disease than adults. robbie quite a lot milder in most cases. the second thing is it is also true that particular groups of older people or vulnerable people, medically vulnerable, get this more severely, and if you look in the data from china, from italy, and initially from the uk, most of the deaths are occurring in those groups. but, and this is the point of the us is making, and i think it is an important point to emphasise, that isn't to say that there won't be severe cases amongst people who are younger adults. and that is important because it is important people don't trivialise this. this isa people don't trivialise this. this is a significant issue for everybody, although the great burden

of disease will tend to fall in terms of severe disease in the most vulnerable groups which is why we've given specific advice to people over 70 or with pre—existing health conditions. there will be people who don't fall into those groups who will fall seriously ill, u nfortu nately. will fall seriously ill, unfortunately. the great majority will not but some will so we ask