this is bbc news. i'm james reynolds with the latest headlines, for viewers in the uk and around the world. president trump signs the largest ever us financial stimulus package, worth $2 trillion, as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. in italy, more than 900 people have died in the past day, the biggest daily rise so far in a country that has been locked down for almost two weeks. britain's prime minister and the health secretary, the men in charge of britain's fight against coronavirus, both test positive for the disease, as the uk's death toll climbs again. i've developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus — that's to 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.

go home, go home! and police in britain start cracking down on people who are leaving their homes when they shouldn't. we will be covering all the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic, both in britain and across the globe, where the total number of confirmed cases has now passed 500,000. in the uk, there have been nearly 3,000 new confirmed cases, including the prime minister, borisjohnson, bringing the total to 14,500. 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 recorded another enormous surge in daily deaths from coronavirus, 9i9, to take the total number of deaths to more than 9,000.

and, in the united states, there have been more than 100,000 confirmed infections. that is more than any other country in the world. president trump has signed into law a $2 trillion emergency spending package to give a lifeline to the economy. nick bryant reports from hard—hit new york. new york, new york, the worst infected city in what is now the worst infected country. there was always the sense that this planetary pandemic would end up ravaging this global hub, and while there is a deceptive calm on its now quiet streets, behind the doors of its inundated hospitals, the crisis is getting worse. emergency calls have hit their highest levels since the attacks of september 11th. hospital staff are describing a tsunami of patients flooding their emergency rooms. we're thought to be three weeks away from the peak here and already they're exhausted. it's been like a war zone,

a medical war zone. i'm working with limited resources, with the constant disparities in pain and suffering that we see, not only with those who are afflicted with the coronavirus, but also those coming in for trauma. and so it gets very physically and mentally exhausting. the very things that make new york so great have now made it vulnerable — its vibrancy, the fact that it is such a melting pot. we're so dense, we're so together, which is what makes us special, gives us that new york energy, gives us that new york mojo. it also, that density, becomes the enemy in a situation like this. in midtown manhattan, something we haven't seen since 9/11 — refrigerated trucks ready to store the corpses of the dead. each one is capable of holding up to 44 bodies. and these workmen were constructing a makeshift morgue. america is paying the price

for not being prepared, for not taking the coronavirus seriously enough when it was ripping through china, for not ramping up testing quickly enough when it first came to these shores, for losing precious time. like the rest of the world, america is not just facing a public health crisis, but an economic emergency. category—five—style devastation to the businesses forced to shutter their doors. at least congress has now passed a $2 trillion stimulus package, a lifeline to an economy that this week saw its biggest unemployment spike in history. i've never signed anything with a t on it. i don't know if they can handle this one, mitch. this bipartisan legislation was signed into law tonight by america's billionaire president. republican lawmakers at his side, but the democrats cold—shouldered. election—year political distancing. and then one day that we get hit with this thing that nobody ever heard of before. nobody ever even heard of before.

and now we're fighting a different battle. but i really think, in a fairly short period of time, because of what they've done, and what everyone‘s done, i really think we're going to be stronger than ever. america is on a war footing, led by a commander—in—chief desperate but unable to declare victory. nick bryant, bbc news, new york. there is no reprieve in sight for medical staff in italy, which has again recorded its worst daily death toll. there are grave fears the disaster gripping the north of the country will move south to regions which are poorer. to spread hope, pope francis has delivered an extraordinary blessing to the city and to the world. freya cole has more. this kind of blessing is usually reserved for christmas day and easter sunday, but given the scale of the coronavirus disaster, the pope made an exception. 0n the steps of saint peter's basilica, in front of a rainy and desolate saint peter's square, he gave

his blessing. translation: for weeks now, it has been evening. thick darkness has gathered over our squares, oui’ thick darkness has gathered over our squares, our streets and our cities. it has taken over our lives, feeling everything with a deafening silence and a distressing void that stops everything as it passes by. we feel it in the air. we notice in people's gestures, their glances give them away. we find ourselves afraid and lost. lord, may you bless the world, give health to oui’ bless the world, give health to our bodies and comfort our hearts. surrounding vatican city is a country suffering its worst peacetime crisis. in italy, more than 9000 people have now died from coronavirus.

every day, the death toll climbs higher, a grim reality that there is no end in sight. help has been flown in from afar. russian military medics are seen here disinfecting a medicalfacility in are seen here disinfecting a medical facility in northern italy, the worst hit region. but there are fears the virus is yet to fully inundate italy's south, where towns and villages will also struggle to cope. and, as the extreme lockdown measures continue, with the likelihood of an extension, aid workers fear the worst. in the most difficult neighbourhoods of the biggest city, i am afraid that in a few weeks we will have social problems. this is a social bomb that can explode at any moment, because they don't have any way to have an income or to find an income. italy's healthcare system has been pushed to the

brink, and it is a scramble to construct field hospitals to ca re construct field hospitals to care for the critically ill. these men say it is their duty to get this work done, to help in they can. in spain, the number of coronavirus cases continues to increase, with 769 deaths in 2a hours. more and more patients are dying alone because their families aren't allowed in. damian grammaticas reports from madrid. cheering and applause. from his bed, he waves, a moment of triumph in a spanish hospital. he is their first patient well enough to leave intensive care, but the medical staff are the only people there to see it. that is 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 8,500 cases today.

it is the awful reality esther garcia is facing. he she has covid—i9 and tried to isolate herself, 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, it's 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 a health service is swamped. spain didn't bring in its lockdown quickly enough, or 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, but isolated and alone. to be isolated, people get sick alone, 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. her father 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 2a years old, delivering comfort to the dying. spain's medics now shouldering the emotional burden of this crisis too. damian grammaticas, bbc news, madrid. the british prime minister, borisjohnson, has said he will continue to lead the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis, despite contracting the infection himself. the health secretary, matt hancock, has also tested positive. both have said they have mild symptoms and are isolating themselves. here is our chief political correspondent vicki 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 were 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'll be continuing to do everything i can to get our carers the support that they need, and i'll 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 conference.

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

mild symptoms and is continuing to work. there has 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 he is firmly in charge. for the next seven days, he'll stay in the office and flat in number 11 downing street. meals will be left outside the door. vicki young, bbc news, westminster. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: rising to the occasion, the bakers and flour mills in overdrive to feed the nation. 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: president trump has signed into law a $2 trillion emergency spending package to relieve the impact of the coronavirus

on the us economy. italy sets another grim record — 919 deaths in one day, the biggest daily toll so far, taking the total number of dead to more than 9,000. scientists at imperial college london say that around the world as many as a0 million lives would have been lost to coronavirus, without the current global measures. but there's a warning that the poorest countries are still more likely to be hit hardest. our science editor, david shukman, reports. all over the world, very different reactions to the virus. in africa, rwanda was the first to lock down, while in senegal, the streets are still busy. and now, new research points to a catastrophe unless there is an immediate global response. what this latest study shows is that if literally nothing is done to stop the virus, as many as a0 million people could die from it worldwide this year. now, that isn't likely to happen because so many governments are introducing public health measures. and if they all do, the death toll should fall to 9.3 million — still horrific, of course.

the key to this is timing. if those measures are adopted rapidly, the number dying could fall to 1.3 million. itjust shows the critical importance of governments acting urgently. bangladesh, a refugee camp for rohingya people. overcrowded and fearful. it's the poorest who will be hit hardest, according to the scientists studying the pandemic. even in the most optimistic scenarios in terms of the control that can be put in, it is still very likely that the health systems in the poorest countries will become overwhelmed. many of these countries have very few numbers, for example, of intensive care beds available and, indeed, hospital beds are very much in demand for the other diseases that are prevalent in those settings. in india, there is meant to be a national lockdown, but it is hard to manage.

and, as in many developing countries, the healthca re system is fragile. if unchecked, it is going to basically make our healthcare systems collapse — that's the prospect we are facing. and the other crisis we are facing is an economic crisis. that if you take very strong and draconian measures, it is going to shut down our economy and send it into some sort of cardiac arrest. many countries are now doing what they can, but to defeat the virus, it will take action on a global scale. david shukman, bbc news. fines have already been issued by police in the uk to some people who have breached the government's stay at home rules. officers are also trying to discourage people from going out in their cars to picturesque locations to exercise. mark easton reports. blows whistle. all yell: get back! these police recruits in surrey are being trained to fight crime in a pandemic — note the gloves. blows whistle. all yell: get back! afternoon, team. welcome back. inside headquarters, the chief constable is joined by a military planner as agencies consider how to use new, far—reaching powers

to keep the public at home. we are interpreting the new powers in the style of british policing, in that we police by consent but, of course, some colleagues are having to take steps to really explain to people that treating this as a bit of a holiday is not what this is about. footage has emerged of officers in perth confronting a man who claimed to have tested positive for the virus. although this individual did eventually comply, other forces have already used new health protection regulations, issuing a number of £60 fines to people who refused to go home when ordered. two—week training sessions are planned to get special co nsta bles, volu nteers and recently retired officers to help the public adjust to the strange new world in which we live.

i think the vast majority of people are complying. the businesses that should be closed are closed. and people are adjusting their lifestyles to the new — what was first advice and now, of course, is regulations. tannoy: you must stay home! in south wales, police and a local council are planning to use a drone to encourage people to comply with public health rules. please follow the rules at this time! after controversy over whether derbyshire police were right to shame people who drove to the peak district to exercise, the government today issued new guidance, saying people should only use open spaces near their home. in cumbria, visitors are being told they're not welcome this weekend. it's the tourist, the holidaymaker traffic that we need to reduce to protect our nhs staff and protect the vulnerable in this community. police chiefs are demanding what they call common sense, adding this is a national emergency, not a national holiday. mark easton, bbc news.

there are fears new orleans is on path to become the next coronavirus epicentre in the united states as the number of cases in the city rises sharply. reged ahmad has more. joyful and colourful scenes. this was mardi gras in new orleans last month. the parades are a highlight. beads are thrown out to cheering crowds and people share drinks. these celebrations attract more than a million people. but now, authorities fear the decision to go ahead with the festival when covid—19 had already arrived created the perfect storm. so what we need to focus on now is the fact that we are several weeks post mardi gras and we are starting to see that spike, and what the government has indicated is that we are on a path to look like italy. new orleans now appears to be at the centre of the pandemic in louisiana, and on course to become the epicentre for the outbreak in the united states.

the numbers that we have today are once again very staggering. i hope the entire state of louisiana is looking at these numbers and that they are as concerned about them as i am. authorities are warning the city's hospitals could be at capacity as quickly as by the end of next week. there are now strong stay—at—home orders in place in a desperate bid to save lives. but new orleans is bracing itself for an onslaught, and authorities are asking themselves whether measures were implemented early enough to prevent a wave of cases overwhelming the city. reged ahmad, bbc news. the irish government has put in strong restrictions on movement to limit the spread of the virus. people in the republic of ireland will not be able to

go out for things other than work which is considered essential. food manufacturers have been cranking up production to meet the increased demand. at the kingsmill bakery here in the uk an additional two million loaves a week are being delivered to every uk postcode. and allinson‘s flour mill is now producing an extra 400,000 bags of flour a week. emma simpson's been to meet some of the workers. my name is matt lupton, i am the site manager. my name's katie, i work as operations manager. we make flour and it goes out to the supermarkets. we are just sending out as much stock as we possibly can. lines are running every shift available. so far this morning we've dispatched 140 tonnes to a customer. our machines are working all hours to put flour into bags to go out to the supermarkets and to the british public. we may not be saving lives in hospitals, but i think everybody here knows the impact that they're making.

it's one of the basic products — flour. and it's in big demand. we weren't allowed in to protect the workers, so they filmed themselves on the food front line. our high—speed packing lines are running 2a hours a day. everyone's digging in, helping out and seeing what we can do to get that food out to the customers. those customers have been panic buying, as well as cooking and baking stuck at home. some workers have even postponed retirement. we are feeding the nation. what we produce here is keeping the country going. if i left now while we're in, you know, the country is in this situation, i would feel i'd left behind a family that needed a mother. we're now restricting access to one person at a time. all our food manufacturers are desperately trying to keep staff safe and fit for work. so, can the industry cope? the food industry is coping. it's stretched, there's no doubt about that. we and other manufacturers are running flat out. we will keep doing that,

we're making every provision to keep that volume going. if we manage this sensibly and in a calm and even way, flour will remain on the shelves. in these difficult times it's about keeping the lorries loaded. from the mill to the meal, the whole food industry is in overdrive ensuring communities are fed. emma simpson, bbc news, bishops stortford. and you can keep up to date with the latest coronavirus developments on our website. you'll find in—depth analysis, and features, including on how to shop or get takeaway food safely. that's all at the bbc news website and on the app. do let me know how you are getting through anything, whether you are in quarantine, lockdown, slogging through the day, or if you have a new thing to do. send me a message.

you can reach me on twitter — i'm @jamesbbcnews. and please do stay with us bbc news. hello. friday finished on a glorious note across the greater part of england and wales, but throughout the past week, it's been a different story for many parts of scotland and northern ireland, thanks to the cloud and some rain associated with that weather front which, through the weekend, will show signs of wanting to move further down and across the british isles, and it introduces a much colder regime to many parts as we move on into sunday and indeed into the start of next week. so it's a fairly cool start to the weekend but a lot of dry weather, much more in the way of cloud across england

and wales than you'll have been used to through this week thus far. and it'll have enough about it to be producing just one or two showers, running in on a noticeable north to north—easterly wind. the last of the relative warmth still to be found across the southern counties of england and maybe the western side of wales, too. don't forget, as we move from saturday to sunday, that the clocks spring forward by that hour to introduce the notion of british summer time, but sunday itself will feel anything but summery. it'll be a cold day, despite the presence of some sunshine, still a lot of cloud, still a lot of dry weather. these are the gusts on the day. widely, they see 30 miles an hour plus. by the end of the day, somebody could well be looking at 40, if not 50 miles an hour, in exposed locations. those temperatures, as a consequence, given the strength and direction of the winds, will feel very much more like that. a return to january, a return to winter, rather than anything spring—like or indeed summer—like. the high pressure is still the dominant feature as we start the new week. it's there, anchored to the western side of the british isles, still feeding in a fair amount of cloud, but still a lot of dry weather for many. just one or two showers, wintry across the higher ground.

the wind still quite noticeable, especially off that cool north sea. so the eastern—facing coasts, six or seven or eight or nine degrees, something of that order. but not much warmer further towards the west. i suppose the notable difference as we move from monday to tuesday is that those isobars are just beginning to open up. so again, we start probably with quite a widespread frost on tuesday morning, still a lot of dry weather, the wind at its most noticeable into the north of scotland, one or two blustery showers here, and quite a keen wind perhaps through the channel coast. but in between, the wind nowhere near as strong as it will have been through the course of the weekend. and as a consequence, it mayjust begin to feel a little warmer.

this is bbc news. the headlines: president trump has signed into law a $2 trillion emergency spending package to relieve the impact of the coronavirus on the us economy. it is the largest such programme in modern american history. the us has now reported more than 100,000 cases of the virus. more than 900 people have died in italy as a result of coronavirus in a single day, pushing the number of dead to more than 9,000. pope francis has spoken of the thick darkness that has enveloped italy as it is stricken by the pandemic. the british prime minister, borisjohnson, has said he will continue to lead the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis, despite contracting the disease himself. mrjohnson said he was suffering mild symptoms and was isolating himself. britain's health secretary also has the virus and the chief medical officer is showing symptoms.