welcome to bbc news — i'm duncan golestani. our top stories: the us becomes the country with more confirmed cases of coronavirus than anywhere in the world. the virus outbreak prompts a wave of closures and a surge in unemploymen — more than three million claim for benefit. as europe continues to be the worst affected region, leaders of the 620 countries promise to inject $5 trillion into the global economy. 115 people die from coronavirus injust21i hours in the uk — as the government announces a multi—billion pound rescue package for the self employed. britons take to the streets to applaud the healthcare staff who are trying to save lives.

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 half a million. in terms of lives lost, countries in europe continue to be worst affected — the death total in italy is 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. 0ur north america correspondent, peter bowes, has more on the dramatic surge in cases. not unexpected, sadly a lot of people around the country had expected this as the cases continue to rise in a quite dramatic fashion in certain areas. those hotspots cities like new york city and new 0 rlea ns like new york city and new 0rlea ns and louisiana like new york city and new orleans and louisiana which hasn't had as much attention as some of the other big cities but there's been a really, very worryingly search in the last few hours and days. the number of people, the number of cases

and the number of deaths in that part of america and it is another densely populated area. it is also popular with visitors and that is one of the reasons why local health experts believe there has been a surge there. at the moment, it doesn't seem to be any end in sight for this increase in numbers. in los angeles where i am, officials are saying they think this city is a week or so behind new york and expect to see a surge here soon. what measures have been taken in those hotspots and how effective are they being seen? well, measures that are very similararound well, measures that are very similar around the country stop 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 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 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. compare that to china does make compare that to china. what is the public perception about how the public perception about how the government, both federal and state, is the crisis? well, the public perception has been that the trump administration responded slowly to this, that they haven't been enough testing kits available around the country. and there has been a continued confusion, i think it's fair to say, as to who should be tested. and very different opinions. some people believe there should be much more testing to, if you like, rule out certain people within the community. 0thers rule out certain people within the community. others say that testing isn't going to necessarily tube 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 of this. peter bowes in los angeles they. 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. i'm joined now by martha gimbel is manager of economic research at schmidt futures — a philianthropic organisation that invests in initiatives to advance social prosperity. she's in new york. i'm also joined by andrew stettner is a senior fellow at the century foundation — a nonpartisan think tank aimed at reducing inequality and promoting security at home and abroad.

welcome to you both. martha, in new york, i'm going to come to you first. 3.3 million people claiming jobless benefits. what is going to be the ripple effect of that on the wider economy? i think people at first thought this might just be kept in service industries like retail or leisure and hospitality stop everything the of labour saying they saw spikes in claims in industries like manufacturing and transportation and warehousing. and i think it's really space to the way in that no part of the economy say from this. andrew, coming to you, how much worse could this get on the? we predict it will get much worse, as many predict it will get much worse, as many as predict it will get much worse, as many as 11 million americans which would be an all—time record, would file for unemployment benefits. because of the social isolation measures and the requirements and also the ripple effect. it

isjust a shocking decrease in demand and people need a lifeline because their employers can't keep them on their payrolls. 11 million is an absolutely staggering number. how much elasticity is there in the economy, could it bounce back in a few months is blue i don't think it will bounce back in that period of time. the bookings that are lost, the conferences that are cancelled, this is money that never comes back. it's going to bea never comes back. it's going to be a longer time to bounce back. we did pass a major stimulus bill and that is going to help. martha, what you think of that timeframe and that number — 11 million? of that timeframe and that number - 11 million? i think andrew is being optimistic with that number and it could get a lot higher. the situation has the potential to really spiral. 11 million, you're calling that optimistic. i can't quite believe we are having this conversation. i mean, for context, the number of people

who filed for unemployment insurance this week was almost twice the entire total number of people who were on the programme the week before. and so, really entering unprecedented territory here. if we look to resident trump, martha, saying he wants to restart the economy by easter. your thoughts on that?” restart the economy by easter. your thoughts on that? i think the people who are saying that we need to restart the economy are overlooking the fact that the best thing for the economy right now is to get the public health situation under control. if we try to start things back up if we try to start things back up but people are still afraid of contracting the virus are afraid they won't be able to get healthcare services if they do get sick, they're not going to start going back to restau ra nts. to start going back to restaurants. so you have to provide people with the security so that they will be taking care of fsx. andrew, is that the right order of events --if that the right order of events ——if they get sickwere the tube for the economic problem is the public health tube and that's what makes it so hard for policymakers. they can do

stimulus, help the unemployed and industry but until they contain the virus, with the kind of testing and treatment, they can't turn things around because they can't, in good faith, and the governors in their own good faith, they won't reopen schools and businesses and still see this epidemic starts to pick and slow down. and yet some of the mood music coming out of the administration seems to be that actually, if you balance up human life and economic cost, that actually maybe we are veering too far in one side. how uncomfortable does that make you feel, first of all, my father? i think they are drawing a false distinction here. leaving aside the moral questions here which are strong, people dying by the millions are not going to make people feel more economically secure and so if your desire is to make the economy better and secure the economy for

everyone, divesting have to do is get the public health crisis under control. and again, that is the moral considerations. yes, absolutely. andrew, just a final question to you. with this in context for us as a seasoned academic and economist, have you ever seen anything like this, what are the comparisons if there are any? i lived through the great recession but, today was the single worst piece of labour market news in america's history. we never had this many people lose theirjob and need to go on unemployment rolls. i do hope that many of them will be temporary but today was a pretty black day. on that, i think most people will agree. i appreciate both of your time and analysis. martha in new york and andrew in washington. thank you both very much. 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 thousand 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's 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 get some of the day's other news:

britain applauds its healthcare staff to give thanks to 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. 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's 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 underway. here's 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.

japan has warned coronavirus could become rampant. the government has banned people and set up a task force exploring a possible state of emergency although tokyo says there are no plans for one yet. and india has announced a $22.6 billion economic stimulus plan that provides direct cash tra nsfers that provides direct cash transfers and food assistance to millions of people hit by the country's lockdown due to coronavirus. india has recorded 649 infections and 13 deaths so far. 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 a thousand people are infected. a lockdown has just started there. 0ur correspondent 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, news that alcohol sales will be banned for the next three days. i needed to stock up for 21 days. it would be terrible not to have something to soothe with in those 21 days, yeah. south africa's stern police minister also had some bad news for pets. there shall be no dogs that will be walked. 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 that if the schools aren't open in poorer communities, where it's more difficult to identify patients, more difficult to 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 40 people sharing this toilet. if i have that virus, then 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... well, 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, 4,500 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.

you are watching bbc news, stay with us. 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 head 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 those winds 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 in 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 cloudier 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 towards the north—west of the uk, bringing in further 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 some 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 24 hours. in the uk, 115 people have died from coronavirus in just 24 hours. the british government has announced a multi—billion pound rescue package for the self employed — they'll now be able to claim 80% of their average monthly profits from the state.