16 or 17 degrees. looking further ahead, more sunshine to come across england and wales, always more in the way of cloud in northern ireland and scotland. calls for more clarity, after the government declares a ‘national emergency‘ over coronavirus — and brings in drastic rules to keep people at home. i hope that people will follow this advice and if for any reason they don't, penalties are there. but there's confusion about which businesses are considered essential — and can stay open. the tokyo olympics and paralympics are postponed for one year, after mounting international pressure. pharmacies appeal to people not to stockpile medicines, as they report a big increase in customers. and hundreds of thousands of british citizens travelling abroad are urged by the foreign office to come home,

before more air routes are closed. good afternoon. the government has sought to clarify the tough new restrictions introduced last night, to curb the spread of coronavirus. the prime minister declared a "national emergency" and ordered everyone to stay home, and follow strict rules. you can only leave your home for very limited purposes, such as shopping for basic neccessities like food and medicine. you can go outside for one form of exercise each day, either alone or with members of your household. you can leave home for any medical need or to care for a vulnerable person. and finally, you can travel to and from work,

but only where absolutely necessary, and if you cannot work from home. and in the past few minutes — downing street say you could be fined £30 for breaching the measures — but that could rise significantly. borisjohnson gave the orders as the number of people in the uk who have died from the virus reached 335 — and the number of cases rose above 6,500. here's lauren moss with our first report. britain is beginning a new life behind closed doors. sweeping new measures to stop people mixing with each other and spreading the coronavirus are now in place across the uk, banning gatherings of more than two people and asking us to only leave home when it's absolutely necessary. we want to make sure that the reinfection rate goes down, that we slow the spread of the virus, because it's absolutely critical for making sure that our nhs is in the strongest

position possible to restrict the spread, and that means restricting social contact and following the advice the government have put forward. what are the new rules, then? no—one should go out unless it is to shop for essentials, as infrequently as possible, to exercise once a day — either a walk, run or bike ride. if there is a medical need or to help the vulnerable person, and to travel to and from work, but only if that work can't be done from home. police officers will be given powers to break up groups and fine anyone ignoring the advice. the aim here is to get people to comply with these new rules so that we reduce the level of contamination, and that's ultimately the aim. but if people are not compliant after a warning, then there will be fines and potentially prosecutions, and that is all being worked through in the legislation. weddings are cancelled, funerals can continue, but mourners must stay two metres apart.

playgrounds are closed, but parks are staying open. no prime minister wants to enact measures like this, i know the damage that this disruption is doing and will do to people's lives, to their businesses and to theirjobs. and that's why we've produced a huge and unprecedented programme of support, both for workers and for business. and, i can assure you, that we will keep these restrictions under constant review. so how are people adjusting to their new routines? i can't say it is unexpected, we were expecting lockdown for a while, simply because people haven't been taking it seriously. my first reaction is genuinely relief. i think this is a measure that probably needed to be taken a week ago. three weeks — that's decent. i mean, that's going to really disrupt some lives, but that's obviously what we need to do to try and beat this. i welcome the lockdown, but i think the lockdown is a reflection of a wanton

disregard for the safety of other people. despite the strict steps we've all been told to take, some tube trains in london were still packed this morning, moving front line workers to make their own plea to the public. we will look after your relatives with care and love, but i do not want to be overwhelmed by tears in a loo at work because somebody sends me a picture today of people queueing unsafely. this is going to be hard enough as it is. what we need you to do is to make sure that every person in this country sits down this morning before they leave the house, reads the guidance. non—emergency operations are being counselled to free up beds, and now one hospital's postponing chemotherapy and outpatient appointments for at least two weeks because of an increase in patients with covid—19. the new restrictions will be reviewed in three weeks' time. we are warned that more lives will be lost as we work our way through this national emergency. lauren moss, bbc news.

let's take a look at some of the other latest developments in the uk and around the world. transport for london has temporaily suspended construction on tfl and crossrail sites. mobile networks sent a government message to all customers telling to them to stay at home — with details of the new shutdown measures. and the chancellor rishi sunak says the government are looking to roll out a similar scheme for freelancers to the one announced last week to pay employees 80% of their wages. around the world, the summer olympics in tokyo have been postponed until 2021. the death toll has risen in spain by 514 — the worst day so far for the country. but positive news in wuhan, the centre of the outbreak, officials have started

to ease the lockdown. we've heard that essential businesses are allowed to remain open — including supermarkets, chemists and banks. but there are still questions aboutjust what does — or should — constitute "essential" work. one of britain's biggest builders, taylor wimpey, has said it's closing its sites. our business correspondent sarah corker reports. shopping centres and retail parks across the uk now largely off—limits. at this site in north manchester, just four out of 35 stores providing vital supplies are allowed to stay open. i am just asking people what essential things you've been buying today? milk. food for my 87—year—old mother. potatoes. stuff that will be stable in the fridge, it is ok there,

it is nice and calm and nobody is panic buying. last night, nonessential retailers were ordered to close. including clothing shops, hairdressers, hotels and electronic stores. the government will pay 80% of wages and today the chancellor has promised more support for the self—employed. but, he admitted there are difficulties. we absolutely understand the situation that many self—employed people face at the moment as a result of what is happening and we are determined to find a way to support them, we just need to be confident that it is done in a way that is deliverable and fair to the vast majority of the british workforce. on the list of vital retailers allowed to remain open include supermarkets and food shops, pharmacies, petrol stations, newsagents, pet shops, home and hardware stores, post offices and banks. online orders and deliveries will continue. construction work can carry on if workers stay two metres apart.

i think it is important that when we have construction work going on, in a way that can be done safely, in the open air, on new sites that that does continue. but, transport for london has taken the decision to temporarily suspend work on crossrail and other sites. there has been some confusion among businesses. this morning, sports direct said it would remain open, as it is uniquely placed to keep the uk fit and healthy. but then the chain did a u—turn, it is clarifying with the government if it is deemed as an essential service. meanwhile, supermarkets continue to face huge demand and are asking the public to be considerate during these extraordinary times. sarah corker, bbc news.

our political correspondent vicky young is at westminster, what are you hearing this afternoon vicky? well, the point about this is that the state is intervening in every single aspect of our lives, something that has never happened before and is proving complicated, not surprisingly. so, they are having to look at all these different aspects of life, whether it is starting off with hospitals and health service going into the economy, but now, getting into real details about things like who is allowed to go to work for example. now, the number ten daily briefing has just been happening, now, the number ten daily briefing hasjust been happening, these are the things that we are learning from it, about fines, if you break these rules about gathering outside in large numbers, those people who you do not live with, who are not in yourfamily. onfinds, regulations will be made as soon as thursday, so from thursday police will have the powers to issue fines starting at £30 and we understand it will very much be based on disbursing groups

of people if people do decide to go out and do that, police will be given discretion on this, it is new for them as well so they will be learning as they go along. lots of questions as we have been hearing about construction workers, the question was asked of the prime minister's visual spokesperson, are construction workers exempt? downing street say no, you can still go to work if you cannot work from home, the idea is that it is not to stop you going to work, it is to make sure that if you do go to work, you must still be allowed to do the social distancing and to explain what that is, that is people staying two metres apart, that still applies, so if you can do that and still go to work, then you can do so. still go to work, then you can do so. other questions coming through about the same thing on building sites, saying that that must apply to building sites as well, the issue in particular in london is that a lot of these construction workers are travelling to work on the london

underground, the mayor of london said that yesterday there was a dispute about this, he thinks that construction sites should be closed down unless they are there for public safety but that has not been the conclusion of those discussions, is another question is, having cut back on the number of tube journeys, the number of tubes running, that is causing overcrowding at peak times, so causing overcrowding at peak times, so there is a discussion under way about whether they can change the timetabling again to make sure that that doesn't happen. so, as i say, all sorts of issues coming through, the compliance on police powers, the regulations will cover england, the welsh government will have their own regulations, we have been hearing from nicola sturgeon, she was saying that she thinks construction sites should close completely and on the issue of schooling. now, we know that schools are still open for the

children of key workers and for vulnerable children, there has been some anxiety about whether too many children were showing up, on the figures for england, downing street are saying that the figures for school attendance was around 10%, thatis school attendance was around 10%, that is in line with what ministers thought beforehand, possibly a bit lower because they do not want people sending their children to school if they don't need to answer guidance from lots of schools has been that if another parent is at home, then those children if possible, should be at home, rather than going to school. then, on a different issue again, very upsetting one for many people which is about funerals because people have talked about funerals, normally it would be a large gathering, they are saying here that immediate can attend funerals, what does that mean? well, they government say they expect families to organise their own discretion, they will be best placed tojudge who own discretion, they will be best placed to judge who was closest to

the deceased, it is a sensitive issue and itjust shows you about very personal areas of life that the state government now is having to make decisions about some of this will have to come down to common sense. you cannot possibly regulate for all of these things, the government is clearly trying to do as much as it can but it will be difficult and in the end people have to look at their lives, look at their own vulnerabilities and make sensible decisions. it is harder if people are being told to go to work by their bosses and they don't want to, ithink by their bosses and they don't want to, i think that will be an issue of contention over the coming days and weeks. the scale of that is enormous, thank you very much for now, i know you will come back to us if you have any more on that. there is so much emerging there from the daily lobby briefing and very interesting in terms of who i'm about to speak to. let's speak now to the former chief constable

for greater manchester police, sir peter fahy. hejoins us from his home in staffordshire. so, police will have the power to levy a £30 fine at the beginning, what are your thoughts on the role of the police in all of this what you have heard so far? what it has to be quite clear that the police... the government is clearly already closing down a number of businesses, facilities opportunities people have the going places and the messages being reinforced, all of this will reinforce the message and make it clear to people that... make the polices job clear to people that... make the policesjob helio clear to people that... make the polices job helio because clear to people that... make the policesjob helio because there is no doubt about it, the police do not wa nt to no doubt about it, the police do not want to get into... i do apologise, we are going to dial out as the line

is poor there, the internet is under pressure at the moment as you will appreciate and we do want to talk to him because the police are so vital in all of this, they will be playing a very important role in these movement restrictions that were announced last night. that was the former chief constable of greater manchester police there and very interesting to hear his perspective on the police role in all of this. let us see if we can re—establish the internet connection to him because it would be good to his opinion. pharmacists are asking people not to stockpile medicine. many chemist shops are reporting a big increase in customers and some are now limiting purchases. the royal pharmaceutical society says stocks are secure, but is urging everyone to show restraint. here's our health correspondent dominic hughes.

it's actually a bit of a tsunami of customers that are wanting almost anything. we're actually short on that, aren't we? the local pharmacist‘s shop is now a key part of the fight against coronavirus, and they're having to adapt to the new world we all now live in. over here, we've constructed a two—metre high perspex screen that gives us some protection from individuals coming into the pharmacy. with gps' surgeries and hospitals already facing huge pressures, more people are turning to pharmacies like this one in north manchester. just keeping up with patient demand is a real challenge — let alone managing fluctuating prices. last week, as soon as there was even an indication that there were going to be shortages in the ingredients from india and china, almost every molecule that you typically use in a pharmacy, almost every product related to that, started to rise in price.

it is tremendously difficult to run a business in this situation, but, in some ways, at least we are able to run the business. it's sometimes easy to forget that community pharmacists like this one form part of the front line of the health—care service, but they are, at the moment, facing unprecedented levels of demand. and that increased demand comes with risks. pharmacist neil denby had to self—isolate after falling ill, although, in the end, his test was negative. i had a patient come in who asked to speak to me, so we went into a consultation room. this person had viral symptoms, upper respiratory tract problems, a cough. now, being a pharmacy, i've got no follow—up on that, so i couldn't tell you if they'd tested positive, and then about a week after that, i started to feel unwell myself. keeping the supply of medicines flowing to those who need them will be vital in the coming months. the message is that stocks

are secure — so don't panic. we've seen what has happened in supermarkets, we don't want to be the next wave of that. so we're really urging everybody, stick to the supplies you have, we'll make sure you get them in due course, but please, please think of others as well. the pressure could be eased by recruiting final—year students and recently retired pharmacists, but even with extra staff, the months ahead will be a real test. dominic hughes, bbc news, north manchester. lets talk now to simon dukes, chief executive of the pharmaceutical services negotiating committee, which represents nhs pharmacy contractors. thank you so much for your time at an exceptionally busy time for eve ryo ne an exceptionally busy time for everyone that you know, that you speakfor, everyone that you know, that you speak for, what stories are you hearing, what is happening within pharmacies up and down the country? they are all under pressure and is

that clip shows, it is unprecedented, community pharmacy teams are with nhs colleagues on the front line and they are keeping their doors open when many others have closed. i think the issue will be, over the coming days, that we will have to reduce some of our opening hours is well within community pharmacies just to regulate the patient flow and keep their medicines are by moving. and is the greater issue in fact that chemists are perhaps overwhelmed by the number of people coming in, it is not always necessarily about supplies, we all know about the big distances we are supposed to be keeping now if we are in a shop or queueing, that is tough to manage. it is and as many viewers will know, community pharmacies are often quite small in terms of premises, that means that we have had patients queueing up the streets, sometimes 15 or 20 metres up the street, in

order to keep the distance and also to keep and regulate the flow within the pharmacy because it is a tight space for both patient safety and also the safety... you mention the safety of the staff, we have heard so much about protective commitment or lack there of in some cases, what are pharmacists themselves and their support staff saying about protective gear? many community pharmacies will tell you that they feel less than supported with the provision of protective equipment, they have only so much and they have been informed that they should wear it not quite as regularly as other front line staff but that is very difficult, we have patients coming m, difficult, we have patients coming in, stories of patients coming into community pharmacies, vast majority being fantastic but others being abusive, hurling abuse and indeed spitting at staff when they haven't been able to get what they want and

that of course is completely unacceptable, it adds to the stress ofan unacceptable, it adds to the stress of an already stressful situation and adds to the risk at community pharmacy staff. that is beyond depressing that you have even experienced that. i don't want to over dramatise what i hope are a minority of cases, but i wonder whether some pharmacists or the people who run them think, we will be quite glad if there is a little bit of police presence on the street and a little more help in that regard. i think that is absolutely right, i know colleagues in northern ireland have already got security personnel at the doors of their community pharmacies and i think it is only a matter of time if this carries on that we will be seeing something similar here in england. and so, though security guards, are they there as much to try and enforce that to metre rule as well though? yes, from a patient safety

perspective, patient flow, but also to make sure that there is not abuse against pharmacists themselves. simon duke sarah, thank you so much. we are going to the commons now. we will provide targeted support for all those who need it so they have the food supplies and medical care to make it through. guided by the experts, we will look at the evidence and continually review the effects of these measures. we are engaged in a great national efforts to beat the virus, everybody now has it in their power to save lives and protect the nhs. home is now the front line. in this national effort, working together, we can defeat this disease. everyone has a part to play andi disease. everyone has a part to play and i commend the statement to the

house. can i thank the secretary of state as always for advanced sight of his statement and as he knows, yesterday we called on the government to move to implementing the enforcement of social distancing measures, the premise is quite right la st measures, the premise is quite right last night took call for people to stay at home. can i put to him a few quick points? this virus thrives on inequalities. it is the most vulnerable, without financial securities who are especially at risk. can i urge him to consider therefore abolishing prescription charges for the duration of this outbreak, especially for those with conditions such as asthma? we are very mindful of the mental health implications of asking people to stay at home and we are also deeply concerned about the potential for domestic violence to increase by asking people to stay at home, can he tell us what support is available on those two fronts in particular? we also need clear and unambiguous

advice around which workers can and cannot go out. we would call for just key workers to be able to go to work, because we have seen for example, sports direct that their workers turn up today. we are hearing of construction works and warehouses insisting that their employees turn up and not implementing social distancing measures. this is putting workers at risk and the lives of all of those at risk. we need clear enforcement. if we are saying to people that they will be fined for leaving their house, why aren't we fining employers if they are insisting that their employees turn up to work when really they should be staying at home? the shadow chancellor will be putting more points to the government about income protection in the debate later today, could i quickly turned to ppe? i understand the efforts that the government has made but there are still nhs staff

saying that they have not got access to adequate ppe. we still have hospital chief executives expressing concern that they do not have access to ffp three masks, are not getting the visors and the sanitisers they need on time and indeed when they do get them, they are different masks from the previous set they have, so they have to retrain staff. i really urge the government to move heaven and earth to get ppe to the front line that our staff need. also, we need ppe and social care, we are beginning to see outbreaks of coronavirus in social care homes, what support is in place of residence of such care homes and when will we get ppe into the social ca re when will we get ppe into the social care sector that we need. enforced social distancing is welcome but is is in many ways a blunt tool without ramping up testing and contact tracing. that is out of the like south korea have managed to suppress

the virus. we are still only testing around 5000 per day, there's not enough community testing, we are not testing enough nhs staff and as the world health organization has instructed the world, test, test, test. leaked e—mails today suggest that the government on sunday was asking research institutions to borrow their testing kits and we call for that, we don't disagree with that, but it also said in those e—mails that the prime minister said that there are no machines available to buy. many of our constituents, indeed nhs staff, will be asking, why didn't we procure machines and kits sooner? on intensive care capacity, there are reports today that the excel centre will be turned into a field hospital at 500 beds, reports today that staffing ratios are being relaxed. we understand that given the demands that we are facing, but if we are setting up more field hospitals, can he tell us what oversight will be and also that of course means that more of our specialist staff will be stretched

further. we understand why, but can't he just us what guidance will be in place, can he update us on how many intensive care beds are open and how many more will be open, how many ventilators we have and how many ventilators we have and how many more will be purchased, how many more will be purchased, how many beds with oxygen we have and what the current capacity is. and then he update house on access to abortion care because of some of the implications of the coronavirus bill, can he assure the house that women who need access to abortion ca re women who need access to abortion care will be able to access it? our constituents are worried and fearful, i hope the secretary of state understands that when we put these questions to him, we are doing so these questions to him, we are doing so because we these questions to him, we are doing so because we want these questions to him, we are doing so because we want that national effort to defeat this virus to succeed. i will go through the a nswe rs succeed. i will go through the a nswers to succeed. i will go through the answers to those questions that he reasonably asks. he asks about the most vulnerable, there is a programme of work under way to ensure that those who need support because they are staying at home,

especially those who are victims of domestic violence get that support, it is incredibly important, incredibly difficult work and that, we are doing what we can there. he asked about prescription charges, only around one fifth of people papers corruption charges, so those who are the least able to pay already get. he asked about sports direct, sports direct sport shops are not essential retail and therefore they will be closed. i have seen a little bit of the noise that has been going around today around sports direct in particular, i would just be absolutely clear that sports kit is not essential over the next three weeks and so we will be closing sports direct as well as other nonessential retail. he asked about fine for corporations as well as individuals. absolutely, those vines are available if

necessary. he asked about protective equipment, quite rightly, having protective equipment for the staff on the front line, especially in the nhs and social care but also in other front line services is very important, we are moving heaven and in earth as he asks and the military involvement is ramping up the delivery of that equipment. he asked specifically about social care and i am glad to say that the current plan is to have protective equipment to all social care settings by the end of this week and then of course, we will have to keep further going and we will put in place at the hotline so that if you are not getting it, call the hotline so that you, we know where the difficulties are in terms of getting it to the front line and so we can respond to those calls and we can get it to you. i feel that very very strongly. he asked about testing, of course, as

we have discussed many times, we are ramping up testing as fast as we can, including buying millions of tests a nd can, including buying millions of tests and my team are currently buying these tests and we will make them available as quickly as possible. he asked about there being no machines ready to buy, i don't recognise that at all and obviously i haven't seen any leak and wouldn't wa nt to i haven't seen any leak and wouldn't want to comment on any leaked e—mails, it is true absolutely that we are bringing testing machines together to provide a more efficient testing system and i am very grateful to the universities who have had these testing machines and have had these testing machines and have put them into the system. this isa have put them into the system. this is a national effort and they are playing their part. we are also buying the machines where we can't. he asked about the question of staff ratios which has been publicised this morning. it is absolutely true that we are having to change these

standard staff ratios for delivery of certain types of procedure, including ventilation. the reason for this is that you cannot easily train up somebody for easily be able to intu bate train up somebody for easily be able to intubate a patient and put them ona to intubate a patient and put them on a ventilator. we are of course training those we can't train to the standards necessary, but this is an incredibly difficult task and it is therefore safer to have the clinicians and doctors who are trained to do it doing it to more people and having more support staff than under normal circumstances. this is absolutely necessary to be able to respond to the quantity because the quantity of need, this is one very specialist part of the nhs that suddenly has got a much bigger demand than could have been envisaged outside of a pandemic and soi envisaged outside of a pandemic and so i pay tribute to the staff who

will be working much more intensively and who are putting their vital skills to the service of their vital skills to the service of the nation in order to save lives andi the nation in order to save lives and i am grateful. we will leave matt hancock there, the health secretary. you can watch that online. we will talk more about what matt hancock had to say, publishing guidance for employers later today. he had some very dry comments about sports direct as well. we will talk about all of that and talk to a manufacturer of hand sanitiser is in the next half hour and get the former chief constable of greater manchester police back. but we will pause and take a moment and takea but we will pause and take a moment and take a look at the weather prospects where ever you are in the country. ben rich has those. hello, for most of us, pretty springlike at the moment.

the exception, northern ireland and scotland, particularly the far north—west. the wind will ease a little as we go through the night. the rain trying to make some progress south—eastwards but not making much progress. further south in england and wales, keeping clear skies tonight, some mist and fog for western coasts. quite a chilly night. parts of the midlands, the south and south—east of england likely to get down to freezing or attached below. tomorrow across england and wales, again some spells of sunshine. for northern ireland and scotland, the slow—moving band of cloud and rain still in place. the rain quite sporadic for most. something a little brighter but colder into the far north and west of scotland. further south, temperatures once again, parts of merseyside and north wales could get to 16 or 17 degrees. we look further ahead, some more sunshine to come across england and wales. always more in the way of cloud for northern ireland and scotland. thank you, let's turn our attention

to the sports news because that is also affected by coronavirus. all the latest details with holly. hello. yes, thank you. a big one today as well. the olympics this summer is off. amid the staggering collapse of the global sporting calendar in recent weeks, the tokyo games is the last to fall. it's set to be postponed by a year — with potentially huge ramifications for the hosts and of course the athletes. dam wild reports... it was supposed to be the greatest show on earth, the olympic and paralympic games, the pinnacle of global sport, but even those pushing to go faster, higher, stronger, are not immune from this global crisis. four years after the battle was passed to tokyo, the olympic flame arrived this week. organisers and some fans had been pressing on,

undeterred, determined. but today, they have been. face the reality, they have been. face the reality, the games will not go ahead this summer. a statement from the ioc and tokyo organisers confirmed... cancelling the games is not an option, said there was an agreement about that. what is most important is to provide a safe and secure environment for athletes and spectators. with that in mind and in light of the continuing global situation, the holding of the games injuly as situation, the holding of the games in july as planned situation, the holding of the games injuly as planned is impossible. for olympic and paralympic organisers, pressure had been steadily increasing. at the weekend, canada became the first country to announce had the games gone ahead as planned, their athletes wouldn't be

involved. australia then followed. i think every athlete feels for the people of japan. we think every athlete feels for the people ofjapan. we know think every athlete feels for the people of japan. we know they were ready to put on an incredible games and all the money on infrastructure they have put in place for it to happen, we don't want it to go to waste so at this moment is the best option. this is not the first time the olympic movement has come under pressure from global events. four yea rs pressure from global events. four years ago, the zika virus. some to withdraw from rio. terror attacks in atla nta withdraw from rio. terror attacks in atlanta in 96 and infamously in munich in 1972. never before in peace time has eight games been postponed in this way. whilst today because my decision ends weeks of uncertainty, there will now be new questions to answer and tokyo will have to wait a little longer. yes, plenty more questions still to come. earlier i spoke to karate world championjordan thomas. he was set to appear in his first olympics as the sport was due to make its debut in japan this summer.

i've been training for four years for this, for the qualification event and the olympics and it is kind of... all this preparation, it's quite frustrating, it is quite frustrating because right now i am ready to go, you know? i am frustrating because right now i am ready to go, you know? iam in frustrating because right now i am ready to go, you know? i am in war mode. i'm ready tojust ready to go, you know? i am in war mode. i'm ready to just go and do thejob. mode. i'm ready to just go and do the job. what happens to you now, obviously you need a training partner and now that is not allowed with these new rules, so what are you doing? like everybody else, home work outs. active but making sure i'm sticking to a structure. i've allowed my one run a day, so i making sure i get out and i do that. but all i can do isjust ride making sure i get out and i do that. but all i can do is just ride the waves, as dori says, just keep swimming.just waves, as dori says, just keep swimming. just keep ticking and making sure i'm in the best possible shape. whatever comes up, i'm there andi shape. whatever comes up, i'm there and i can give it my best and

hopefully in good shape to give a good performance, whenever it is to come. jordan thomas. that is all your support for now. jane, back to you. thank you very much, holly. we will stay with coverage of coronavirus, obviously. just looking down at my monitor, matt hancock is still speaking in the commons. let's go and heara bit speaking in the commons. let's go and hear a bit more from the health and hear a bit more from the health and social care secretary. can i commend the secretary of state for his heroic efforts in the course of events so far but given the prescription and travel is now... to give us clarification of what is meant by the caring section and that this doesn't just apply to professional carers? at the moment and since things like special schools have been closed in the last week, we had seen a great deal of support being given by one family to another, for example to give respite ca re another, for example to give respite care for special needs children. this is very important and the people doing it are very often being

very responsible about the self isolation that they are already applying to their collective families. will this continue to be possible and will he enable it in the future? i will say three things in response to the questions from my right honourable friend. the first thing is, with respect to special co re thing is, with respect to special core schools, of course part of one of the carve outs to the closure of schools was to keep open schools for those who are vulnerable, including those who are vulnerable, including those with special educational needs. there is a power in the bill to be able to move from that position but we do not propose to exercise that unless absolutely necessary. so the position is, if you want to send your child to a special school, then that is absolutely fine. that is... that was one of the specific carve outs. in the same way, if you are a key worker and you need to send your child to school and you can't look after them at home, then schools are

available. he asked about care. i want to make it absolutely clear that for people who are volunteering in the response to covid—19, people who are caring, even with unpaid and informal caring responsibilities, then it is ok to go ahead and do that. you should do that but you should stay more than two metres away from others where ever possible. but this has to be a practical instruction because of course we need to care for people. i said it my opening statement, caring... you can travel... including allowing for caring. andi travel... including allowing for caring. and i want to make clear that volunteering in response to covid—19 is a legitimate reason to travel. for instance, the many volu nteers travel. for instance, the many volunteers in the nhs and the increasing numbers of those who have

come forward, these volunteers are important. so although it isn't paid work, it nevertheless is work in the effort, the national effort, to respond to covid—19. the final point i would like to make is that the minister for mental health and prevention... and patient safety is sitting next to me and close to me and that is because she has recovered and all the evidence is you can't catch this twice, at least in quick succession, and so thatis least in quick succession, and so that is ok. so i welcome her back to her place. thank you... thank you, madam deputy speaker. just to follow the volunteering theme. i know the government has already made arrangements in the context of schools, giving advice that volu nteers schools, giving advice that volunteers may still go in for certain purposes. can you expand further, for organisations such as

the samaritans, who use volunteers to travel to cold rooms? can you make it clear that that is a cce pta ble make it clear that that is acceptable for volunteers to do that? yes, it is acceptable. it is right that volunteers who are volunteering in that sort of work, for instance for the samaritans, should travel to do that. the secretary of state will know following the prime minister's statement yesterday that all tourism and leisure providers have closed. i commend i was in my own constituency who closed ahead of that advice, in order to protect people. one issue that has arisen, those that take lots of deposits are obviously being pressed by our constituents to return that money but that may put them in financial distress. but equally, our constituents will be needing that money back, given the circumstances financial that they are in. i accept the secretary of state may not have an answer for me now but can he at least commit to

taking that away and see if an a nswer taking that away and see if an answer can be brought forth perhaps with support from the treasury? yes, i will get him an answerfrom the business department. the independent food aid network oversee the work of many food banks and have listened carefully to what they secretary of state said about volunteering. they are worried about the closure of community centres and churches. could he reassure them the valuable work they are doing with their volunteers will be covered by their volunteers will be covered by the guidance he has given? we will set out precisely on the government website the breadth of this violence. can i commend, like my right honourable colleagues, the superhuman efforts of the secretary of state. on the subject of procurement could i say two things, one he will know the pag change of guidelines can cause some concern. can you make sure they are clear to people? on ventilators, one of the

senior a&e said they need more of those. yes, both are important points we have in hand. good to see the member back in her place but not sure if the minister still needs two metres distance test can i press the secretary of state on personal protective equipment. i hear what he saysis protective equipment. i hear what he says is there enough ppe available for all health care workers and social care workers? if not, what is happening with the manufacturing and procurement from around the world, because we are told there is available from around the world? yes, we had a huge quantity for an eventuality like this. there was enhanced and are no deal preparations but of course we are also using that up, so we are buying to make sure the stocks are

replenished. i am very reassured to hear that by the end of the week, ca re hear that by the end of the week, care settings... lets leave that for now, an interesting point to leave it to. the coverage of the comments continues on bbc parliament. matt hancock asked quite a few times over the course of that session so far about about ppe equipment and personal equipment for the doctors, nurses, the other staff working so incredibly hard in hospitals up and down the country. we have been speaking to a pharmacist in the last hour who said there are some pharmacies who don't have enough as well. so let's discuss that. ed davey for the liberal democrats was raising the question as well. matt hancock talking about trying to get more supplies out. let's discuss the chemical manufacturer in the said it will set up a hand sanitiser assembly site near middlesbrough and hopes to produce1 million bottles a month within about ten days. they say the products can then be given to hospitals free of charge. let's

talk to the director at the company. thank you for being with us. explain what you have decided to do and what you think you can achieve in a relatively short space of time? the plan at the moment, we already make the base of raw materials for sanitisers, the ethanol. we are bringing that down to near middlesbrough where we will make the gel, bottle it and dispatch it. we would do that free of charge to the nhs and we will also sell the product through normal wholesale retail chains as well, that is the plan. we will do that hopefully in the next ten days. we have been working on it for about a week so farand think we working on it for about a week so far and think we will have it up and running, we are installing it now, up running, we are installing it now, up and running by the end of this week. said that is your plan. what i meant by my question was you think you can do it relatively quickly, not that you had to speak quickly, i am sorry if that wasn't clear! that is fine, i took it for both. that is

obviously some good news. the whole issue of ppe equipment goes far beyond hand sanitiser is but your point is that you are already in that realm of manufacturing, so what is driving you as a company to try and distribute the sanitiser free of charge, certainly to nhs hospitals, which is what i understand it happening? correct. we went to the government and said, we want to help in any way we can. we have people and expertise. one of the issues that immediately came to the forefront was a lack of hand sanitiser. if you go to supermarkets, i'm sure you will see there is not enough ram. hospitals are concerned about supplies. we said that is something we can do because we can make the base material and assemble the other materials, we can mix and bottle it and get it out and let's do that quickly. we have sort broken all records and getting this set up. normally when you do this, you stand up normally when you do this, you stand up and take weeks or months to plan

this out, work out what is the market, how are we going to make this? we haven't had any time to do that. we have no idea how much is required but we have started to say we will make a million bottles a month and see how that goes. we hope that will be a big impact here for us. does that create jobs as well or are you just getting your existing staff to work extra long hours? are you just getting your existing staff to work extra long hours7m is the latter. we are getting our own people to cover this, work the long hours and so far, they are responding magnificently. they are very proud to be able to do something to help. well, that is lovely to hear. do you discuss with other people in your industry and other people in your industry and other european countries, are people learning lessons about scaling up from each other, how much cross cooperation is going on, if i can put it that way? there has been quite a lot around the different manufacturing groups. i chair the

cbi manufacturing cancer, we have had discussions. we have had discussions. across europe, the same. we are building a second line in germany, a few days after we finished the one the in uk. that will do the same in northern europe. a lot of cross learning. thank you for talking to us this afternoon, someone foaming through in order as we speak. ineos talking about trying to produce a massively upscale production of hand sanitiser and get it out to hospitals up and down the countries. the foreign office has advised all foreign nationals abroad at the moment to get back to uk while still can. but with many countries are knocked down it can be difficult to get. last week the government said there could be as many as a mini million

british citizens abroad. some citizens in cambodia have said they have had no help and can only get a flight have had no help and can only get a flight back to the uk if they test negative for coronavirus. but they simply can't get hold of a test. i have been talking to one of those people, suzanne campbell, who is stuck there. just being here in cambodia for nearly two and a half weeks, approximately four or five days ago tried to start making progress, in terms of trying to get back to the uk. we came from an island into the city because we thought we would get more advice and more support. since we have been here, it has been absolute mayhem. we haven't been able to get any contact with our embassy. there is multiple conflicting advice from hotels, from airlines, from anybody you try and seek support from, both in the uk and in cambodia. today, we

went to the only hospital in pen on paying his said they would give a coronavirus test. we got there at 6:30am when it opened at eight. already the queue, probably 70 people long, and by 8:30, they turned everybody away, saying it was our problem to get a flight home and they would no longer be issuing certificates for the test or informing anybody if they were negative, which doesn't help us with our situation, in terms of the restrictions that the airline is putting on us. so you've flew with thai air, what is the position? pasta we've been trying to get hold of them, phone lines are not ringing through. both in cambodia and friends and family trying in the uk. they have not responded to our e—mails. and other people who have

been staying in the hotel have been going to the airport and have all been turned away. when was your flight been turned away. when was your flight home booked for, when we are planning to come back? my flight is booked for tomorrow, but at the moment, due to the restrictions, needing a coronavirus test, a medical certificate and also insurance, it is highly unlikely that i can come home. have you met a lot of other either british travellers or travellers of other nationalities who are all in the same situation here? yes, absolutely. a lot of europeans, including british. everybody is in the same situation. however, our european friends, they seem to be getting a lot more support from their embassy. we haven't really had any advice or support forthcoming from our embassy. so when you hear the foreign secretary dominic raab saying help is being given, it sounds to me that is not your experience? it hasn't been my

experience? it hasn't been my experience in cambodia, no. and have you got somewhere to stay? the hotel we are currently in closes tomorrow. there is only a handful of hotels open now here. we have managed to get a hotel for two nights but we don't know how long those handful of hotels will stay open. don't know how long those handful of hotels will stay openlj don't know how long those handful of hotels will stay open. i mean... everybody was listening to your story, their heart will break for you, i'm sure. the obvious question, i hate to ask it, is what will you do! if your hotel shuts up shop tomorrow, i wonder what you and the people you are travelling with and all these other people you have met, seriously, where will they be sleeping, what will they be doing?|j really sleeping, what will they be doing?” really don't know. we might have to try and head more into the country. but as we had more into the country, it means we are not near to the airport. going to try and look for other flights that they are really,

really expensive. we don't understand the rules and the problem is, if we understood the rules, we might be able to work with them but we don't. suzanne campbell, stuck in cambodia. been there on holiday for a couple of weeks, meant to be flying home tomorrow but simply cannot get home. so now we're all being told to stay at home as much as we can — and only leave the house for food and medicine — infrequently; if you have a medical need or to help someone vulnerable; and if you're travelling to and from work where work can't be done from home. here's why staying at home is so important. a big problem with coronavirus is you can have it and not know about it. it means you can go about your day as you've always done, feel completely fine, but actually infect around 2—3

people within a week. what happens then is those people you infected go on to infect another 2—3 people each, and then those people will infect others, and that's how the virus spreads. but look at what happens when people stay at home and practise social distancing. for instance, if this person didn't go round to their friends house, if this person worked from home, if this person didn't go to the corner shop, if this person didn't visit their mum. this is reduces the number of cases from 406 to just 15. as the number of cases goes down, so does the pressure on doctors and nurses — and on our health service. this will make the difference between people living and people dying. you can go out to exercise once a day, orfetch food or medicine, but only with people you live with. in short, stay at home as much as possible. it will save lives. i will be back with you at three for the latest in what is being said this afternoon up and down the

country. but let's pause and catch up country. but let's pause and catch up with the weather and enrich. hello, pretty springlike out there at the moment so if you are heading out for some exercise or you just wa nt to out for some exercise or you just want to get out in the garden, the rest of today will be dry for most of us. there will be some sunny spells around. i say most of us, there is an exception, to the north—west, a slow—moving band of cloud. this is a weather front producing some outbreaks of rain in parts of northern ireland and scotland. the heaviest and most persistent rain to be found around the north west of scotland, particularly in the western isles. the further south and east you are, more in the way of dry weather to ta ke more in the way of dry weather to take us into the evening. as we go through tonight, where these guys remain clear across most of england and wales, a relatively cold night. just patches of mist and fog for some coastal parts. down into the south—east, temperatures close to freezing or a touch below. not as cold by north and west because here we will have more cloud. al slow—moving band of clap leek cloud

setting in place across scotland and northern ireland during tomorrow, bringing some outbreaks of rain on and off. it will start to brighten up and off. it will start to brighten up eventually on the far north and the farther west of scotland. further south and east across much of england and wales, another fine day with long spells of sunshine and another relatively warm day as well. temperatures getting up as high as 16 or 17 degrees in parts of north and west wales. as we move out of wednesday into thursday, remember the slow—moving band of cloud? it is associated with this frontal system and no mood to move. the weather front will still be with us as we go into thursday. not much rain left by that stage but still a stripe of cloud to affect northern ireland, scotla nd cloud to affect northern ireland, scotland and northern england. further south, some some time but the wind starts to come back from the wind starts to come back from the east again which will make it feel a little cooler. as we go into friday, the weather front still sitting around, still this band of cloud. a bit of uncertainty about the extent of it at this stage will stop temperatures a little lower by

this point. and then we head into the weekend. finally, we clear the slow—moving band of cloud. high pressure trying to build in from the west but actually, this weather set up west but actually, this weather set up is going to trap us with a cold northerly wind. yes, things are going to feel colder as we head into the weekend. in fact, feeling more like winter at times. a significant wind chill. there will be some sunny spells but also some wintry showers.

this is bbc news. the headlines. calls for more clarity, after the government declares a ‘national emergency‘ over coronavirus — and brings in drastic rules to keep people at home. these measures are not advice. they are rules and will be enforced including by the police. with fines starting at £30 up to unlimited fines for noncompliance. but there's confusion about which businesses are considered essential — and can stay open. the tokyo olympics and paralympics are postponed for one year, after mounting international pressure. pharmacies appeal to people not to stockpile medicines, as they report a big increase in customers.

and, hundreds of thousands of british citizens travelling abroad are urged by the foreign office to come home, before more air routes are closed. good afternoon. the government has sought to clarify the tough new restrictions introduced last night, to curb the spread of coronavirus. the prime minister declared a "national emergency " and ordered everyone to stay home, and follow strict rules. you can only leave your home for very limited purposes, such as shopping for basic neccessities like food and medicine. you can go outside for one form of exercise each day, either alone or with members of your household. you can leave home for any medical need or to care

for a vulnerable person. and finally you can travel to and from work, but only where absolutely necessary, and if you cannot work from home.and in the past few minutes — downing street say you could be fined £30 for breaching the measures, but that could rise significantly. 340 people have died in the uk of the virus, and the number of cases stands 6,500. here's lauren moss with our first report. britain is beginning a new life behind closed doors. sweeping new measures to stop people mixing with each other and spreading the coronavirus are now in place across the uk, banning gatherings of more than two people and asking us to only leave home when it's absolutely necessary. we want to make sure that the reinfection rate goes down, that we slow the spread of the virus, because it's

absolutely critical for making sure that our nhs is in the strongest position possible to restrict the spread, and that means restricting social contact and following the advice the government have put forward. what are the new rules, then? no—one should go out unless it is to shop for essentials, as infrequently as possible, to exercise once a day — either a walk, run or bike ride. if there is a medical need or to help the vulnerable person, and to travel to and from work, but only if that work can't be done from home. police officers will be given powers to break up groups and fine anyone ignoring the advice. the aim here is to get people to comply with these new rules so that we reduce the level of contamination, and that's ultimately the aim. but if people are not compliant after a warning, then there will be fines and potentially prosecutions, and that is all being worked through in the legislation. weddings are cancelled,

funerals can continue, but mourners must stay two metres apart. playgrounds are closed, but parks are staying open. no prime minister wants to enact measures like this, i know the damage that this disruption is doing and will do to people's lives, to their businesses and to theirjobs. and that's why we've produced a huge and unprecedented programme of support, both for workers and for business. and, i can assure you, that we will keep these restrictions under constant review. so how are people adjusting to their new routines? i can't say it is unexpected, we were expecting lockdown for a while, simply because people haven't been taking it seriously. my first reaction is genuinely relief. i think this is a measure that probably needed to be taken a week ago. three weeks — that's decent. i mean, that's going to really disrupt some lives, but that's

obviously what we need to do to try and beat this. i welcome the lockdown, but i think the lockdown is a reflection of a wanton disregard for the safety of other people. despite the strict steps we've all been told to take, some tube trains in london were still packed this morning, moving front line workers to make their own plea to the public. we will look after your relatives with care and love, but i do not want to be overwhelmed by tears in a loo at work because somebody sends me a picture today of people queueing unsafely. this is going to be hard enough as it is. what we need you to do is to make sure that every person in this country sits down this morning before they leave the house, reads the guidance. non—emergency operations are being counselled to free up beds, and now one hospital's postponing chemotherapy and outpatient appointments for at least two weeks because of an increase in patients with covid—19. the new restrictions will be reviewed in three weeks' time. we are warned that more lives

will be lost as we work our way through this national emergency. lauren moss, bbc news. in the last few minutes, the health secretary matt hancock has been reaffirming the government's new measures to contain the spread of the virus. he also promised protective equipment for all social care facilities. white mask he was asked a lot of questions in the house of commons. he asked about protective equipment, quite right because as we discussed yesterday, having the protective equipment for the staff on the front line, especially in the nhs

and social care but also in other front line services is very important. we are moving heaven and earth, as he asks, and the military involvement is ramping up the delivery of that equipment and he asked specifically about social care and i am glad to say, the current plan is to have protective equipment to all social care settings by the end of this week. then of course, we will have to keep further going and we have put in place the hotline so that if you need ppe and you are not getting it, call the hotline so that we know where the difficulties are in terms of getting it to the front line and so we can respond to those calls and so we can get it to you, so i feel that very very strongly. let us get more from a chief political correspondent vicky young. there's a whole raft of issues being raised and discussed by government

again, let us talk about some of the social issues because we are all in a new world order and the government is talking about fines, potentially, for breaking these new rules. as you say, an awful lot of questions that the bbc is getting from people who wa nt to the bbc is getting from people who want to know exactly what is going on. their lives are changing, everyone's life is changing and people want to know how. the question of police powers, we are told by downing street that those powers will be given to the police regulations by thursday, the police will be allowed to issue fines starting at £30. now, of course people are saying, how on earth will they know if this is a first or second time that i've taken my dog out today, there is an element of common sense here, there are expecting the police to focus and use their initiative on large gatherings, that is clearly more of a health risk than it is taking your dog for a walk twice on your own. they are expecting the police to use a certain amount of common sense and

all of this and focus on the dispersal of groups. all sorts of the questions being asked but i think the main confusion is about workers. about who should go to work. last night, borisjohnson said clearly, stay at home, that is a way to save lives, stop the nhs being overwhelmed and essential work only should be the kind of work that is being carried out. immediately people are asking, is that key workers, the list that is being put out, the same people who are allowed to send their children to school, are they the people who are allowed to go to work? it doesn't seem that thatis to go to work? it doesn't seem that that is the case, it is a bit broader than that, this was another a nswer broader than that, this was another answer from matt hancock on this issue. i want to be clear that where people absolutely cannot work from home, they can still go to work. indeed, it is important that they do to keep the country running. key workers, for example in the nhs,

social care, pharmacists and meds and supply chain should go to work. unless, as we said before, they are self isolating because they or someone else in their household has symptoms. that feeds into the questions we have all been getting here, it feeds into anxiety, concern, there is a lot of talk still around the construction issue, in urban areas, the tubes in london and other cities, there are construction workers taking up a lot of space there, questions about whether they should be travelling, well that become a pinch point for the government there? yes, you have seen companies making individual decisions, if you like, while the uk government is saying it is fine for construction workers to carry on going to work if, and this is crucial, the social distancing rules still apply. so, making crucial, the social distancing rules stillapply. so, making sure crucial, the social distancing rules still apply. so, making sure you are two metres apart is still what they are suggesting people do if it is

possible. now, a lot of people are saying that isn't possible in some factories for example and on building sites if they are in a confined space, the other point here is that there is clearly disagreement about it. up until now, broadly across the uk, the welsh and scottish governments and in northern ireland too, they have all been in agreement, today though nicola sturgeon was much clearer about this saying, unless you are working on something essential like a hospital ina something essential like a hospital in a construction site there, you shouldn't be going, siddique khan, the mayor of london, also said he doesn't agree with the idea that construction workers should be going to work. there is confusion and disagreement there. yes, quite possibly more on that, thank you very much. let us take a look on some of the other developments in the uk and around the world. let's take a look at some of the other latest developments in the uk and around the world. transport for london has temporaily

suspended construction on tfl and crossrail sites. mobile networks sent a government message to all customers telling to them to stay at home, with details of the new shutdown measures. and the chancellor rishi sunak says the government are looking to roll out a similar scheme for freelancers to the one announced last week to pay employees 80% of their wages. around the world, the summer olympics in tokyo have been postponed until 2021. the death toll has risen in spain by 51a, the worst day so far for the country. but positive news in wuhan in china, the centre of the outbreak to ease the lockdown. we've heard that essential businesses are allowed to remain open, including supermarkets, chemists and banks. but there are still questions aboutjust what does — or should — constitute ‘essential‘ work. one of britain's biggest builders, taylor wimpey, has said it's closing its sites.

our business correspondent sarah corker reports. shopping centres and retail parks across the uk now largely off—limits. at this site in north manchester, just four out of 35 stores providing vital supplies are allowed to stay open. i am just asking people what essential things you've been buying today? milk. food for my 87—year—old mother. potatoes. stuff that will be stable in the fridge, it is ok there, it is nice and calm and nobody is panic buying. last night, nonessential retailers were ordered to close. including clothing shops, hairdressers, hotels and electronic stores. the government will pay 80% of wages and today the chancellor has promised more support for the self—employed. but, he admitted there are difficulties. we absolutely understand the situation that many self—employed people face

at the moment as a result of what is happening and we are determined to find a way to support them, we just need to be confident that it is done in a way that is deliverable and fair to the vast majority of the british workforce. on the list of vital retailers allowed to remain open include supermarkets and food shops, pharmacies, petrol stations, newsagents, pet shops, home and hardware stores, post offices and banks. online orders and deliveries will continue. construction work can carry on if workers stay two metres apart. i think it is important that when we have construction work going on, in a way that can be done safely, in the open air, on new sites that that does continue. but, transport for london has taken the decision to temporarily suspend work on crossrail and other sites. there has been some confusion among businesses. this morning, sports direct said it would remain open, as it is uniquely placed to keep the uk fit and healthy.

but then the chain did a u—turn, it is clarifying with the government if it is deemed as an essential service. meanwhile, supermarkets continue to face huge demand and are asking the public to be considerate during these extraordinary times. sarah corker, bbc news. legal action is being planned against the government over claims that it has failed to protect the wages and jobs of millions of workers, including those in the gig economy, during the covid—19 pandemic. the independent workers union of great britain wantsthe government to do more to support self—employed and gig economy workers through the crisis. jason moyer—lee is the general secretary of the independent workers union of great britain — known is the iwgb. hejoins me now. we have talked so much here about what the government have unveiled to

help staff on paye, we know they should be able to claim a grant of 80% of wages, what stories have you been hearing about people who are not covered by what the government has announced ? not covered by what the government has announced? there are a lot of people are very worried right now. people have been laid off or have dramatically reduced workloads, they don't have fixed hours or levels of pay, many of these people would be classified as workers, they work for another company, but they are not on paye, so they are not getting any sort of income protection. universal credit is absolutely not up to the task and they really need some action from the government now to protect them. yes, and by definition, if they are not being paid, they can't get work through no fault of their own, they can't pay the rent or mortgage, they may have children. this is very difficult, it isa children. this is very difficult, it is a huge number of people, isn't it? absolutely. this isn'tjust

about the income protection, this is also the issue of sick pay. so even people who do qualify for statutory sick pay, will only get £91; per week. if you are a cleaner earning minimum wage and you need to self—isolate for 1h days, you can't live on that, so our legal challenge is also pushing on that as well, the government needs to provide the sick pay, which is adequate to enable people to follow public health advice and protect themselves and theirfamilies advice and protect themselves and their families and, by extension, their families and, by extension, the rest of society. there is awareness and government and this is an issue, that this is a section of the working population that absolutely needs looking at but i appreciate there has been no measure is forthcoming it and people have to pay rent, people have to eat. there area pay rent, people have to eat. there are a couple of areas, would you ee, are a couple of areas, would you agree, where it is a bit more tricky than someone who is on paye because, by definition, the income of a

self—employed person fluctuates, you cannot look and say, what that person earns this amount per month so we will give an 80%. it is not the same, is it? for self-employed workers, the intermediate category of workers, who work for other companies like uber drivers and careers and that sort of thing, very similar wage protection programme can be implemented, in the same that your hours as an employee... no one is saying that this is easy, i am not trying to suggest that this is an easy thing for the government to do, but we are in the midst of a crisis and we are dealing with the urgency of now. so this has to be top priority because there are millions of people who will be driven into financial destitution if this is not sorted immediately. thank you very much for your time, perhaps we will talk again in the next few days when we hope we may have a little bit more from the government on this.

let's turn now to the work going on in local communities to prevent the spread of the virus, i'm joined via webcam by james jamieson, chairman of the local government association. an exceptionally busy time for you because your responsibilities are many and varied. what are the most pressing issues for the lga at the moment? the first one is how do we deal with the crisis that is in front of us and how do we support our... the nhs to reduce the number of people in hospital so that they can go back to their homes... how do we support businesses who obviously are impacted... i do apologise, we

are impacted... i do apologise, we are going to attempt to do what we did in the last hour and disconnect out and try very hard to get him back because we do want to hear his opinions, the line was to port there. as you will realise, everyone is using the internet, we have to speak to people in their homes for obvious reasons and broadband isn't a lwa ys obvious reasons and broadband isn't always up to the task, i do apologise, we will try to speak to the local government association a little bit later. pharmacists are asking people not to stockpile medicine. many chemist shops are reporting a big increase in customers and some are now limiting purchases. the royal pharmaceutical society says stocks are secure, but is urging everyone to show restraint. here's our health correspondent dominic hughes. it's actually a bit of a tsunami of customers that are wanting almost anything. we're actually short on that, aren't we? the local pharmacist‘s shop is now a key part of the fight

against coronavirus, and they're having to adapt to the new world we all now live in. over here, we've constructed a two—metre high perspex screen that gives us some protection from individuals coming into the pharmacy. with gps' surgeries and hospitals already facing huge pressures, more people are turning to pharmacies like this one just keeping up with patient demand is a real challenge — let alone managing fluctuating prices. last week, as soon as there was even an indication that there were going to be shortages in the ingredients from india and china, almost every molecule that you typically use in a pharmacy, almost every product related to that, started to rise in price. it is tremendously difficult to run a business in this situation, but, in some ways, at least we are able to run the business. it's sometimes easy to forget that

community pharmacists like this one form part of the front line of the health—care service, but they are, at the moment, facing unprecedented levels of demand. and that increased demand comes with risks. pharmacist neil denby had to self—isolate after falling ill, although, in the end, his test was negative. i had a patient come in who asked to speak to me, so we went into a consultation room. this person had viral symptoms, upper respiratory tract problems, a cough. now, being a pharmacy, i've got no follow—up on that, so i couldn't tell you if they'd tested positive, and then about a week after that, i started to feel unwell myself. keeping the supply of medicines flowing to those who need them will be vital in the coming months. the message is that stocks are secure — so don't panic. we've seen what has happened in supermarkets, we don't want to be the next wave of that. so we're really urging everybody, stick to the supplies you have, we'll make sure you get them in due

course, but please, please think of others as well. the pressure could be eased by recruiting final—year students and recently retired pharmacists, but even with extra staff, the months ahead will be a real test. dominic hughes, bbc news, north manchester. let's return now to the work going on in local communities to prevent the spread of the virus. we were trying to speak to the chairman of the lga and we have resorted to using the phone. there are so many responsibilities facing the lga, you are explaining what your priorities arejust the lga, you are explaining what your priorities are just now as we are still in early days of this. we

are still in early days of this. we are doing an awful lot of work to get ready because the expectation is that it will get worse before it gets better so we are very much looking to help the nhs, reduce the number of people in hospitals, putting more people into the community and making sure we have enough care home beds, enough care facilities so that people can go back to their own homes so a lot of work around that, perhaps creating extra capacity so looking at things like hotels, bringing back workers who have left the sector or maybe been laid off and also doing a lot of work around how do we protect the vulnerable, the secretary of state was saying earlier that we could create hubs where we distribute... a lot of work around that, but at the same time, we are trying to do our day—to—day business, local councils look after over 1

day—to—day business, local councils look after over1 million elderly people in either care homes or in their own homes, 80,000 look after children, we empty bins, we look after your roads, we do things like planning we don't don't knows services falling over either and thatis services falling over either and that is when we are seeing a reduction in our workforce because obviously people are having to self—isolate when they show symptoms. i presume that every council is drawing up contingency plans, if its own star forces cut back through no fault of its own, what it might be able to tweak, are there things they can do around reducing the regularity of rubbish and recycling collections, just to give yourselves a bit more capacity. first thing, i have to thank the staff and local government and our contractors because they have shown an amazing spirit and work extremely ha rd an amazing spirit and work extremely hard and have a great flexibility about moving from one area to another. clearly things like leisure centres and ivs are shutting and

people are redeploying into some of these front line services, there is a risk that some of our services may be less frequent but we are very keen to maintain them as far as we can and we are looking to carry on emptying your bins, i know one or two instances where it may be done a little bit less frequently, clearly with the latest guidance we are shutting our tidy tips so some of those people will be going to work on the bin lorries. we are trying very hard, there are some risks but we are trying very hard to manage those risks. in terms of the one and a half million people who have had that letter and are under the strictest instructions in the country in terms of how they live their lives, those who are more vulnerable, what is the lga's role in trying to look after them if they don't have family nearby in terms of making sure that they can have food,

medicine, what parts can you playing at? our role is absolutely critical, the nhs is trying to get medical supplies to all of those people who are isolating and don't have family or neighbours who are willing to or able to help them, we are also part of that network and so every large council area will have its own hope which will work under the local resilience forums and they will be the key points through which these type of deliveries will be done and the aim is, through direct delivery, everybody who doesn't have someone to support them, will receive a delivery the amazing work that is being done by the community sector, iam being done by the community sector, i am stunned at the number of people have come forward, i look at one of my own villages that i cover, where 10% of the adult population has

already volunteered to help. working with all of those groups, i will get the necessary supplies to those who cannot help themselves or don't have anybody to help them. good to hold onto those good news stories, thank you very much there. a feed our nation campaign has been launched by farmers, to try to recruit tens of thousands of people to help save fruit and vegetables from rotting in the fields. the jobs are usually done by seasonal migrants from eastern europe, but many can't come to the uk because of the coronavirus restrictions. richard westcott is in ely in cambridgeshire, we spoke to him earlier. we've all seen what's happened in the supermarkets, but what about the food that's going to be coming down the line in a few months' time? so planting lettuces behind me. those lettuces need to be picked, starting on april 22, and they are currently very short of workers to do it because they normally come from abroad so there is this campaign, like you've just said, to get british people coming in and picking.

now, beverley, you work for the biggest lettuce grower in britain, one of the biggest in europe, how serious is your issue? oh, it's pretty serious. we have suddenly found ourselves with over 2500 vacancies that we need to fill over the next few weeks if we are to start harvest on the 22nd of april. as you say, you can see the lettuces being planted behind us. we need the people tojoin us, to come and harvest this lovely fresh food. presumably this isn't just the 22nd of april, this is going to go on all summer? no, you come and start work with us on the 22nd of april, you can work all the way through till october. so there's this big push to get people to come and work. what do people need to do? obviously, sadly, a lot of people are struggling for work at the moment. of course. so, if you are out of work, if you are a student, if you are self—employed or if you have sadly been made redundant because of the business downturn, then log on our website, gs—fresh.com, and follow the links to be able to apply for the roles. but we've got all kinds of roles, there is harvest operators, there are production operators, there is...

tractor drivers, all sorts of things. great, ok, thank you very much. so the message here — it will be ok if they can get these workers in. it is coming up to half past. now it's time for a look at the weather with ben rich. for most of us, pretty springlike at the moment. the far north—west, we have some outbreaks of rain and brisk winds. the wind will ease a little as we go through the night. the rain trying to make some progress south—eastwards com not making much progress. further south across england and wales, some clear skies through odd patch of mist and fog. it will be quite a chilly night. parts of the east midlands, the south and south—east of england, east anglia, likely to get freezing or attached below. tomorrow, some spells of sunshine. in northern ireland and scotland, the slow—moving band of cloud and rain still sitting in place. the rain

quite sporadic for most, something brighter but colder into the far north and west of scotland. further south, temperatures once again, parts of merseyside, north wales for example, could get to 16—17. we look further ahead, some sunshine to come across england and wales, always more in the way of cloud for northern ireland and scotland. hello this is bbc news with jane hill. the headlines: calls for more clarity, after the government declares a "national emergency" over coronavirus — and brings in drastic rules to keep people at home. these measures are not advice — they are rules and will be enforced, including by the police, with fines starting at £30, up to unlimited fines for non—compliance. but there's confusion about which businesses are considered essential

and can stay open. the tokyo olympics and paralympics are postponed for one year, after mounting international pressure. here, pharmacies appeal to people not to stockpile medicines, as they report a big increase in customers. and hundreds of thousands of british citizens travelling abroad are urged by the foreign office to come home, before more air routes are closed. let's just remind you of those very stricter measures brought in by the prime minister. we can now only leave your home in the uk for very specific reasons. they are... to shop for basic neccessities, like food and medicine. you can go outside for one form of exercise a day, alone or with members of your household. all gatherings of more than two people are banned.

you can leave home for any medical need or to care for a vulnerable person. and finally, you can travel to and from work, but only where absolutely necessary and if you cannot work from home. this can all be enforced by the police and they could fine us if we flout the measures. that fine beginning at £30, if those rules are flouted. earlier, i spoke to our science correspondent, pallab ghosh, about the new measures. there's overwhelmingly strong support for these measures. indeed, some of them have been saying we should have adopted these measures weeks ago. we won't know whether the government was too slow to act until this whole thing is over, but, for the time being, there's strong support from many scientists. that's because it was clear from last weekend that the numbers were rising at such a rate that the nhs would have been overwhelmed by the cases, which is why we had the measures

last week, that we thought were severe, to tell people not to go out unless it was absolutely necessary. but as we've seen, people, too many people, were ignoring and are ignoring that advice, hence the stricter measures. but today, some of the social scientists have said that that was because of unclear messaging by the government. for example, the advice was, until last night, that we should go out to parks for exercise. although there is still a lack of clarity, the message is, in many ways, much clearer. we should know in a few weeks' time whether these stricter measures are having any effect. if they are, then there may be some easing. if not — then they're likely to be extended and possibly even tightened further. that was our science correspondent, talking at the beginning there about the view of the scientists of these restrictions. in the last few hours, as we have been reporting...

the international olympic committee has agreed to postpone this summer's tokyo olympics and paralympics for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. the request had come from japan's prime minister shinzo abe who said he wanted to make sure athletes can compete in their best condition and spectators can enjoy safe games. let's discuss what it means for the athletes who have been training for these olympics. let's go live now to brasilia in brazil where we can speak to andrew parsons, who is the president of the international paralympic committee. very good afternoon to you from london. not surprising, this announcement, but your thoughts it nonetheless? good afternoon from brasilia. i think it is the right thing to do. we will give the athletes and the sporting community around the world a time to focus on their health and well—being, while we work with the japanese authorities and the international

olympic committee to deliver their games next year in 2021, in a safe environment and also in the structure with the infrastructure the athletes need to perform at their best. i think it was the right decision. it is a lot of fresh work, isn't it, redrawing an athlete's training schedule? it is a plan that goes on for years, and years and yea rs. goes on for years, and years and years. what does it mean now to individual paralympian is and those in the team sports? do they have to go back to the drawing board, how did they start afresh and think it will be a year later than we thought? first of all, i think now is the moment to focus on themselves as individuals and try to stay—at—home and follow the advice of the health authorities and their particular country. but yes, it will require a lot of redrawing, a lot of planning again. it is not clear exactly when the olympics and

paralympics will take place, no later than the summer. but we don't have an exact date. we require a lot of flexibility but at least athletes know they will not be competing in 2020. with that, we are offering them the flexibility needed at this moment, while we and the ioc and the japanese authorities can start to address the enormous task of trying to reschedule the games. there is so much involvement of the contracts, many aspects that need to be addressed at this moment in time. but the athletes will not need to start from scratch because the cycle is not lost. team sports, individual athletes and federations will need a lot of flexibility to adapt the new national calendar to this reality. and as you suggest right now, we are all restricted because of

coronavirus. what stories have you been hearing over the last few weeks and months about athletes and how they are coping with, in many cases, having to stay at home, for any athlete? sport has ground to a halt in professional terms. what have they been able to do, how much have people been able to do to try and keep some level of fitness? well, it depends a lot on the infrastructure they have in their own country, at home. they cannot leave their houses, so they are trying to adapt. they are trying to do whatever they can in theirown they are trying to do whatever they can in their own homes. you can see many of them sharing their training schedule on social media, for example. but, of course, when you think of high level sport and of athletes, they are trying to reach the best result of their careers. by training at home, it doesn't give them the necessary preparation that they will need for the games. i think now they will at least be able

to stay fit but, of course, it is not the right environment to train foran not the right environment to train for an athlete, a high—performance athlete to train. again, we are giving them the time to try and stay fit and when we have date and when this crisis is over, when it can go back to normal life, they can go back to normal life, they can go back to normal life, they can go back to training. but again, they will need to plan and they will need to be very flexible in their planning. white matter of course. it is really good of you to talk to us at this time. thank you very much indeed, thank you forjoining us from brasilia. of course, i hope we will be talking many times in the future in the to the rescheduled paralympics. we'll need something to look forward to. the olympics and paralympics, we hope, will take place in 2021. that is certainly the plan. let's take a look at the rest of the sports news.

here's holly hamilton. good afternoon. only one story in town, the story we we re only one story in town, the story we were just discussing. the olympics and paralympics the biggest casualty of the pandemic. the japanese prime minister and the ioc have agreed to postpone the events because of the global coronavirus pandemic. the british olympic association have welcomed the decision and earlier, i spoke to susannah townsend who was part of team gb‘s gold medal winning hockey team in 2016. it is the right decision but it is still pretty devastating as an athlete to train for that long and then potentially to not go. i am 30 yea rs then potentially to not go. i am 30 years old. i was most certainly going to retire after the olympics. like anyone with anything, you have a goal. that sort of gets taken away from you a little bit. it has sort of made me think ok, i have to dig a hell of a lot deeper to get the olympics next year. talk to me about what you are doing at the minute.

for those athletes who can train individually, it is much easier but ina team individually, it is much easier but in a team sport, it's a very different dynamic, so what have you been doing? you miss your mates, it's pretty awful training by yourself. i have actually learned to appreciate being around people so much more, in terms of having training buddies and people dragging you over the line. now, to be honest, i need to step down and process the information we have got. then we have a meeting in a couple of hours, as a squad, online, to talk about the plan going forward and how people are feeling. it is not just the and how people are feeling. it is notjust the physical side of stuff, it's mentally how we're going to prepare in the best way possible. that's what i think we will talk about a little later. i've also been speaking to olympic champion canoeist liam heath. he won gold in the in the individual 200m kayak sprint event and was due to defend his title this summer... it is the right decision. you know, what with what is happening around the world. you know, there are a lot

more important things to be focused on right at this minute. you know, health, safety and saving lives is paramount, it comes first. how do you feel about how the olympic organisers and ioc has handled this? it has been talked about for so many weeks now. would have it made a difference for you if the decision was made sooner? i have been feeling up was made sooner? i have been feeling up and down and i am sure i am not alone in feeling that way. it is not an easy decision to make, i don't think. i do not know the ins and outs of it, i'm sure it is very complex. at the end of the day, the decision has been made now and we have to move forward and really focus on 2020 to one —— 2021 now. more analysis on the bbc sport website. for now, that is all from me, jane.

welcome to this bbc news special on the coronavirus crisis. i'm greeted chakrabarti. the coronavirus crisis. i'm greeted chakra barti. the the coronavirus crisis. i'm greeted chakrabarti. the headlines: calls for more clarity after the government declares a national emergency over coronavirus and brings in drastic rules to keep people at home. these measures are not advice. they are rules and will be enforced, including by the police. with fines starting at £30 up police. with fines starting at £30 up to unlimited fines for noncompliance. we will hear more from the health secretary when he chairs the government because my daily press briefing at downing street. we will bring you that a little later in this programme. the government defends its decision to allow construction work to continue as concerns are raised about the difficulty of social distancing on