the prime minister says it will take 12 weeks to turn the tide on coronavirus in the uk, but that will only happen if the public takes government measures seriously. as the queen left london for windsor castle, issuing a message of solidarity to the nation, borisjohnson said it was vital that we all played our part. 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. a plea from the prime ministerfor a ruthless collective action, and a promise the worst could be over within three months. but so much tonight is still unknown. as medical chiefs warn the young that they're not immune to this virus —

one patient tells people to pay attention. i'm 30 years old and i'm not traditionally in the vulnerable category. ijust stress to everyone — please think about where you're going, who you're mixing with and the impact it might have on you. interest rates are slashed to the lowest ever level — just 0.1% — as the bank of england tries to shore up the economy. italy's death toll overtakes china's. almost 3,500 have now died. we report from inside one of italy's hospitals battling to keep patients alive. with school exams now cancelled across the uk, thousands of pupils wait to be told tomorrow how their gcses and a levels will be awarded. and coming up on bbc news, football postpones its professional programme until the end of april, but promises they'll extend the current season indefinitely to make sure it gets finished.

good evening. the prime minister says he's confident the country can defeat the coronavirus — as long as everyone takes seriously the government's restrictions and instructions on how to live our lives for the next few months. borisjohnson said he thought it would take 12 weeks to turn the tide on the virus in the uk. but he said that depended on the public following government advice — social distancing, working from home where possible, and washing our hands. today the bank of england slashed interest rates to an historic low to try to shore up the economy. the number of confirmed cases in the uk rose to 3,269 today. and the death toll now stands at 144. and there was a message today from the queen. she praised the work of scientists,

medical staff and the emergency services, saying the uk was entering a period of great uncertainty. our political editor laura kuenssberg is at westminster. sophie, this is still a very precarious situation. the prime minister set out a more optimistic message to the country that if eve ryo ne message to the country that if everyone does their bit then perhaps the worst could be passed within three months. but there is so much steel that we just don't know, so much that the government scientists can't be sure of. there is no clear guaranteed certain path through all of this. it's a fight for the health service, fight for the economy. but a fight for morale and resilience too, with messages tonight from downing street, but from buckingham palace too. the royal standard lowered marking the queen's departure for windsor castle, urging the nation at a time of great uncertainty to come together as one, leaving the quiet capital where the government's frantically trying to manage an unknown future. what is now a regular routine, the prime minister talking to the public at five o'clock,

but no immediate sign of drastic new action today. 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, if we all take the steps that we have outlined. you told the country yesterday you wouldn't hesitate to take extra measures. people are worried about what that might mean. yes. can you tell people what might be next. will you within days seek to shut pubs, cafes, clubs? as long as we think that people are actually staying away from places where they may transmit or pick up the disease, if we feel that that is working, then we just want to say thank you to everybody for their extraordinary efforts and encourage everybody to do likewise. if we feel that it isn't working, as i said yesterday, we need to bring forward tougher measures, then of course nothing is ruled out.

there is no prospect of us wanting to stop public transport in london, stop the tube or the buses. we're not going to be telling people that under no circumstances if they really need to go to work can they go to work. more limits on our lives would hit some firms hard. the law's been relaxed to make it easierfor supermarkets to work together. they say there is just no need for queues like this. the concerns are real. unless we give a guarantee of wages and income to everyone, particularly those that cannot work, then we're all at risk as a result of it, and i don't think the government has sufficiently addressed this. some form of that could come tomorrow, but it's not clear exactly what will come on top of the treasury's plans. any business who needs cash to pay salaries will be able to access a government—backed loan on attractive terms.

you can hear the disquiet. what about people losing jobs now? if the government does not act immediately, large numbers of people will be unemployed. and can i urge the government to say something today to give people an assurance that the help will come? where can they get answers because they are so worried? ministers are putting forward this afternoon a long list of emergency laws, from giving the home secretary the power to close the borders if needs be, forcing business to share information about food supply, making it easierfor retired doctors to get back to work. this, the coronavirus bill, is an encyclopaedia of emergency powers that ministers think they might need to manage the crisis in the coming months. huge new powers the state hopes it

might never need. but a disease the country are struggling to control a change in the face of this place right now. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. our medical correspondent fergus walsh is here. turning the tide in 12 weeks — how realistic is that? if it means that in 12 weeks infection rates are going down, whereas at the moment they are soaring up, and if it means that within 12 weeks we have medicines which can fight covid—19, then yes you could argue that that is turning the tide, but send the virus packing? that really is optimistic. the prime minister's two key scientific advisors will not put any time limit on when the controls on all of our lives can be eased, and those modelling the outbreak for the government say that as soon as you ease restrictions, the virus will simply surge back up again, and no one anywhere in the world has yet devised a convincing exit strategy from this pandemic which will return all our lives to normal. a lot of

people want to know if they have had their virus already, and the health secretary said tonight the government has been buying tests to see if that had happened. how does that work? what they are looking for is an antibody test. it would be incredibly useful if they could find out whether you have antibodies in your blood, and so you are immune from the virus and can't catch it again. the health secretary said tonight that a pin prick blood test had gone into production, but earlier the chief medical officer said that he wasn't sure any of these tests currently work, so we will have to wait and see. but what eve ryo ne will have to wait and see. but what everyone agrees is that we need more of these swab test in the community to tell who has active infection now. they are being wrapped up, 8000 we re now. they are being wrapped up, 8000 were done yesterday, but we need more so we can track this pandemic. fergus walsh, thank you. the queen and the duke of edinburgh are both at windsor castle tonight. our royal correspondent nicholas witchelljoins me now. the queen issued a message of solidarity to the nation before

leaving london this afternoon. yes, the queen left buckingham palace this morning, a week earlier than planned. that is precautionary. she is now at windsor, as you say. she is now at windsor, as you say. she has beenjoined by the duke of edinburgh who travelled down from sandringham, and they will stay there until after easter. this afternoon buckingham palace issued this message from her majesty the queen, a message from the head of state at this moment of exceptional difficulty asking the country to come together and to act together. she says she is aware that many people in this country and around the world are feeling great concern and uncertainty as we are all being asked to change our regular routines and normal patterns of behaviour for the greater good and to protect the most vulnerable. she says at times such as these, i am reminded that our nation's history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one. she gives thanks to those on the front line, we are enormously grateful for the

expertise and commitment of our scientists, medical practitioners and emergency and public services. she then says this. but now, more than at any time in our recent past, we all have a vitally important part to play as individuals. we will need to play as individuals. we will need to find new ways of staying in touch with each other and making sure that loved ones are safe. she finishes by saying, you can be assured that my family andi saying, you can be assured that my family and i stand ready to play our part. nick witchell, thank you. london is proving to be a hotspot for coronavirus. the number of cases and deaths is rising faster in the capital than anywhere else in the uk. the prime minister said there's no prospect of the government wanting to stop public transport in london, but he urged everyone to take the advice and restrictions seriously to avoid tighter restrictions. our home editor mark easton has been gauging the mood among londoners in a quieter city. the sirens are screaming, stay at home, stay well, protect the nhs.

for the most part, london is empty. but not everyone is listening. if i need to go somewhere, i'm going to go somewhere. what about other people, you might infect other people? well, then, they should stay inside. it's hard to change your habits and routines. the instagram generation wants to show the world they were there. and the threat is invisible on deserted streets. just wanted to see how busy it was. and it really is very unbusy indeed. yeah, same. i'm his wife and i'm doing the same, just taking a look at london and then head back before totalisation isolation, which i think is what's coming next, total lockdown. just make the last of the few days of freedom. the plea is not to go out to bars, cafes a nd restau ra nts, but some people are clinging on to their normal lives, in an increasingly abnormal situation. i live on my own, so i've got no family or anything. it's just me there. you can have too much of tv,

you can have too much of anything. so, to get over the road and buy a paper and come in here and have a couple of pints. at the regency cafe, the full english will soon be off. the owner is shutting up shop. there's very little reason for being open now, and the risk factor, and people also are frightened, aren't they? absolutely. i live on my own. i need a support system. if the prime minister stays i've got to stay indoors, it looks desperate. it's quite frightening. london's big shopping streets have been almost abandoned, but neighbourhood supermarkets, hairdressers and market stalls were doing brisk business today. people can feel that life is about to change. they're searching for supplies, they're getting ready. i'm out to get some vital supplies. i've just filled up my car with petrol. i live on my own, so i've only got myself to rely upon. just around the corner from the shoppers, a temporary

mortuary is being assembled, a blunt reminder of why some want the politicians to order us to close the door on our social life. mark easton, bbc news, london. interest rates are now at their lowest level in history. the bank of england slashed them to just 0.1 % today. our economics editor faisal islam is here. emergency measures — how much will this help? the second emergency cut in just over a week. that lowers the cost of borrowing across the economy for those businesses that want to invest. probably the bigot move is the £200 billion they've announced of government borrowing that the bank of england will now purchase. how does that help? it lowers those interest rates over two, five and ten yea rs interest rates over two, five and ten years as well, but also provides space for the government to borrow a bit more in order to tax a bit less and spend more. i think that is the key difference here. it also means

we had some pretty hairy moments in markets yesterday in terms of sterling falling, in terms of the cost of borrowing going up. it helps with that as well. that space for the government is important. my understanding is negotiations going on into the night with unions and businesses about the details of a wage subsidy package that could be modelled on some of the things we've seenin modelled on some of the things we've seen in europe where some proportion of people's income might be paid. that 12 week period the prime minister talked about, that might be key. faisal, thank you. the government says it is going to look after the people who suffer the economic consequences of the coronavirus. measures will be announced tomorrow. those on zero—hours contracts and those who work in the gig economy are particularly vulnerable. here's sarah corker. demand for rides has plummeted as britons self—isolate. uber drivers like steve from birmingham are worried they're at heightened risk of infection, but say they can't afford not to work. you can come out and do

an eight—hour shift and you'd be lucky to take £40, £50 home, before deducting expenses. we're unsure of how we're going to pay our bills, how we're going to pay my rent this month. it's just very disturbing. companies like uber and deliveroo have hardship funds for those diagnosed with the virus or told to self—isolate. but workers need documentation to prove it before they get any cash. unions are calling for emergency measures from the government to help millions of workers in the gig economy and the self—employed. those who aren't entitled to sick pay have been told they can claim benefits quickly, but that money could still take weeks to come through and many don't have a safety net. this issue, the approach to it, sick pay, has been piecemeal. it's also shown us the close proximity of work to health and the importance of focusing on health as the ultimate goal, notjust for individuals but also for the economy.

leanne is self—isolating. she works as a carer and is entitled to sick pay of £94.25 week. but as a renter on low pay, that won't go very far. i'm really stressed. i've gone to anger to fear, i think. people in my position, if you've got no savings, you've got no back—up, what is going to happen to us? and when it comes to businesses, some are confused about how to access new government grants. many cafes, like this one in salford, are trying to adapt. now we are looking at contingency plans, what can we get in place for deliveries or more takeaway services? we as a business are an independent company and we can't afford to close. for workers on the lowest pay and many small companies, this is fast becoming an economic emergency. sarah corker, bbc

news, in manchester. it's emerged tonight that the armed forces have been told to be on an "operational footing" by mid—april to help deal with the crisis. our defence correspondent jonathan beale is in whitehall. and that means what? well, this is the message we've obtained from the head of the armed forces, general sir nick houghton, to military leaders, essentially a call to arms, but them on a campaign footing. they won't just call to arms, but them on a campaign footing. they won'tjust have to do their normaljob of protecting the nation, but fighting this virus for the nation. we know 2000 are on standby, and he gives more details. they may have to help in the organisation of temporary hospitals and other medical facilities. organisation of temporary hospitals and other medicalfacilities. he also makes clear this is going to be for some months ahead. he says we are to be prepared for our collective posture to be on an

operational footing by collective posture to be on an operationalfooting by mid collective posture to be on an operational footing by mid april, recognising this could endure for six months or so. he ends with this rallying cry. this is a time for the leaders to step up and deliver. we need to be prepared to fight the war we may have to fight, and it is now clear, he says, that moment has arrived. young people are being warned not to be complacent about the coronavirus. england's chief medical officer professor chris whitty said the vast majority of people in all age groups would recover, but it was a mistake for young people who are healthy to think they would all just "breeze through" the pandemic. meanwhile doctors and nurses working on the front line are calling for nhs staff who have symptoms to be tested quickly so they can return to work. our health editor hugh pym reports. coughing. a patient who's coughing sees the gp at the bridgwater surgery in watford. it's a specially organised service for patients with respiratory problems, on a different floor to the rest of the practice. this may or may not be

coronavirus, you know, we can't say for certain, because you've got underlying asthma... the gp sends her onto hospital to decide whether a test is needed. many doctors and nurses themselves say they want virus testing for nhs staff, so if they develop symptoms and they don't test positive, they can return to work more quickly. we are very much on a war footing at the moment. alan is an emergency care doctor, who was frustrated that testing isn't readily available. for lots of people, not being tested means they are getting hit by a compulsory time off work, and that, you know, leaves a lot of stress for them, and a lot of stress for the workforce still in work. it is an issue i put to the government's chief medical adviser. how quickly can you roll out more testing for nhs staff who feel they want to be reassured that they might be able to come back to work, or be at work? for the nhs, the ability to test their staff, our staff, i am an nhs worker myself, when people are actually

unwell and self isolating, particularly if they've got mild symptoms that mean they could normally go back to work is absolutely critical. the welsh government has started testing for nhs staff. in england, the nhs has announced an increase to 25,000 tests a day for hospital patients. as if nhs workers didn't have enough to worry about, they are confronted by this after a tiring shift. there is no fruit, there no vegetables. i don't know how i'm supposed to stay healthy. and those people who just stripped the shelves of basic foods, you just need to stop it! because it's you just need to stop it! because its people like me that are going to be looking after you. for those younger people who are continuing their social lives as normal there was a stern message. they may be

less vulnerable than others but they must still follow the guidelines. the mixing, in pubs and restaurants and so on that we have said is really a part of allowing the disease to spread, needs to stop, and it needs to stop amongst young people, as well as older people. this person, 30, has contracted the virus. please think about where you are going, who you are mixing with and the impact it might have on you, because it can lead to getting this virus which is quite painful. it's quite difficult to manage and it ta kes quite difficult to manage and it takes everything out of you. most people who get the virus won't feel many symptoms. the worry is for those, whatever their age, who become the sickest. hugh pym, bbc news. pupils will get more detail tomorrow about how their gcse and a level results will be awarded after this year's exams were cancelled.

the education secretary in england, gavin williamson, said he would do everything he could to ensure that grades would be available in august. it was confirmed today that school exams won't take place in scotland either. instead qualifications will be awarded on the basis of coursework, teacher assessments and mock exams. here's our education editor, bra nwen jeffreys. injust a day, their life has changed. yesterday, exams to win their a—level grades. now, instead, coursework, predicted grades and teacher assessment are likely. today, majda and ewan were struggling to take it in. it's definitely very upsetting. i have been in this school for seven years and this might be my last day in the school, or tomorrow might be my last day, so i might not see any of these people and my teachers ever again, and that does make me sad. it was almost like a shock, that i kind of expected it to happen. ijust felt like a lot of my hard work had been sort of, like, not put to waste, but it just feels like,

it is so uncertain what's going to happen. after years of studying for exams, having them just cancelled has left many teenagers with a massive sense of anti—climax, and they're not just missing exams, they're also missing out on saying goodbye to their school friends and goodbye to their school. head teachers are working out who they will let in. vulnerable children and those of key workers. sorting out exam grades will have to wait. i think there is an issue around examinations and we will deal with that, but that is probably not the priority over the next two or three weeks. i think it's about the safety of young people, ourfellow citizens of the nation, i think it is a national crisis and all of us have to step up and do what we can. around the uk, families are adjusting. we'll have to make do. we haven't got parents who can help out, because both our parents are elderly. months without the back—up of schools. my work has let me work from home,

so i'm going to work from home some days and then going to work on other days and set up a wee school in the house. she's setting up a school. children saying goodbye to friends, for now. a bit sad, honestly, because, you know, it may be the last time i'm here, so... sally is a primary teacher. she intends to go on working as best she can, knowing it will help others doing life—saving work. obviously, my mum is in the very at—risk category, and i want all the nhs workers to still keep going to work. how much has changed for them. no exams, no proms, no celebration of results. branwen jeffreys, bbc news. we've been inundated with questions about schools closing and exams being cancelled. sophie hutchinson has been trying

to answer some of them for you. hello. i'm a young and healthy primary school teacher and i'm happy to come into school, but what about older staff, and staff who have children at home, as well as staff who have families that might be at risk? what's the advice for them? well, that's something to be worked out by each school and each individual teacher — can they stay on in the classroom? and how many pupils do they need to accommodate from vulnerable families or with key worker parents? i'm a single parent who works full—time and both my parents work full—time. i've got absolutely no childcare in place for my child at the moment, because in the summer holidays he would normally go to a holiday camp, which subsequently are now closed, too. if i have to take six weeks off work, where do i get the money to pay my bills from? well, it's a very tough situation, and one that many people are facing. if you have any paid holiday that you could use, that might help.

otherwise, the local council might have a hardship fund, and you could ask for some bills to be paused, but they will have to be paid eventually. well, children who are entitled to free school meals will be given food vouchers that they can spend in local shops and supermarkets, or some schools may continue to provide meals. well, some schools may have clever technology that allows them to create virtual classrooms, but the vast majority are expected to put more learning activities on their websites and information for parents, and also give pupils books and print—offs to take home.

and plenty more questions and answers, and all the latest developments about the coronavirus outbreak, on the bbc news app and on our website. the death toll in italy is now higher than anywhere else in the world, including china. another 427 people have died in the past 24 hours alone — bringing the death toll to more than 3,400. mark lowen is in rome. it feels like a hole that italyjust can't plug. the daily loss of hundreds of lives. coronavirus fatalities in this country of 60 alien people now higher than in china, with a population of 1.5 billion. —— this country of 60 billion. —— this country of 60 billion people. it brought the health care system to its knees. we've gained exclusive pictures from hospitals under extreme strain, a

snapshot of italy's agony. in this theatre of war, the heroes hardly rest. brescia in northern italy is seeing one of the highest rises in daily cases. the hospital is overwhelmed but resilient. translation: there is a strong commitment from all doctors and nurses. sometimes they come in even when they are not on shift, or after they are on at night they come in the morning after to help us out. some of them have cried but i have never seen anyone complain. more than 8% of cases in italy are medical staff, almost double that of china. the 13th doctor died today. one of the patients here is a doctor, she says, born in 1982. he was in the emergency room, fell ill and tested positive. now he's been intubated. thousands of medics have been recalled from retirement and rushed in from university to help, but still they're desperate. translation: i think our hospital is reaching breaking point. we don'tjust need more beds, but we need workers. we need equipment

to protect our staff. we need ventilators. the spread of the virus is too fast for us to keep up. in this outbreak, not even the dead are left in peace. overnight, the military moved coffins from nearby bergamo to other areas ease pressure on bursting crematoria. from one town that's cut cases to zero through mass testing and quarantine, a warning to britain over its slower response. i feel very, very sorry, because i've been living in england for over 25 years, and i left my wife and my son there, so for me it's very sad to see they are doing exactly the same mistake as they did in italy. it will lead to an outbreak which will be the same size or even worse than the one we're seeing in lombardy. restrictions on movement here are now set to be extended, with most venues remaining closed and schools shut well into april. italy's lockdown is the model being adopted elsewhere.

public transport and traffic are still running, but people are only going out in urgent need, and it's orderly, with measured queues for the supermarket as people are allowed in one by one. the fruit and vegetables are stocked as normal. there's very little sense of panic buying here. and with the loo rolls, well, some brands are down, but with this level of outbreak, italians are behaving, on the whole, rationally. the virus has left this wounded, ageing population isolated, from each other and from the outside world. the book she reads is called fear. mark lowen, bbc news, rome. the united states has told americans not to travel abroad and has advised its citizens to come home now if possible. the state department said that americans who don't return "should be prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period". our north america correspondent nick bryantjoins us now.