this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk, on pbs in america or around the globe. i'm simon pusey. our top stories: empty streets from new york to california, but president trump says he doesn't expect to impose a national lockdown in the us. you go out to the midwest, you go to other locations and they are watching on tv but they don't have the same problems. a new way of life in the uk as borisjohnson orders pubs and restaurants to close to try to prevent the spread of the disease. italy moves to tighten its lockdown rules further as more than 600 people with coronavirus die in a single day. # will meet again, don't know when, don't know when...

britain's most famous wartime singer shares a message for the world as she self isolates on her 103rd birthday. hello. more us states are ordering everyone but essential workers to stay at home to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. illinois, connecticut and new york made the announcements on friday. nada tawfik reports. from california to new york, an eerie emptiness across america's normally bustling urban centres. in the age of social distancing, people are avoiding hotspots in hollywood and the big apple. after a week of tightening controls, officials announced even more measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. in the golden state, a stay—at—home order went into effect on friday for all a0 million residents. people were told they could live their homes only for essential business.

having gone through several catastrophic situations in past years just gives us more strength. we had earthquakes, we had two fires. we are used to dealing with situations over which we have no control. new york also took drastic measures, as cases topped 7,000. governor cuomo said the state was on pause, ordering all non—essential businesses to keep their workers home from sunday and warning it would be enforced. this is not voluntary, it is not helpful hints. we are going to monitor it. there will be civil fines and there can be mandatory closures for businesses that do not comply. i am not kidding about this. the numbers are going up at such a rate that, as i said, it has more than doubled the capacity of the hospital system. the changes are rapidly impacting people's daily lives, leaving many to question what might be next. president trump, flanked by his coronavirus task force, said a national lockdown would not be necessary.

i don't think so. essentially, you have done that in california, you've done that in new york — those are really two hotbeds, probably the two hottest of them all in terms of hotspots. i do not think so. you go out to the midwest, you go out to other locations, and they are watching it on television but they do not have the same problems, by any means the same problems. he did, however, announce that the united states was closing its borders to all but essential travel from saturday, after agreement with mexico and previously canada. with increased tension on officials' handling of the pandemic, two republican senators have faced calls to resign. it's alleged they deliberately sold a large amount of stock before concerns over the coronavirus sent the stock market plummeting. senator richard burr of north carolina received private briefings on the outbreak as the senate intelligence committee chair. in a statement, he said he relied solely on public news reports to guide his decision

and asked the senate ethics committee to review the stock transactions. georgia's republican senator kelly loeffler, who is married to the new york stock exchange chairman, said advisers handled her transactions. as the us enters a new stage in the fight against the virus, nature's wonders have provided a much—needed distraction. in the nation's capital, people ventured outside to see washington dc‘s famous cherry blossoms in peak bloom. a safe outing, just as long as they keep their distance. earlier, i spoke to our north america correspondent peter bowes, and i put it to him that the seriousness of the situation in california was underlined by comments from the state governor that over 20 million people could contract the virus in the coming weeks. that was a devastating figure for people in california to hear. he did make a point of saying that that was the projection based on the data that we understand to date.

perhaps if people adhere by the measures that he is announcing and suggesting that people stay at home, that it may not be as bad as that at the end of the day. but no—one can be certain about that. so california did become the first state, with people being told to stay at home, and of course this is one of the world was make biggest economies. it is a devastating effect already on people unable to go to work, you can go out of your home if you need to get medical treatment or get groceries or if you work in one of those essential services, but for the most part people are obeying that new regulation. they are not being as tivoli — make heavy—handed about it as opposed to new york city where they are looking to impose fines on people who break the rules there, but a major impact on people ‘s lives. rules there, but a major impact on people 's lives. what kind of measures have authorities in california implemented 7 of measures have authorities in california implemented? has been advice as opposed to "you

will be arrested or you will be fined if you go out? " it is strong advice, but certainly there has been no threat of people being arrested herejust yet. by and large people are doing what it is being suggested of them. i noticed some of the street seem to be actually quite busy, some people going about their business whatever that is, but certainly the shopping malls and busier streets are much quieter than usual. even the stores where they have been queues outside, grocery stores, they seem to be coming down a little bit on what it was like a week ago when everyone was panic shopping and everyone was asked to queue outsize the saws, actually inside a quite calm —— outside the stores, actually inside are quite calm as they get what they need. one of mike pence's staff has tested positive for the virus, what can you tell us about that? mike pence, the vice president who is leading the us response to coronavirus, one of the people working in his

office as you say has tested positive. we are told by a spokesperson that neither the vice president nor president trump has had any close contact with that person, and what they are doing now isjust with that person, and what they are doing now is just looking at any other contacts at individual, who has been identified, but what other contacts there might have been according to the guidelines that have been set out to eve ryo ne a cross that have been set out to everyone across america. if you do come into contact with someone who is infected by the virus. the british government has announced unprecedented measures to tackle the economic impact of the coronavirus. the state would pay 80% of the wages of all those not able to work for the next three months. here's our political correspondent alex forsyth. this will be a familiar sight across the country from tomorrow. restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs, all shut down. no longer by choice, now by command. the impact enormous for business, having to cope with the doors closed, and for workers, who'll have nowhere to go. the prime minister said these were the next necessary steps

to try and slow the spread of this virus. we are collectively telling — telling — cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants, to close tonight, as soon as they reasonably can, and not to open tomorrow. though, to be clear, they can continue to provide take—out services. we're also telling night clubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close on the same timescale. a serious moment matched by a significant intervention from the chancellor. a package worth billions, not just for employers, but those losing work and wages too. we're paying people's wages, up to 80%, so someone can be furloughed rather than laid off to protect theirjobs. we're deferring over £30 billion of taxes until the end of the financial year. we're lending unlimited sums

of money interest—free for 12 months. we're abolishing business rates altogether this year if you're in hospitality, retail and leisure. we're providing cash grants of £25,000 for small business properties. these closures come with a price. how long, if you can, do you see these measures lasting, and how do you plan to enforce them? i think everybody can see the imperative of doing what is necessary, of protecting our nhs and saving lives. as the signs go up and shutters come down, many will be working out what the help on offer means for them, whether it's enough. claire's just taken on a five—year lease of this pub in norwich. we'd like to believe that we'll come through the other side of this. we really, really, really do. and i'm going to be honest, i'm struggling to hold it together at the moment. and it's not going tojust be me, it's going to be all of us.

the government is putting in place significant measures to try and counter the impact of this virus in just days and weeks, policies that would usually take months if not years to implement, and all with the knowledge the decisions it takes now will have crucial consequences for all of us as the way we live our lives profoundly changes. this is a state intervention on a new level. some want more from the chancellor. i'd like him to increase the level of statutory sick pay. i'd like him to make sure that employers pay their way in making sure people get their wages. and i'd like to see that he improves benefits for those people who are unemployed and carers, and those with disabilities. in scotland, an acknowledgement people will have to make sacrifices. doing everything we can to slow down the spread of this virus now means that we will save lives and we will protect our nhs. we cannotjust carry on as normal. life right now is not normal. it will certainly feel very different very soon. now the struggle to manage

this virus has reached a whole new level. alex forsyth, bbc news, westminster. italy is set to tighten its coronavirus lockdown after the number of deaths jumped by more than 600 in a single day. reports suggest that from saturday, parks and public gardens will be shut down and people will only be allowed to exercise around their own homes. the death toll is the biggest daily rise since the virus first emerged in the country a month ago and comes just a day after italy overtook china as the country with the most deaths recorded from the virus. the hardest—hit region of italy remains lombardy in the north. sima kotecha has more from rome. some people here in italy are calling it the 9/11 of italy, because of what has happened. the death toll has now surpassed china and, if you look at the population of china and the population of italy, that is incredibly alarming. china, 1.4 billion people.

here in italy, 64 million. so questions being asked as to why that has happened here. most of those fatalities and cases were in the north of the country, where hospitals are incredibly stretched. they are running out of key pieces of kit such as ventilators and face masks. and we know the chinese have brought nine tones of kit with them, and chinese medics have come over with a lot of extra supplies for hospitals in milan, where they are struggling to cope. now, there's deep—rooted concern that the outbreak could move from the north to the south because, in recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have made thatjourney from north to south, as they have tried to flee the outbreak. hospitals in the south are not as well—equipped. it is a poorer part of the country and the government is worried that, if the outbreak does move down there, how will those hospitals cope. a priority for the government is to make sure doctors and nurses remain protective from this virus. and the stringent measures in place at the moment, that have been in place for around 11 days, restricting people's movement around

the country, those could be made even more straight. we heard from the sports ministry yesterday saying that, at the moment, people can go out for a job, they can walk their dog, they can go to the supermarket. there is a possibility that even of those things might not be allowed. italy very much aware that it is probably going to get worse before it gets better. those figures expected to continue rising but also the agitation among of some having to stay in their homes, 11 days already, and knowing that those measures might be in place for another month or so is hard for them to take. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: # will meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

we'll tell you why britain's world world ii forces sweetheart has released a coronavirus message on her 103rd birthday. more than 3,000 subway passengers were affected. nausea, bleeding, headaches and a dimming of vision — all of this caused by an apparently organised attack. the trophy itself was on the pedestal in the middle of the cabinet here. now, this was an international trophy, and we understand now that the search for it has become an international search. above all, this was a triumph for the christian democrats of the west, offering reunification as quickly as possible, and that's what the voters wanted.

this is bbc news. the latest headlines: with empty streets from new york to california, president trump says he doesn't expect to impose a national lockdown in the us. in the uk, the government has announced unprecedented measures to tackle the economic impact of the coronavirus, as the prime minister says restaurants and pubs must close. in the grips of a global pandemic, governments around the world are battling to keep their citizens safe. but as cities are shut down and borders closed, concerns remain that not everyone is taking the threat seriously. tanya dendrinos has this report. as the world goes into

lockdown, global icons normally teeming resemble ghost towns. but in australia, despite a raft of new measures announced by the government, bondi beach was anything but a symbol of social distancing. well, it's definitely not ideal. it is a worry with so many people altogether and i do think the whole world is probably looking at us right now, thinking what at us right now, thinking what a massive mistake that we are making. a crisis bubbling away, beach—goers not quite blissfully unaware but still not missing the opportunity to soak up the autumn sun. not missing the opportunity to soak up the autumn sunlj not missing the opportunity to soak up the autumn sun. i think people are taking advantage of the hot weather while they can and a lot of people have been stuck indoors so they probably think oh, you know, iwill take my chance and go for a swim. but at the same time, i just think, well, here we are, supposed to be excluding ourselves from big crowds, it is sort of, doesn't make sense.

back home in canada there are about 30 people skating on a la ke about 30 people skating on a lake and everyone was up in arms about how they were not being aware of what they were doing andl being aware of what they were doing and i think we have got going on here, you know, it is a bunch of people hanging out ina a bunch of people hanging out in a beach in close proximity and we need to be more aware of what we're doing. on friday the world health organization made an impassioned plea young people, issuing a stern reminder which seems to have been lost on many. you are not invincible. this virus could put you in hospitalfor weeks. 0r put you in hospitalfor weeks. or even kill you. even if you don't get sick, the choices you make about where you go could be the difference between life and death for someone else. the message is simple the key to defeating covid—19 is solidarity. not just among nations but also generations. tanya dendrinos, bbc news. and just in the last couple

of hours, the new south wales government has closed bondi beach in sydney. local media is reporting the measure will extend to other beaches if social distancing advice is being flouted. let's get more on the social consequences of the coronavirus. professorjamil zaki, a psychologist at stanford and author of the war for kindnessjoins me from san francisco. professor, it is clear that not eve ryo ne professor, it is clear that not everyone is heeding that advice. psychologically, why would people around the world, with all of the data and evidence, ignore all of it and go and hang out with each other and potentially spread this virus? many reasons. this is one, outbreak presents a paradox. 0n the one hand for the service of public health we must stay apart from each other but on the other hand, the fundamental need to be together, especially during these times we are being asked to be apart at the moment that we most need each other. there

are obviously changes of self isolation for sectors of society, coronavirus, you know, very dangerous for the elderly and society there but the virus is not the only thing that can kill you. obviously things like loneliness is really important, especially for older people. just what do you think people should do about that because on the one hand you know you have to self isolate to protect people over the age of 80 but on the other hand lots of other illnesses and disease are caused by mental health things and staying on your own. that is right, loneliness is psychologically and physically poisoned. it leads to depression, lack of sleep, cardiovascular problems. some people estimate that it gives us people estimate that it gives us the same mortality rate is smoking 15 cigarettes a day. we need to be careful that this sort of viral epidemic does not produce an epidemic of loneliness but could have long—term consequences. but remember that we don't really

need to think of this as emotional distancing, it is just physically, we can remain contacted and i think we should coin distance socialising for what we're to do now. and what can you suggest for people to do to maintain good health and mental health balance? i guess it is what you just said and thatis it is what you just said and that is staying connected by physically being apart. yeah, i think these days, and this is a difficult situation, we are lucky that we have the technologies feel connected even though we are not. so things up it can be really helpful, social media, and what is important to notjust focus on using video chat to say hi to people but really to hang out together and have experiences together. cook the same meal over zoom or experiences together. cook the same meal over zoom or have a play date over skype. these technologies can make us feel as though we are co— present with each other and help us to

feel connect even again and we are physically apart from each other. totally different territory we are entering. dr zaki, thank you very much indeed for your time. very interesting. thank you. let's get some of the other coronavirus news from around the world. in switzerland, everyone has been told to stay off the streets with experts suggesting that the outbreak is just four days behind the devastating situation in italy. the government has banned groups of five or more, but they are yet to impose a full lockdown. in a population of 8.57 million, switzerland has seen 4,840 cases and 43 deaths. in nigeria, officials are asking people not to take the anti—malaria drug chloroquine to fight the coronavirus after hospitals in lagos said they were treating people with complications caused by overdoses. nigeria's health minister says there is no proof that the drug is effective against covid—19. meanwhile, tourists are rushing to try and leave the country before a travel ban kicks in on saturday.

indonesia says a state of emergency will come into force in the capital jakarta from monday. bars, cinemas and businesses will be forced to shut down. the government has also stressed that people across the country should avoid all religious gatherings after large crowds were seen gathering at mosques. british wartime singer dame vera lynn has shared a message for the world on her 103rd birthday. she says keep smiling and keep singing while social distancing and in self—isolation because it will help pass the dark times. freya cole reports. # we'll meet again. # don't know how, don't know when... —— # don't know where, don't know when... 103 years old, dame vera lynn's spirit is as strong as ever. # some sunny day... she's released a new video showing archive footage of her performing her signature tune. it's been more than 80 years

since it was released, but the lyrics are as poignant as ever. # always do... # till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away. known as the force's sweetheart, dame vera lynn entertained british troops during world war ii with songs that captured the hearts and lifted spirits. during some of the world's darkest days, she travelled as far afield as egypt and myanmar to boost morale on the front line. along with a new video, the singer released a statement saying: "we are facing very challenging times and i know people are worried about the future. music is so good for the soul. and during these hard times, we must help each other to find moments ofjoy." # but i know we'll meet... at the very end of her birthday video, the 103—year—old recorded a short message for everyone who is social

distancing or in self—isolation. keep smiling, and keep singing. freya cole, bbc news. millions of people in the us and around the world have been told to stay at home, practice social distancing or self isolate to stop the virus from spreading and infecting more vulnerable groups. and on social media, the actor kevin bacon posted a twitter message to his fans urging people to stay at home under the hash tag "i stay at home" for a loved one. david beckham, eltonjohn, miley cyrus, mariah carey and many other stars have joined the campaign as each star nominated another to show their support. 0rganisers of the eurovision song contest have announced they're investigating an "alternative" show after this year's event was cancelled due to coronavirus. quite how this year's eurovision will be staged is yet to be decided, but it won't be a competition. the european broadcasting union which hosts the event said it wants to "honour the songs and artists" and hoped

the alternative programming "would help to entertain and unite audiences in these challenging times". it will be interesting to see exactly what happens there. as always, there's plenty more information and advice on our website about the coronavirus, including this article on how you can keep up a healthy outdoor exercise. you can find that piece, as well all the latest coronavirus developments at bbc.com/news or the bbc news app. a reminder of our top story. illinois, connecticut and new york are the latest states in the us to order everyone but essential workers to stay at home. in washington, one of vice president mike pence's staff has tested positive for the disease. in the uk the government has announced unprecedented measures to tackle the economic impact of the virus. that is just about it from me.

you can reach me on twitter. i'm @sipusey. but for now, thanks a lot for watching and do stay tuned. hello there. there was a little bit more in the way of sunshine to go around on friday and it really turned out to be quite a glorious day across many areas. this was the scene in cockermouth in cumbria. thanks to trevor for sending that beautiful weather watch picture in. you can see the extent of the sunshine we had. but further south, we had this weather front with us again and it continued to bring some dull and damp weather in across the very far south of england and even into the early afternoon, there was some light rain reported in hastings, in east sussex. 0vernight tonight, many of us will have dry conditions. the breeze keeping the frost at bay across many south—eastern areas but the further north you go with those lighter winds, we'll see temperatures dip well below freezing. that said, there are just a few showers dotted around as well across the hills of southern england, across the hills of north—east england too,

but for most of us, it is a dry—looking picture. for the weekend, this area of high pressure, this area of low pressure not really changing very much. just a shuffling of positions a little bit more, and that means the winds are going to switch from a easterly to more or a south—easterly direction. —— to more of a south—easterly direction. but that is still a cold wind that will be blowing and making it feel pretty chilly out and about, particularly in the morning. some patchy cloud around as well. cloudy to start the day across western areas, quite high cloud, and a nice sunrise for some of you. the winds will make it feel cold and those winds will be at the strongest across the hills and western coasts of wales and across the moors and coast of south—west england. gusts of 40, perhaps even 50 mph in one or two areas, which will make it feel quite chilly — certainly knocking the edge off the temperatures. and i suspect we will have some areas of cloud in the north sea affecting eastern areas of scotland in particular. we might have some of that both in the morning and the afternoon. it won't be nice and sunny everywhere. 0n into the night—time saturday

night, we could see some patchy cloud coming in from that north sea but when winds do manage to drop out, we could well see a slightly more widespread frost. so a colder start to the day on sunday but then that said, the winds will be blowing a little bit less strongly on sunday, so probably won't feel quite as chilly. there will be quite a lot of dry weather and sunshine, too, around. perhaps some slightly thicker cloud edging into the scottish highlands and threatening an odd light shower but for most of us, another fine—looking day. temperatures between eight and 12 degrees. a little bit cool with onshore winds on the eastern coasts of scotland and england. into next week, the area of high pressure still holding on, but we see this weather front starting to slip in across the far north—west. monday looks like being another dry day with sunshine. then we will start to see some rain approach the far north—west as we go from tuesday and wednesday. that is your latest weather. bye for now.

this is bbc news, the headlines: the us is closing its borders to all but essential travel from saturday. the move has been agreed with canada and mexico as part of efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus. elsewhere, stock markets in new york have closed down sharply, ending their worst week in more than a decade. in the uk, the government has announced unprecedented measures to tackle the economic impact of the coronavirus, with the state paying 80% of the wages of all those not able to work for the next three months. the prime minister has announced that restaurants and pubs must close. in italy, authorities have announced that the country's death toll from the virus has jumped by 627 in a single day. they're reported to be about to close public parks and limit the areas in which people can take exercise. coming up in 10 minutes time, ‘coronavirus: what you need to know‘