this is bbc news. the headlines: more beds, ventilators and thousands of extra staff will be made available from next week, after a deal between nhs england and the nation's independent hospitals. another 53 people with coronavirus have died in england, bringing the total of deaths in the country to 220. the death toll in italy has seen another dramatic rise — 793 people have died in the last 2a hours from coronavirus. it's by far the worst single—day total worldwide since the pandemic began. in spain, there's been a big rise in the number of coronavirus—related deaths — an increase of more than 300 people, bringing the total number of deaths there to more than 13 hundred.

"be responsible when you shop." an appeal by a senior british government minister, who estimates that £1 billion worth of extra food has been stockpiled. it is making life more difficult for those front line workers, such as oui’ those front line workers, such as our doctors and nurses and nhs support staff, who are working so ha rd support staff, who are working so hard in such difficult circumstances. and in other news, the american country music legend, kenny rogers, has died at the age of 81. good evening. you're watching bbc news, broadcasting in the uk

and around the world. we'll have the latest on the coronavirus pandemic in europe and elsewhere in a moment. but we start in the uk where another 53 people have died in england, bringing the total of deaths in the country to 220. in response to the pandemic, the nhs has struck an unprecedented deal with private hospitals across england to utilise nearly their entire hospital capacity to help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. the nhs says the deal will provide 8,000 additional hospital beds across england, nearly 1200 more ventilators, and 700 doctors. it's been announced today that a further 56 people have died after testing positive with the virus in england, scotland and wales. currently there are more than 4,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus across the uk. with the latest here's dominic hughes. the first day of what is meant to be something close to lockdown. but in the centre of newcastle,

some people are still out and about. from the experts, though, a real sense that a moment of crisis is fast approaching. if you follow the advice, you are saving somebody‘s life. this is the time in your lifetime whereby your action will save somebody‘s lie. it is as simple and stark as that. a picture of those being admitted to critical care after falling ill is beginning to emerge. data was collected on 196 patients in england, wales and northern ireland. half of them were being looked after by hospitals in london. 57 were female, 139 were male. 132 patients needed a ventilation machine to help them breathe. 16 patients sadly died. 17 were discharged to regular hospital wards, the rest remained in intensive care. there is concern about the number of cases that are presenting in london, but also a small but significant cluster in birmingham and the west midlands.

but this virus is spreading throughout the country. in salford, the deaths of two patients were announced yesterday. medical staff are concerned over access to protective clothing, despite government promises that enough of the right kit is available. and a reminder, for one doctor, of the serious situation we face. this is the week that the most people who are infected without knowing it will cause it to spread. what you do today will affect the intensive care beds in hospitals over the next few weeks. please, please, please, stay at home if you can. some good news. the nhs has done what looked like a really significant deal with private hospitals. it should make 8,000 beds, 1,200 ventilators and thousands of staff available to the nhs. they will be needed in the weeks to come. dominic hughes, bbc news. here in the uk, the government's

once again urging people to follow its advice to help stop the spread of the disease after ordering pubs, clubs and leisure facilities to close. phil norton is in york for us. phil, well, are people listening? if you have a look around here in york city centre tonight, you can see there are very few people around. this would normally be, like any other town or city centre at this time of night, before the people heading home after the shops have closed, people heading in ready for a night out. many bars and restau ra nts. for a night out. many bars and restaurants. this is a tourist hotspot as well. there are other businesses as well who are coming up with ways today to sell some of their stock. many food businesses have lots of perishable stock. this cafe addressed want at tables outselling all of its goods that we re outselling all of its goods that were going to go out of date, and also all of its easter stock, all

being sold for half price. it was offering teas and coffees for free nhs staff. tourists will know betty's tea rooms here, that has beenin betty's tea rooms here, that has been in darkness all day. another restau ra nt been in darkness all day. another restaurant that would have been welcoming people through its doors tonight for a meal. speaking to some people who are concerned about the number of people on the roads. i drove over here from hull, where i live, and the road seem to be like any other saturday leaving the city. there has been an emerging concern today about the number of people who have gone to the east coast resorts, the resorts of bridlington and skegness are said to have been packed today with people in the cafe is an arcade. it has pumped it so much concerned that politicians have raised this on twitter, and the lincolnshire lease and crime commissioner, markjones, has issued an urgent appeal. he said it was time for people to be socially

responsible, or be made to be. the ca rava n responsible, or be made to be. the caravan site and arcades had to be closed, he set. the nhs cannot be facing thousands of visitors on top of its own residence that it has to support. there is concern has been raised at a high level. there are concerns that people are not heeding this warning and the advice to state home. 0k, thank you. in italy, nearly 800 people have died within the last 2a hours, bringing the total of deaths there to 4,825. a lockdown to limit the spread has been in place for weeks. now tougher measures have been introduced, which stop people visiting parks, playgrounds or public gardens. sima kotecha reports from rome. no children, just empty playgrounds in rome's largest park.

even tougher rules coming into force today say people cannot go into them to try to curb the outbreak. here for several weeks, schools have already been closed. the only noises that you can hear are the bells, you know, the church bells. which is nice. but the other noise is the ambulances. the only two noises here. in lombardy, the worst affected region, teachers say some children felt lost without personal contact but virtual lessons are helping. the reality has been taken away from them. being able to give them reality through a computer has been particularly important. how do you feel about the coronavirus? thumbs down? one parent in rome tells us she is

worried about the psychological impact of the outbreak will have on the young. he is having nightmares. he is having nightmares? yes, i don't know if it is connected but he is having nightmares about spiders most nights. he said he is not worried because he is brave. you are brave, you seem very brave and you look very brave. nobody has lived through times like this before. the spaces may be smaller, but as ever, everybody is learning to adapt. sima kotecha, bbc news, rome. we can speak live now to irene tinagli, mep for northwest italy, representing the lombardy region, which has been worst hit by the coronavirus. she's been in quarantine for the last three weeks. first of all, how are you? i am fine. but of course i am worried

because this emergency keeps going and although the growth rate is less, you know, not as tough as it was a few days ago, but with the death toll increasing every day, but this is very worrying. death toll has been shocking today, so many more have died. is this something that people were prepared for, or has it taken people by shock? nobody was prepared for a tragedy of this magnitude. at the very beginning, people thought it would be a bad virus, obviously worse than the flue, but nobody expected this kind of death toll. so now many people are starting to really get scared. the streets are completely deserted. of course, there are people sometimes in line for groceries but

the situation is obviously very serious. although the towns which we re serious. although the towns which were quarantined first in those areas, the contagion has stopped. so this is a good sign that may be, in a week or so, even in the areas right now that most affected, that it could be decreasing. so that is what we all hope. that is one glimmer of hope. this is a question that people have asked repeatedly, why do you think the situation has been so bad in italy, and particularly in lombardy, the area you represent? of course, doctors and scientists are looking into this because definitely it is a much more severe situation that they would expect. it has got much better in smaller towns that went through quarantine much earlier than the rest of lombardy. we have been in quarantine for less than two weeks. the problem is it is a very dense

and industrial place, so factories have not been shutdown, so many people kept going to work. the subways, public transportation, if you went in the morning or the evening, there were still many people going to work. it is possible that this didn't help. we chose to close everything in the retail sector, the shops and restaurants, but we chose not to shutdown the industries because it would mean shutting down the whole country. but this is a debate that is ongoing. so it has been said that the uk is several weeks behind italy. what advice would you have for the uk? takeit advice would you have for the uk? take it very seriously. don't hesitate to lockdown, especially in the areas that are more easy to

lockdown, as we did in several towns. they responded very well. in a couple of weeks, the contagion decreased and disappeared. it is more difficult for large metropolitan areas. the first thing is to try and lockdown as much as you can. the second advice, protect your doctors. you are going to have problems with a shortage of doctors. 10% of our people affected our doctors and nurses. now we have a shortage, and this is a drama. it is desperate. so be very careful in protecting your doctors and nurses. 0k, we will have to leave it there. thank you for talking to us. let's take a look at what is happening elsewhere. in spain, there's been a big rise in the number of coronavirus—related deaths — up by a third in a day. more than 1,320 people have now died there — behind only iran, china and italy.

400 british tourists are at risk of being stranded in peru after the government there said its borders would be sealed tomorrow — with no more planes allowed in or out. foreign secretary dominic raab says he's asking peruvian authorities to lift restrictions so rescue flights could bring people home. meanwhile, the government is stressing that there is more than enough food to go round and people have no need to stockpile. the environment and food secretary, george eustice, said people should think of others, especially health workers who needed to shop at the end of their gruelling shifts. 0ur political correspondent nick eardley has this report. it is a sight many of us have got used to over the last few days. queues of shoppers this morning, people waiting to stock up on food and supplies. anotherfamiliar scene inside,

empty shelves, which have meant some of us haven't been able to get the essentials. so this afternoon, a plea from the government — don't buy more than you need. be responsible when you go shopping and think of others. buying more than you need means that others may be left without and it is making life more difficult for those front line workers such as doctors and nurses and nhs support staff who are working so hard in such difficult circumstances. you just need to stop it. people like dawn, the critical care nurse who found shelves empty after 40 hours of work. we should all be ashamed that has to happen, it is unacceptable. these are the very people we will all need to look after perhaps us or our loved ones in the weeks ahead. there is thought to be £1 billion more food in people's houses now compared to three weeks ago. the reasons, though, aren't always simple. my mum is 90 so she cannot come on her own, so how does it work?

if i come i look like i am the person who is taking the stuff from the old people, when my mum cannot come out to get it. chaotic and a bit strange. come here and there is nothing available. although the supermarket shelves may look empty, the message from industry chiefs is there is enough to go round. there is plenty of food in the supply chain, the issue is around people and lorries. so getting the food right into the front line, onto our shelves, which is why we have seen shortages in some areas. the government has relaxed some rules for supermarkets. many of the pleas that have been made so far have fallen on deaf ears. is the government prepared to intervene at some point and perhaps introduce compulsory limits on what people can buy? i don't think it is necessary or appropriate for the government

to dictate this. different stores in different items working together to identify what an appropriate limit is. for now, the pleas continue, but the question is whether they are enough. nick eardley, bbc news. i people heeding the message not to stockpile? de tannoy was going out saying you could only buy three items. people were taking what they could. i sell people with a bag under each arm of toilet roll. there was no pasta or rice. no fresh meat 01’ was no pasta or rice. no fresh meat or tens of anything. it is mother's day tomorrow. the mothers day flowers are unattached because a lot of people will not see their parents tomorrow because they are worried about transmitting it to elderly relatives. speaking to people who

are worried about their shopping, there is a realfeeling of concern. i spec to a lady who cannot get out of her house. she has been doing the shopping for all of them. she was in tea rs shopping for all of them. she was in tears because she said i really, really worried about the situation. there are lots of people feeling that at the moment. 0ther there are lots of people feeling that at the moment. other people i saying, thank goodness i got some chocolate for the weekend. there is that message of not panic buying. i was speaking to an assistant as well and what they are finding is that if they keep things behind the counter, people, if they don't need them one to four boxes are five boxes. people who do need them can't get them, so they are keeping things under the counter right now. she was finding people were being really greedy.

there is some hope that the initial stockpiling and panic buying that people are doing may subside over time as people understand that there is enough food as it is being stressed repeatedly. there may be less choice, but there is enough food. supermarkets are working more closely together now. they are also relaxing the delivery hours that delivery vans can go to the supermarket. there are factories working day and night to produce all the stuff that they can. there is no shortage of food coming in, it is just the fear of people going in and sweeping everything into their trolley. with fresh food, you can't just buy loads. some peoplejust need to be a bit more sensible. many

thanks. in the united states, a number of states have ordered shutdowns — with one in five americans soon set to be under a "stay at home" order. than 19,500 people. and within the past hour, president trump has said that us has agreed new measures with the leaders canada and mexico to control non essential travel across its northern and southern borders. we have also reached agreements with canada and mexico on new travel rules at our northern and southern borders to halt the entry of the chinese virus while continuing trade and commerce. and we have had very good talks with prime minister trudeau and today, this morning, with president lopez 0brador. we talked aboutjoint measures that we are taking to prevent the spread of the virus in our country and to temporarily suspend nonessential travel. we had a great conversation

this morning with the president of mexico and our canada will keep our people healthy, keep their people healthy, keep everybody safe. well in china, officials say there have been no locally transmitted cases of covid—19 in the country for three consecutive days. there is a feeling there that the coronavirus emergency appears to be under control. people in beijing are finally heading outdoors, as our china correspondent stephen mcdonell reports.

countries around the world are going through a coronavirus emergency, but in china people have been living it for months. more and more people are busting out of their houses.

when you talk to people here, one thing that strikes you is that for many of them, despite the early cover—ups, there seems to be a belief that once the national government got involved, that the authorities would find a way through this crisis.

that report by our china correspondent. tributes have been paid to the country singer, kenny rogers, who has died aged 81. best known for hits such as coward of the county and the gambler, he had 20 number ones in the us country charts. david silltoe has more. # baby when i met you, there was peace unknown. # i set out to get you with a fine tooth comb. # i was soft inside. # there was something... my mum said it very well one day. she said, "that boy never worked a day in his life. "all he ever did was sing."

he'd grown up in houston, one of eight children in a poor family in the city's housing projects. # there are people leading people... he'd started out singing close harmony and then turned to jazz. this is him playing bass. after that came folk... # ifound my mind in a brown paper bag... but his breakthrough was ‘60s psychedelia in the band the first edition. but the future was a country—tinged song of theirs about a korean veteran. when the band folded... # ruby... ..kenny rogers went solo. # don't take your love to town... # you've got to know when to hold them... ruby, lucille, coward of the county, the gambler — few country stars have crossed over with such success. # there'll be time enough for counting. # when the dealing's done...

there were always those who doubted his country credentials, but who needs the purists when you've got the mansion? 0ffstage, he'd had five marriages, a serious tennis habit, an interior design firm... # it's kenny rogers' roasters! ..and a chain of chicken restaurants. # islands in the stream. # that is what we are. # no one in between. # how can we be wrong?...# but, really, it was all about the music. from jazz and folk to the country duet that topped them all. # from one lover to another, ah—ha # and you can find out more about the symptoms of coronavirus and how to protect yourself

against it on the bbc news app and on our website — just search for bbc news. it has been another dry day for most parts of the country. we have had more cloud for northern ireland and thatis more cloud for northern ireland and that is because we have a very weak weather front close by. that should move away in the next 24—hour is. that pushes some patchy rain into the north and west of scotland. some more cloud for the east coast. that won't avoid frost for most. we are looking at —4 and —5 in the far north. this low cloud for the east coast of england and eastern scotla nd coast of england and eastern scotland should lift throughout the day. we should see more... it won't feel as chilly as it has done today.

similarly so as we go into monday and tuesday although we do have a weather front approaching the north of scotland, so some wetter and windier weather here. hello this is bbc news. the headlines: more beds, ventilators and thousands of extra staff will be made available from next week, after a deal between nhs england and the nation's independent hospitals. another 53 people with coronavirus have died in england, bringing the total of deaths in the country to 220. the death toll in italy has seen another dramatic rise — 793 people have died in the last 24 hours from coronavirus. it's by far the worst single—day total worldwide since the pandemic began. there's been a dramatic rise in the number of deaths in spain too —

an increase of more than 300, bringing the total to more than 1,300. a senior british government minister has appealed for people to be responsible when shopping — it's estimated £1 billion worth of extra food has been stockpiled. now on bbc news, time for the sport. good evening. a pretty powerful statement from athletics' us governing body today — they're calling for the olympics to be postponed. with just over four months to go until the start of the games, pressure is mounting on organisers to make a decision. usa track and field chief executive max siegel has written a letter to the us olympic and paralympic committee, saying, "we certainly understand the ramifications of this request but the alternative of moving forward in light of the current global situation would not be in the best interest of our athletes, as difficult as that

decision might be." well, earlier, ispoke to olympic hopeful and usa track and field board member wallace spearmom, who says postponing the games wouldn't be ideal, but acknowledges that the coronavirus pandemic is bigger than sport. i have my first chance of making the elphick team in 2004. i finished with a bronze medal which was taken away. in 2012, ifinished in fourth. in 2016, i got hurt. this is my last chance to make an olympic games but it doesn't change any thoughts i have. i would never look back on this moment and wish something else would happen if we can save lives, andi would happen if we can save lives, and i don't get a chance to redeem myself at the games, it is still worth it. i don't care, it is bigger than me. they had my chance, i should have done a betterjob. everything happens for a reason. so