this is bbc world news. i'm martine croxall. our top stories: britain's prime minister boris johnson tests positive for coronavirus — as does the uk's health sectretary. i've developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus. that's say a temperature and a persistent cough. and on the advice of the chief medical officer have taken a test. that has come out positive. in italy, 919 people have died in the past day — the biggest daily rise so far — in a country that's been locked down for almost two weeks. president trump has signed the largest—ever us financial stimulus package, worth $2 trillion, as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. plus, aid agencies warn of a potentially catastrophic coronavirus outbreak in war ravaged

north—western syria. hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. we'll be covering all the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic, both in britain and across the globe. here in the uk, the prime minister borisjohnson has tested positive for the virus. he says he has ‘mild symptoms‘ and is self—isolating at downing street, but will continue to lead the government via video conference. the health secretary, matt hancock, has also tested positive and is also in isolation. they were among nearly 3000 new confirmed cases in the uk today, bringing the total to 1a,500. and a further 181 people with the virus have died in the last 2a hours — that means there have now been 759 coronavirus deaths in the uk.

italy has reported a record surge in the number of deaths, with more than 900 people dying in a single day, bringing the total number of deaths there to more than nine thousand. and in the us, now the epicentre of the pandemic, there've been a record 18,000 new confirmed cases today. more on all these stories later — first, let's get an update on events here in london with our chief political correspondent vicky young. keeping their distance. like many neighbours, the prime minister and chancellor stepped outside to pay tribute to nhs staff last night, but four hours later, boris johnson tested positive for coronavirus. i've taken a test, that has come out positive. so i am working from home, i'm self isolating and that's

entirely the right thing to do. but, be in no doubt that i can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fight back against coronavirus. that top team has been spending less time in the same room this week. cabinet was held remotely. the chief medical and scientific advisers where keeping further apart at online press conferences, but today chris whitty said he had symptoms and was self isolating. mrjohnson had his weekly audience with the queen on the phone. in the commons on wednesday there were fewer mps at prime minister's questions, but ministers sat together on the front bench, including the health secretary. he developed coronavirus symptoms that night and is also in self isolation. i will be continuing to do everything i can to get our carers the support they need and i will be doing that from here, but with no less gusto. with the prime minister unavailable, it fell to michael gove to take questions at the daily

press c0 nfe re nce . the prime minister has coronavirus, the health secretary does as well, the chief medical officer is in isolation. people will be looking at this and may be wondering whether you haven't been taking your own advice, or you may have acted too slowly when it came to stopping the spread of the coronavirus? the virus does not discriminate. we are all at risk and that is why it is so important that we practice social distancing measures. those are in place in government. ministers are working remotely and from home using video conferencing in order to make sure that we can follow the strict advice that all of us should be following in order to help to protect the nhs. like any other workplace, downing street has been affected by staff absence. the prime minister's chief adviser dominic cummings is still up and running. mrjohnson‘s girlfriend, who is pregnant, posted this photo of her and dog, dylan, saying self isolating wasn't so bad.

downing street is emphasising that like most people who get the virus, borisjohnson has like most people who get the virus, boris johnson has mild like most people who get the virus, borisjohnson has mild symptoms and is continuing to work. there has been speculation about who would ta ke been speculation about who would take over if he can't take decisions. that would fall to the foreign secretary, dominic raab, but the message is clear tonight, the prime minister might not be out and about, but is firmly in charge. for the next seven days he'll stay in the next seven days he'll stay in the office and flat in number 11 downing street. meals will be left outside the door. heeyoung, news, westminster. —— vicki young. italy has recorded another enormous surge in deaths from coronavirus, with the highest daily increase since the epidemic emerged. according to latest figures — it went up by 919 taking the total number of deaths to 9,13a. the previous largest single toll was registered six days ago, when 793 people died. the total number of confirmed cases has gone up to 86,198 from 80,539, taking italy's total past that of china. and 6% of those currently diagnosed with the disease — almost 4000 people —

3732 people are in intensive care. well, earlier i spoke to mark lowen in rome about those latest figures. i think this was a bit of a shock to some extent that the death toll rose so some extent that the death toll rose so significantly. over 200 more than the previous one day rise stop shocking figures. 999 people dead in the last 2a hours. it's like italy is losing the equivalent of a village every day. in lombardi, the northern reason was hit by the virus, 5111 people there died just in that region in the last day. now, the lockdown has been in place for more than two weeks here and it is flattening the curve, the infection rate is beginning to fall here. but it is slow, it is uneven progress. and just awful news keeps coming out every day. 46 doctors have now died

here since the outbreak began stop the national health institute says it's yet to reach the peak of this outbreak and that the nationwide restrictions may now have to be extended for several months. meanwhile, the pope gave an address on st peter's square, a very empty st peter's square behind me tonight, he gave his blessing to the city and the world, which usually only gives that easter and christmas, another sign of the historic times we are in. he said that this is a thick darkness that has enveloped cities. he said we find ourselves afraid and lost. and he called doctors, nurses, and caregivers exemplary companions on this difficultjourney. and caregivers exemplary companions on this difficult journey. and very unusual and strange still to see st peter's square empty of the faithful. mark, why is italy seeing so faithful. mark, why is italy seeing so many faithful. mark, why is italy seeing so many cases faithful. mark, why is italy seeing so many cases in faithful. mark, why is italy seeing so many cases in so faithful. mark, why is italy seeing so many cases in so many fatalities? i think on the death toll we are still seeing people dying who

contracted the virus before the nationwide lockdown came in. some of them. so i don't think we should look too much into the death toll to see the progression of this virus. it is tragic, but what is almost more important is to look at the infection rate, which is slowing here, albeit slowly. and that is showing that the curvers flattening. that is important notjust here in italy but around the world. italy's lockdown has been emulated by so many other countries. all across europe and elsewhere they are looking at the progression of the virus here, italy is about one or two weeks ahead of other european countries, both in terms of the regression of the outbreak and in terms of the lockdown. if they managed to contain the virus here it will give half to two other people, other countries who have taken the italian lockdown as a model, and it would show that, perhaps, they could also managed to contain the virus and they could follow not far behind italy. but, really, to some extent it is hard for italians to keep

faith at the moment. they are taking things day by day. they are hoping, they are pleading, many of them are praying for this big dumb. mark lowen in rome —— peak to come. in spain, the number of coronavirus cases continues to increase, with 769 deaths in 24 hours. with so many critically ill patients, it has meant that more and more are dying alone, because their families aren't allowed in. it's putting an enormous emotional strain on families and medical staff, as our correspondent damian grammaticas reports from madrid. cheering and applause from his bed he waves, a moment of triumph in a spanish hospital. he's their first patient well enough to leave intensive care, but the medical staff are the only people there to see it. that's because every new virus patient brought in is immediately isolated from the outside world. not even families are allowed to enter hospitals here, and spain registered another 8500 cases today.

it is the awful reality esther garcia is facing. she has covid—19 and is trying to isolate herself, but she thinks she may have infected both her parents, mariapaz and constantino, both now positive, both in hospital and beyond her reach. you cannot hug, you cannot kiss, you cannot see the other, and it's the situation of so many old people here. esther‘s parents are being treated here in this hospital. it is one of the cruellest aspects of this outbreak, the rigorous separation that has to be enforced between the sick and everyone else, because it is so contagious. this is where her parents were admitted. many hospitals are at double their capacity. staff don't have time to answer phones or update families. it's what happens when the health service is swamped. spain did not bring in its lockdown quickly enough and test enough

people to track the virus‘s progress. so now people are dying in spain's hospitals, hundreds and hundreds every day, not surrounded by loved ones, isolated and alone. to be so isolated, people get sick alone and they die alone and they are buried alone. you cannot do anything, you cannot be with them. esther has found a way to reach her parents. a nurse has got a phone in. herfather is improving, but her mother's condition is serious. and night and day as the virus advances, more families are being separated. silvia, who works in one of the hospitals worst affected, posted this notice this week, saying she will pass messages to those inside. these are the ones she is delivering tonight. the family tell me, "say i love you so much, i'm here with you, we can't see you but i'm here." something like this.

silvia is a nurse assistant, just 24 years old, delivering comfort to the dying. spain's medics now shouldering the emotional burden of this crisis too. damian grammaticas, bbc news, madrid. let's look at some of the day's other news. the world health organization has warned that the chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment is now one of the biggest