this is bbc news. the headlines: the national health service could soon be overwhelmed if people don't practice social distancing to tackle coronavirus. that's the warning from the british prime minister. london's mayor urges people to act responsibly. u nless unless people stay—at—home, unless people stop using public transport, u nless people stop using public transport, unless people stop interacting with each other, more people will die. borisjohnson urges people to "make the heroic and collective national effort" to slow the spread of the virus. he cautions against visiting loved ones on mother's day. nhs england writes to 1.5 million people, who are most at risk, strongly advising them not to go out for 12 weeks, to protect themselves. spain reports nearly 400 more

deaths from coronavirus. that's up by a third in 2a hours. the country's state of emergency has been extended by 15 days. holland sees a 16% rise in confirmed cases of coronavirus. the death toll has gone up by 43 since yesterday. in india, more than a billion people have been asked to observer a m hour—long curfew to try to limit the epidemic. and in america one in five people are ordered to stay at home, as state authorities struggle to control the pandemic. hello, and welcome to viewers in the uk and around the world. the british prime minister borisjohnson has warned that

unless the public starts to practise "social distancing" more effectively, then hospitals here will soon be overwhelmed by the coronavirus. he urged people not to visit their parents on mothers‘ day because of the dangers to elderly relatives. nhs england is to contact 1.5 million people at greatest risk to tell them they must self—isolate for 12 weeks. the number of people who've died in the uk from coronavirus has risen to 240, with seven new deaths in wales reported this morning. there are more than 5,000 confirmed cases. the world health organization has told the bbc it will take at least a year to develop a vaccine against the virus. globally, more than 300,000 people are confirmed to have been infected with the virus, and more than 13,000 have died. spain, one of the worst affected countries, has just extended its state of emergency for another two weeks as their death

toll rises by nearly 400 in a day. we'll have reports from around the world over the next half an hour, but first, simonjones reports on the situation in the uk. the streets across this country are 110w the streets across this country are now quieter. this followed increasingly urgent calls from the government for people to stay at home. even the churches are closed, and this is mothering sunday. and 110w and this is mothering sunday. and now the government is implementing even more stringent measures to protect 1.5 million people who are most at risk. effectively putting them into a 12 week lockdown. most at risk. effectively putting them into a 12 week lockdownm most at risk. effectively putting them into a 12 week lockdown. if you are one of these individuals, i understand you will be very worried and we would not have done this lightly. we are doing this because it is absolutely critical to save lives. at the same time, we will be setting out to them how we will help them, so they might be staying at home for a long time, but they should not feel alone. the 1.5

million people who will receive letters or text messages in the coming days include those who have organ transplants, or who have severe respiratory conditions, cystic fibrosis, or specific cancers. the advice is for them not to go out for 12 weeks. also, not to have any gatherings of friends or families, nor shopping, leisure have any gatherings of friends or families, norshopping, leisure or travel. meanwhile, there is still concern about how seriously people who are healthy are taking advice to keep at least two metres apart from each other. what is described as social distancing. in london, the police are expected to be given extra powers. the emergency bill that will go through parliament next week will give additional powers to the police and others to enforce the law. i am not somebody who says these things lightly, but i am quite clear that, unless people stay at

people stop using public transport, u nless people stop using public transport, unless people stop interacting with each other, more people will die. to add to the challenge now facing the country, some nhs staff say they have now lee mack are still received the protective equipment they need, such as masks, to stop their patients being infected. the way we work in the nhs is, i think, adding to the problem. it is notjust that we are infecting staff, those staff are leaving, they are taking public transport, the train, the tube trains are packed when they do run, there is no way to socially distance there is no way to socially distance the health care workers, who are not rich enough to travel by taxi, and so we are rich enough to travel by taxi, and so we are spreading this virus more and more. the fear is that the rapid infection rate in italy, which has overwhelmed the health services there, leaving 800 people dead on saturday alone, could be replicated

here. and, at the moment, there is nothing which can stop the virus spreading. i think we have to be realistic. vaccines take a long time to develop. tests, make them safe, prove they are effective, and then produce enough for everybody. it is a very long process. we have to be very careful. this vaccine will be given to potentially billions of people and we have to make sure that it is absolutely safe, and that it does good, not harm. we are talking at least a year. they hope has to be that the increasingly stringent measures 110w that the increasingly stringent measures now being implemented will slow the spread of the disease. there have been lots of questions about a vaccine and how quickly can one be developed. speaking to the andrew marr programme, dr michael ryan, executive director of the world health organization, urged caution, warning that the process could be a long one.

i think we have to be realistic. vaccines take a lot of time to develop, test, make them safe, prove that they are effective, and then you have got to produce enough vaccine for everybody. that is a very long process. we have to be very long process. we have to be very careful, this vaccine will be given to potentially billions of people and we have to make sure that it is absolutely safe and that it does good, not harm. we are talking at least a year. but that doesn't mean that we are helpless. we can do a lot to stop this disease right now, and we can a lot to stop this disease right 110w, and we can save a a lot to stop this disease right now, and we can save a lot of lives right now. we will work hard on the vaccine, they will come, but we need to get down and do what we need to do now. so with no vaccine on the immediate horizon, the focus is on stopping the disease spreading. in the uk, measures to promote social distancing and self—isolation have been ramped up. our health editor hugh pym's with me now.

what is the guidance for the general population? for the general population, if you want to go for a walk this afternoon, that is fine. there is no rule that says you can't leave your home. but, be sensible. the advice is go and have a walk, but don't get into a large cluster of people. avoid gatherings in any public place. if you meet somebody who you know, fine, have a chat, but observe that to me to rule. as well, of course, public places should be enclosed, and nonessential public transport is to be avoided. so go out, but be critically careful about what you are going to do and he will talk to. we have got these 1.5 million people who the nhs will write to this week. who are they? these are people with serious health conditions. it could be certain cancers, leukaemia, those who need dialysis. it is an instruction to

stay at home for 12 weeks. the nhs will be in contact to advise how that can be managed, and food will be delivered, and all that sort of thing. that is a very specific group of people. there is a wider group of people with health conditions, that could be, for example, diabetes, a respiratory issue, parkinson's, where the advice is go with the general population guidance, but to be particularly careful. don't stop for a chat with people you don't know. get some fresh air, but stay at home. and that applies as well to the over 70s. let's touch on one practical thing, which more than one person has had to be in the last few days, they are confused. this is a virus, so we know there is no vaccine, there is no obvious way of stopping it, and yet we are also being told we need to be rubbing surfaces with wipes and doing that kind of thing. why? the virus is thought to survive on a hard plastic service, it could be a rail and

public transport, a door handle. that's why they have to be disinfected. if they are disinfected, that is effective, but also the advice is go and wash your hands, never mind what disinfectant has been applied. 0n hands, never mind what disinfectant has been applied. on a softer surface, or cardboard with a home delivery, it is generally thought not to survive very long. so it is fine to have food delivered to your house based on that guidance. part of the advice, particular for people who might be potentially vulnerable, is presumably about the capacity of the nhs to treat people who already have coronavirus, whether they have to be hospitalised, and not to be overwhelmed by the numbers who might otherwise be coming in for that kind of treatment. how worried are officials in nhs england about the risk of being overwhelmed by the number of people, if we don't take this seriously? one of the reasons for the advice, for example particularly for the elderly, those who are maybe a bit over the age of 70, is to be especially vigilant with these social contacts, to avoid

the risk of picking up the virus, and then needing to go to hospital. much older members of the population are more vulnerable and are more likely to need hospital treatment and yes, the nhs is worried about what is coming down the track. it could be a surge in patients in a matter of weeks, and preparations are being made, more intensive care beds are being created at hospitals. all nonurgent surgery is being stopped, a deal is being done with the private sector for stopped, a deal is being done with the private sectorfor 8000 beds there, so there are preparations, but some doctors feel not enough is being done and they are worrying about their own protective equipment. they say it is not arriving, the government says they are getting it out to the front line but it has not arrived in some places. so there is nervousness about what is to come. thank you. let me bring you some breaking news. this is from scotland. scotland nhs has confirmed that there are three further deaths in scotland since yesterday. the

number of confirmed cases of coronavirus has risen to 416, an increase of 43 since yesterday when there were 373 positive tests. so thatis there were 373 positive tests. so that is the picture provided by the scottish government. they are released daily around this time, so you will have heard me saying this before. and we do have an update coming from nicola sturgeon within about the next 20 minutes, or so. we will keep an eye across the lines from scotland and bring it to you as soon as we get it here on bbc news. 0ne soon as we get it here on bbc news. one more bit of breaking news, this is about the airline, emirates. that it will be ending flights from wednesday of this week, it will suspend all passenger flights from wednesday, march 25. no end date to that for obvious reasons, but that is the latest update on that.

spain has doubled the current 15—day state of emergency as its death toll rose by nearly 400 in the past 24 hours. italy's prime minister, giueseppe conte, has announced a new set of lockdown measures which edge closer to shutting down the entire country. more than 4,800 people have now died in italy. freya cole reports. singing. they are the delivery drivers working in lombardy, italy's worst hit region. rallying his colleagues, the worker belts out a tune, encouraging them to keep going. day by day, italy's lockdown is growing more severe. in the lombardy region alone, exercising outside has been banned. the use of vending machines, forbidden. and for the rest of the country, the prime minister has ordered all nonessential factories

and businesses to close. translation: we are slowing down the country's productive engine, but we're not stopping it. it's not an easy decision, but a decision that allows us to face the most acute phase of the contagion. it's not yet clear what factories will close but supermarkets, pharmacies, post offices and banks will remain open. public transport will continue to run. but the strict new measures will span across all of the country, as a desperate attempt to slow the spread of the disease. on saturday alone, italy recorded nearly 800 coronavirus deaths. translation: i believe we have now taken all measures we are able to take before effectively shutting down the entire country. but i ask myself, how will we live?

and how will we be able to sustain ourselves if we are no longer able to shop for food, and if supplies are not able to make it to our supermarkets? spain is also in a race to save lives. authorities in madrid are working frantically to build a makeshift hospital inside a large exhibition centre. already, intensive care units are struggling to cope. more beds are needed, and they're needed fast. around the world, more than 300,000 people have tested positive for the virus. scientists are developing and testing possible vaccines, but as it stands, there is no cure and it's putting every health system under immense strain. freya cole, bbc news. the indian government has put the country under curfew for 14 hours — the prime minister, narendra modi, says it'll test the country's ability to take tough measures to tackle

the coronavirus crisis. as part of the precautions indian railways have cancelled passenger trains till the end of march. so far there have been 315 confirmed cases in india — and four deaths. as has happened in other countries around the world, at an agreed time, people stood at balconies or near windows to show appreciation for healthworkers on the front lines of this crisis. this video is from delhi, it was recorded by an indianjournalist this video is from delhi, it was recorded by an indian journalist and shejoins me now. thank you for being with us, and thank you very much for the pictures. let's start with what has been the effect on daily life in delhi in the last few weeks of the coronavirus? actually, the past week has been quite an

unsettling week for all of us in india because i think it is in the past one week where the enormity of coronavirus has hit home and people have actually begun to take it seriously. the majority of offices declared a work from home policy, and people in any case were being fed information bit by bit, that these are the measures that the government has taken. a lot needed to be done, and as we are told we are ramping up our testing slightly, but the indian government has its own reasoning for not taking it to the level of germany or south korea. but people have now begun to take it seriously. we had some individual states doing their own measures. for

example, i think i am right in saying that delhi initially closed schools, but other parts of the country didn't. is there a sense now that there is a national decision—making process under way, that the government is really directing things, or is it still very much the states pursuing their own approach to dealing with the problem? i think the sense is that central government has put its force behind dealing with the pandemic, and at the moment as we speak, at least 75 districts are under lockdown. different states have announced measures to deal with the cases, with the loss of livelihood because of lockdown is. but the indian government has also taken very strict measures. how strongly are they being observed? well, in

india, policies look better on paper than on the ground. i feel a lot of blame has to lie with people. for example, the prime minister had categorically said that social distancing needs to be maintained and yes, under the lockdown today, where the civil curfew started at 7am this morning, there were hardly any people out on the roads, and everything was shut, and at 5pm, people did express their appreciation for the front workers, but there were reports coming in from all across the country that people had actually started gathering in that celebratory mood. but i don't really blame the people because there is misinformation, there is a huge, i would say,

network of pseudoscience information that the government is finding it difficult to control. even the ministers are putting out a tweet saying that you do not have to believe in all the mumbojumbo messages. indeed, it is a problem around the world. one of the disadvantages perhaps of social media, how quickly these can spread. thank you forjoining us from delhi. so let's take a look at what's happening in other countries around the world. in a moment, we'll hear from our correspondents in paris and los angeles, but first here's laura bicker in seoul, in south korea, where they seem to have dramatically slowed down the spread of the virus. here in south korea, despite having the worst outbreak in asia outside mainland china, there have been no restrictions on movement, there has been no lockdown. but today, the government has set out an urgent

message saying that people should stop gathering in places like churches and karaoke holes, places like nightclubs where we have seen people gathering in large groups. they are worried about one thing. complacency. they fear that now the outbreak appears to be under control, people will stop isolating themselves, stop the social distancing, and that could potentially spread the virus. so, how has south korea managed to see a decrease in the number of cases? they are credited to two things. first, this aggressive use of technology. you get these alerts on your phone which tell you exactly where the virus has been. so if it has been a nearby shop, or a building, then you know that perhaps you have been near an infected person and you need to get tested. then, of course, there is the drive—through testing, the mass testing. they have tested over 3000 people in the last few weeks. the

government is warning that this will bea government is warning that this will be a prolonged war against the virus, but they are urging action for the next 15 days in the hope that they can get schools open, and try to get life back to normal as much as possible. sunday morning, in a provincial town hundred miles south of paris, and it is slightly surprising to see the sunday market in operation as usual, with people coming in to buy their supplies of fresh food. when you look closely, it is rather different from the norm because there is a police checkpoint as you come in, some people are wearing masks, and they are certainly keeping their distance one from the other, and in general it is much, much quieter. the rules in the countryside are exactly the same as in french cities. confinement at home is compulsory, enforced here by the police, and in general, people seem to be respecting it. of course, excursions are allowed for food and for medicines, and here in the

countryside, because of distances involved, that generally means by car. indeed, the big difference between the city and the countryside is just that. here, between the city and the countryside isjust that. here, there between the city and the countryside is just that. here, there are gardens, there are fields, farming life is going on as usual, and in general, the psychological pressure from compulsory confinement is much, much lower. iam in much lower. i am in los angeles, where shopping malls like this one are virtually deserted. almost every store here is in darkness. this is america ‘s most populous state. 40 million people live here, and they have been told to stay at home. the businesses have been ordered by the state government to shut down, and people are, by and large, abiding by that. the roads are still quite busy, and that's because a lot of people are still getting out over the weekend to do grocery shopping. they are queueing outside some shops, maintaining that social distancing. inside, they are

finding that the food stores are still reasonably well stocked. the farmers markets in particular seem to be full of fresh fruit and vegetables, which people are making the most of. the big concern here is, like everywhere, how long is this going to go on for, and so many people now are living without a wage. a lot of people are abiding by the new movement regulations, in big pa rt the new movement regulations, in big part because of what the government of california said the other day —— governor. he said 50% of people living in california could be infected over the next six weeks by the coronavirus. at 4:10pm we will get the latest from downing street on the government's efforts to combat coronavirus. you can watch the news conference live on bbc one, and on the bbc news channel, so do stay with us for that.

some breaking news coming from new york from the mayor, who has announced that there are now over 8000 infections in new york city. as almost a third of the known cases. we expect to hear later from washington with the daily update from the president. another bit of news, a reminder, that emirates airlines have confirmed that they will be ending passenger flights, suspending passengerflights, will be ending passenger flights, suspending passenger flights, from wednesday 25th of march. 0bviously no date as yet as to when that might end. and an update from scotland, because we will hear from the first minister, nicola sturgeon in the next few minutes, we expect. the scottish government releases about this time every day an update on its figures. it has reported three

further death since yesterday. it has had an increase of 43 cases since yesterday. that is your latest news. you are watching bbc news. now, as we're warned not to visit elderly relatives on mother's day, some businesess are preparing to miss out on their usual sales as more customers avoid going into shops. those businesses with an online presence are expected to fare better but a tough time ahead is expected for the retail and catering sectors. here's our business correspondent katy austin. sending their love from a locked down care home on this strangest of mother's stays, families are having to stay in touch online. and people have not been shopping for their usual gifts either. with no walk—in customers, this lady has pushed her mail order cake hits instead, and taken on staff who lost theirjobs elsewhere to deliver them.|j taken on staff who lost theirjobs elsewhere to deliver them. i have sold more than double what i

normally would, which is incredible because if i do have to close for a couple of weeks, and i am 0k because if i do have to close for a couple of weeks, and i am ok with that. if i have to close for longer, that. if i have to close for longer, that i don't know what the situation is going to be. restaurants, tea rooms and pubs are now shut, losing any mother's day bookings which had not cancelled. even some florists have had a diet week. this year, out of the 34 years that i have had my own business, this is the worst mother's day ever. ever. why is that? people are thinking about food more than flowers. everyone is panicking. people are panicking. the shops and businesses who sell all sorts of gifts and cards, mother's day is normally a boom time. because of the pandemic, there are just a few people out there shopping on high streets, and there is a big shift to buying things online for delivery instead. but it is thought that still won't make up for an overall drop in the amount customers have spent. this chocolate chain has

temporarily closed, and shifted staff to online in the run—up to mother's day. shops up and down the country are seeing a broad reduction in football, but are seeing a marked 100% plus increase in shopping online. does the online increase make upfor online. does the online increase make up for the loss of physical sales ? make up for the loss of physical sales? not wholly, no. it offsets it. right now, being online is a big advantage than ever. firms who are reliant on people coming into their shops or venues face an unhappy mother's day. now it's time for a look at the weather with nick miller. good afternoon. very little changing with our weather throughout the rest of the day, so more sunshine for many. still a chilly breeze, notably for the east coast and south, although not as strong as yesterday. it will feel a little less chilly out and about. more sunshine for

northern ireland. 0vernight, the cloud will close and once again, critically for the north and west, preventing a frost largely here as we switch our wind direction to the south. for most, with light winds under starry skies, it will be cold with temperatures falling to —4 in some countryside areas. they could be some missed first thing, but otherwise an abundance of sunshine follows what england and wales. more high cloud for the bulk of northern ireland, hazy sunshine and that's where the front close by. the rain holding off until after dark. it will be with us for the north and west of scotland. more detail on those warnings online, but for england and wales, the fine weather last into next week.

hello this is bbc news with shaun ley. the headlines... the national health service could soon be "overwhelmed"