there are now more confirmed cases of covid—19 in the united states than in any other country in the world. according to the latest figures from johns hopkins university, the us now hasjust over 83,000 cases, overtaking both china and italy. it comes as the total number of confirmed cases around the world has now passed 500,000. in terms of lives lost, countries in europe continue to be worst affected. the death total in italy is now more than 8,200. there was a jump in deaths in spain, too. meanwhile, another 115 people have died in the uk after testing positive for the virus, taking the total to 578. there are now approaching 12,000 confirmed cases. let's stay with the total number of us cases, though. a short while ago, president trump was asked about the numbers. it's a tribute to the amount of testing that we're doing. we're doing tremendous testing, and i'm sure you're not able to tell what china is testing or not testing. i think that's a little hard. welcome to bbc news, i'm duncan golestani. let's speak to our north our top stories: america correspondent peter bowes now.

peter, those numbers then the us becomes the country with more confirmed cases painting a really grim picture of coronavirus than for the united states. yes, and anywhere in the world. not unexpected. sadly a lot of people around the country had the virus outbreak prompts a wave of closures and a surge expected this, as the case has in unemployment. more than 3 million claim for benefit. continued to rise in quite as europe continues to be dramatic fashion in certain the worst affected region, areas. those hotspot cities leaders of the 620 countries like new york city and new promise to inject $5 trillion into the global economy. 0 rlea ns, like new york city and new orleans, in louisiana, which hasn't had as much attention as some of the other big cities. but there has been a really 115 people die from coronavirus very worrying surge in the last injust21i hours in the uk, as the government announces few hours and days. the number a multibillion—pound rescue package for the self—employed. of people, the number of cases and the number of deaths in that part of america, and it is applause another densely populated area. it is also popular with britons take visitors, and that is one of to the streets to applaud 00:01:44,884 --> 2147483051:37:37,156 the healthcare staff 2147483051:37:37,156 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 who are trying to save lives. the reasons why local health experts believe that there has been a surge there. and at the moment there doesn't seem to be any end in sight to this increase in numbers. here in los angeles, where i am, officials have been saying that they think this city is maybe a

week or so behind new york, and expect to see a surge here $0011. expect to see a surge here soon. what measures are being taken in those hot spots, and how effective are they being seen? well, measures that are very similar around the country, of course, everyone is being asked to stay at home. the social distancing guidelines have been enforced, and by and large, people seem to be taking note of that. the big problem, again, seems to be a lack of equipment, especially in some of the hospitals in new york city. we have had a number of reports from health workers bemoaning the fact that they simply do not have, it seems, the resources and the available equipment to deal with the huge number of people that are coming in and needing urgent help. we have just heard from president trump there saying that the rise in the number of confirmed cases is because the us is now testing more people, and compared that to china. what is the public perception of how the government, both

federal and state, is handling this crisis? well, the public perception has been that the trump administration responded slowly to this, that there haven't been enough testing kits available around the country, and there has been a continued confusion, i think it is fairto continued confusion, i think it is fair to say, as to who should be tested, and very different opinions. some people believe it should be much more testing, too, if you like, rule out certain people within the community. 0thers out certain people within the community. others say that testing isn't going to necessarily cure the situation, and that more emphasis should be put on social isolation. so, depending on where you are, and depending on where you are, and depending on where you are, and depending on your viewpoint, people have very mixed feelings about the administration's response to this. peter bowes in los angeles, thank you very much. a little later in the programme we will be talking about the economics of all this, and those jobless figures. in europe, restrictions on people's lives continue to be ramped up. in italy, the death toll has climbed sharply again. the number of confirmed cases has now reached more

than 80,000, and the death toll stands at 8,165 people. there are fears that southern italy could be facing a similar outbreak to that experienced in the north of the country. mark lowen reports from rome. in today's italy, the essentials are food and solidarity. local associations buy the basics for those in need. dozens are taking part, doing their bit to get the country through this crisis. it's the first time in italy we live something so hard and difficult, so powerful and difficult situation. so this is only way for me to help people — something very basic. they deliver to the elderly and the isolated, acts of kindness to ease the social and economic emergency. for this virus is grinding italy to a halt, once—buzzing

factories forced to close to stop the flow of people. this one, of bathroom fittings, shuts today. the last of the 130 employees are being sent home, the ovens slowly cooling. the lockdown is containing the outbreak, but it is crushing the economy with it. translation: closing the factory has an awful impact. in the current situation, we understand we have to do it, to send the message of hope and to slow the spread of the virus. but we can't shut for too long. the economy can't be stopped. if this continues for months, it will be hard to sustain our business. it is a sacrifice being made for cities like bergamo, the epicentre, where they blessed the urns of 113 victims, grouping together the fallen. wearing a sash of the italian flag is the mayor, who we reached. with the uk finally emulating the italian lockdown, a warning. translation: britain had an advantage of being two weeks behind italy with the outbreak. they should have

used it better. i'm afraid boris johnson lost precious time. there's a risk it could cost many lives. losing those days could turn out to be a serious mistake. the containment measures may have started to work in northern italy, although there is again today an increase in new infections. but concern is now growing in the poorer south, and here in the capital, where cases and deaths are rising. in rome, this hospital has opened a new coronavirus wing, and it is already under pressure. the peak hasn't yet been reached here. with crematoria bursting, the army is clearing coffins away. it's that word again they're more used to, war. man versus virus, and the latter is still winning. mark lowen, bbc news, rome. let's round up some of the other main developments: japan has warned coronavirus will become rampant after a surge in tokyo. the country has banned people entering from europe, and the government has set up a task force exploring a possible state of emergency,

although tokyo says there are no plans for one yet. india has announced a $22.6 billion economic stimulus plan that provides direct cash transfers and food assistance to millions of people hit by the country's lockdown due to coronavirus. —— coronavirus. india has recorded 649 infections and 13 deaths so far. hospitals in london are having to deal with a tsunami of very sick patients, and critical care beds at some sites in the capital could be full by the end of the week. that is the warning from the chief of national health service providers. he said the nhs is also having to deal with unprecedented levels of staff sickness. preparations for a vast new temporary hospital

which opens next week in london are under way. here is our health editor hugh pym. the army comes to the aid of the nhs, helping shift urgently needed supplies of protective equipment like gloves and masks to hospitals, gps' surgeries and other health staff, to help them deal with coronavirus cases, with some areas already seeing large numbers. london, for example — the representative of major hospitals says that, in parts of the capital, they're struggling. the scale of the demand and the pace with which it's coming, and the fact that they haven't got enough staff to meet it, means it feels like a tsunami. so, in some places, they are really struggling. they're just about keeping their head above water, but in three or four places, it's clear that they will run out of critical care capacity probably by the weekend. patients will be found beds elsewhere, including here, at a vast temporary hospital at a conference centre in london's docklands, with oxygen tanks being installed to help care for the sickest.

once again, the army is helping the health service with the preparations. in the east midlands, priya is getting ready. she is a doctor who has been shifted from her normal work to care for covid—19 patients. it's like we're preparing for another war. it is scary because we've never had a... i've worked in multiple healthcare systems before, and we've never, everfaced anything of this sort. at least, i've neverfaced it, and most of the doctors haven't. so we're basically very anxious on the inside, but we don't let that come in our way. that's my little room there, where my bed is. jo is a vicar who is now looking after her sick parents. she felt ill and stayed at home, was tested, but didn't get the results for two weeks. she had the virus. she is frustrated she couldn't warn people she had met, some of whom are in hospital. it's heartbreaking, it really is. so please stay away. assume everybody has got it.

call it a plague, not a virus. david is a hospital consultant in south wales. he has himself contracted the virus. i've had a week ofjust feeling absolutely terrible, aching muscles, aching bones, and unable to get out of bed, sleeping16, 18 hours a day. i'm on the mend now, thankfully, i hope. but i can't emphasise to you how sick this can make you. please, please listen to the advice that's going round at the minute. some doctors and nurses say they're still struggling to get the right protective equipment, including masks and visors. some hospitals say supplies have arrived this week. most are preparing specialist wards, and hoping they can safely care for the coronavirus patients. hugh pym, bbc news. following days of intense pressure, the british government has announced a series of financial measures to support self—employed workers whose incomes have been hit badly by the coronavirus outbreak. freelancers and people who work for themselves would be able to claim grants worth 80%

of their average earnings, up to a maximum of £2,500 a month, mirroring the package offered to salaried staff last week. the scheme will be open to anyone with trading profits of up to £50,000 who filed a tax return for 2019, but it may not be up and running until the beginning ofjune. what we have done will, i believe, stand as one of the most significant economic interventions at any point in the history of the british state, and by any government anywhere in the world. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: clapping and applause britain applauds its healthcare staff to give thanks for their tireless work as they try to save lives. the two main symptoms of coronavirus to look out for are a continuous dry cough and/or a fever.

if you're sneezing a lot, got a runny nose or a headache, you may be ill, but you've probably not got coronavirus. so, how high a fever is a coronavirus one, and what exactly is a continuous dry cough? well, it's when you cough and there's no mucus or phlegm — basically no gooey substance in your tissue. and this is not the odd cough here and there. it has to be coughing regularly for no other reason, such as clearing your throat or smoking. so how high a fever is a coronavirus fever? well, if you have one, you will know about it. technically, it's a body temperature of more than 37.8 degrees celsius, or 100 degrees fahrenheit, but if you've not got a thermometer, basically you will feel hot and your chest and back would be hot. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: the us has overtaken china and italy to become the country

that has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases. more than 82,000 people have been confirmed positive. as europe continues to be the worst affected region, leaders of the g20 countries promise to inject $5 trillion into the global economy. as we heard earlier, the number of americans filing for unemployment has surged to a record high as the economy goes into lockdown due to the global health crisis. nearly 3.3 million people registered to claim jobless benefits for the week ending the 21st of march, according to the department of labour. that's nearly five times more than the previous record of 695,000, set in 1982. joining me now is gregory daco, who is the chief us economist at oxford economics in new york.

thanks in new york. for coming on. first of all, thanks for coming on. first of all, these numbers are staggering, aren't they? they're almost staggering, aren't they? they‘ re almost unbelievable. what seemed impossible a couple of weeks ago has become reality. unemployed people has surged to levels not seen in the past, we have five times as many people claiming benefits for unemployment last week during the peak worst time of the great recession of the great financial crisis in 2008, 2010. so staggering numbers. what makes up these numbers? are these businesses laying people off because they are not open and doing the business they have been? essentially with the different regional administration implementing lockdowns across the country, a lot of the service occupations

are seeing essentially a sudden stop in economic activity, so they have no other recourse but to layoff their employees, so you're seeing restaurants and workers working in the arts and recreation industry or hotel industry or tourism industry being laid off because of these conditions because of this sudden stop in economic activity. are these numbers fully reflective of the picture? what about part—time workers, gig workers, contract workers? as of last week, these workers? as of last week, these workers weren't eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. the congressional act of more than $2 trillion that was passed by the senate and the house is going to offer those benefits to the individuals, because we expect to see even more claims in the coming weeks. we wouldn't be surprised if, as a whole, there could be rain many as 20 million individuals unemployed over the coming weeks, and that

would push the unemployment rate above 12%, which would be an historic surge from the 3.5% we we re an historic surge from the 3.5% we were at in february. behind the headline number of 3.3 million could be millions of more families are feeling a lot more families are feeling a lot more pain right now? u nfortu nately more pain right now? unfortunately this could be the tip of the iceberg, and what we're hearing over the last few is many more employees were laid off or put on furlough, and in that case, we're going to see a major hit to household incomes, and that's going to lead to even weaker spending beyond the lockdown effect. essentially what the us economy is facing is a double hit from the economics of fear and that's going to lead to the largest contraction in economic activity ever. we wouldn't be surprised to see gdp falling by 2596 surprised to see gdp falling by 25% on an annualised asis in the second quarter. thanks for

—— basis. the south african government is trying to get ahead of the spread of coronavirus. so far the country hasn't recorded any deaths but nearly 1,000 people are infected. a lockdown has just started there. andrew harding has been looking at how the nation is preparing to stay at home for the next three weeks. the beaches of cape town are already empty. the lifeguards sent home. and in johannesburg, the middle classes are queueing for supplies ahead of tonight's lockdown. polite but jittery. it's panicjust in case. just in case we are asked to stay indoors longer. so, yeah, part of it is panic i think. panic and a bit of commonsense? yes, yeah. adding to the stress, for some, the news that alcohol

will be banned for the next three days. south africa's stern police minister also had some bad news for parents. —— pets. -- pets. they will be no dogs that will be walked. medical teams here are gearing up for a dramatic increase in coronavirus cases. and you said she collapsed? is she conscious or unconscious? medical teams here are gearing up for a dramatic increase in coronavirus cases. this is a developed nation which has planned well for the pandemic, but still... my biggest worry at the moment is the schools aren't open in poorer communities where it's more difficult to identify patients and contain, then we will be sitting with a very large problem. and in those poorer communities today, clear signs of trouble. the message about social distancing has not got through to some. what can i do? i need my tattoo to be done.

across south africa, millions live in cramped conditions. no running water here and a0 people sharing this toilet. if i have that virus, i'm using this toilet, i'm going to infect 39 people. this is famously the world's most unequal society. the virus looks set to expose that cruel fault line, that chasm, between the very rich and the rest in the harshest possible way. and so those who can try to get out of town. this family hoping for a last—minute bus to the countryside... we are leaving. we are evacuating ourselves. ..before an entire nation locks down. tonight, the first signs of what's to come here. the army and police preparing to enforce this lockdown with, they say, prison and fines for those who disobey. andrew harding, bbc

news, south africa. across britain tonight, thousands of people opened their windows and doors or went out into the street to applaud national health service staff who are working on the frontline of this coronavirus crisis. they clapped from all corners of the united kingdom and buildings were lit up in blue — the colour of the nhs. members of the royal family took part including prince charles, who has the virus and is in self—isolation. david sillito reports. applause it had begun with a single post on social media. a young yoga teacher suggested a doorstep show of support for the nation's carers, health workers and all those who support them. and the result,, this... cheering and applause

..in what is a time of isolation and fear. street after street, after street. a national moment of thanks and togetherness. glasgow. . .. applause belfast. . .. applause leeds... applause london. . .. applause as you can see, it's an extraordinary sight. on this street alone, everyone has turned out. a reminder ofjust what this has done, notjust to help the carers, but also bring communities together. people are working as cleaners, people are working as nurses, people are working as doctors and we've got some people out in the street as well who work in the local pharmacies. and this is an absolute nightmare so it's time we alljust have to stand together, shoulder—to—shoulder and show our appreciation. they're doing such a sterling job and i take my hat clean off to them. i could never do it.

my heart goes out to them. and all of this from that single online suggestion just a week ago. so this was just an idea of yours and it took off really quickly, didn't it? yeah, it went really fast. the next day even before lunch, my friends were showing me that victoria beckham had posted it on her page and the sussex royals did it on their instagram stories. yeah, that was unbelievable. and this is a thankyou to everyone who's helping. here at the whittington hospital in london, donations are coming in. bicycles, water, toilet rolls, 11,500 hand creams, money. there's also a gift list. these are presents? yes, essentially. like an iphone charger. we made out an amazon wish list, things which staff need and have asked for, people can go on and there's a link to our website. and the applause?

some of it had to be done before bedtime. there was also a royal contribution to this day's show of support, including prince charles, who has tested positive for the coronavirus and is now in isolation. it was a national thankyou. there will be many difficult times in the weeks to come, but this was a positive moment, one we will remember. david sillito, bbc news. hour top story: latest figures from the us show it has more confirmed cases of the coronavirus than any other country. johns hopkins university said america has more than 82,000 patients, overtaking china, which has just under 82,000. italy has 80,000. president trump said it was a tribute to the amount of testing we are doing. the us president rejected criticism

about the lack of medical equipment available at a national level, arguing his administration has inherited what he described as a broken system of emergency supplies. and you can keep up to date with the latest coronavirus developments, on the bbc website. you'll find in—depth analysis and features on how it's being tackled in italy, venezuela and india. that's all at bbc.com/news or download the bbc news app. don't forget you can get in touch with me and some of the team on twitter, i'm @duncan golestani thanks for your company, goodbye. hello there, temperatures on thursday reached highs of 18 degrees across the far north—west of england, thanks to plenty of sunshine. southern scotland didn't do too badly as well with the sunshine but generally speaking, friday is going to be a similar picture to thursday,

this weather front bringing more cloud across northern parts of the country, so it could be quite grey and drizzly through the day across central and eastern scotland. to the north of the weather front, northern scotland should see some sunshine appearing at times across northern ireland but the most part moving across england and wales the cold and frosty start. we will have more breeze bearing in from the north—east for many of us particularly across southern and eastern areas, so it will feel a bit cooler generally, as we had through friday night, it looks like that cloud across northern areas begins to drift southwards into parts of wales, northern england and the midlands, and because there will be more of a breeze generally it is not going to be quite as cold as what it has been the last few nights. so for the weekend, if things are set to turn colder in fact, high pressure will be dominating the scene, sitting to the north—west of the uk but it will be bringing down these very cold winds from the north, you can see the blue colours enveloping the whole of the uk, and the wind arrows indicating the wind will be quite

a feature as well, accentuating the cold particularly on sunday. saturday starts off chilly, quite a bit of sunshine around but the clouds will tend to build across northern and eastern areas, and that strong north, north—east wind will push a few showers into north—eastern scotland and eastern england, these will be of a wintry flavour. single figure values in the north and just about double figures in the south. sunday could be a bit of a cloudy day generally, there will be glimmers of brightness here and there and wintry showers in the north and east, a key wind especially across the east and the south—east. these temperatures sticking in single figures for most, factor in the wind and it is going to feel almost like freezing in one or two places, so a noticeable chill factor particularly on sunday. as we head on into next week, it does look like high pressure sits again into the north—west of the uk, bringing infurther chilly air but it is going to be a little less cold for the start of the week than what we have over the weekend. monday's picture, again quite a bit of cloud, a few glimmers of brightness here and there, one or two showers affecting the far north but most places dry once again and those temperatures may be up to a degree or so, highs of ten or 11 degrees.

it stays pretty chilly throughout the week, there are signs of colder air returning to northern parts of the uk, again with the risk of wintry showers across some exposed coasts.

this is bbc news. the headlines: the us has overtaken china and italy to become the country that has recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases. more than 82,000 people have been confirmed positive. the grim milestone came as president donald trump predicted the nation would get back to work pretty quickly. as countries in europe continue to be worst affected, leaders of the g20 countries have promised to do whatever it takes to minimise the damage to livelihoods. they're injecting $5 trillion into the global economy. there have been more than 700 deaths

in italy in the last 2a hours. in the uk, 115 people have died from coronavirus in just 2a hours. the british government has announced a multibillion—pound rescue package for the self—employed. they will now be able to claim 80% of their average monthly profits from the state. now on bbc news, hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk with me, zainab badawi.