built in a week — the new hospital ready to take its first patients on wednesday. the london nightingale hospital will be ready for up to 500 patients this week, rising eventually to 4,000 of all ages. we've been surprised by how many young people we are seeing, and people who don't have other health conditions. and i think the messages that are coming out from government to young people, that they're not invincible, are really, really important. as some stranded british nationals manage to get home, the government announces rescue flights for tens of thousands still stuck abroad. we've not faced challenges like this in getting people home from abroad

on this scale in recent memory. a total of 1,408 patients have died after developing coronavirus in the uk, that's up by 180 from the day before. but the government's chief scientist says the social distancing of the last week is having an effect. pausing for a minute's silence — the people of madrid remember the more than 7,000 who've died in spain. the key workers struggling to find early years childcare as more and more nurseries shut down. and the army of key workers, often low—paid, keeping the country going. and in the sport on bbc news, the olympic games will start on the 23rd ofjuly in 2021 and run until the 8th of august, after being postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. an entirely new hospital, built from scratch in a conference centre in just a week, will be ready to take its first patients on wednesday. the nightingale hospital in east london will be ready for 500 coronavirus patients, rising eventually to 4,000. it's the first of a number of new facilities being built around the uk to take the pressure off existing hospitals. there are currently 9,000 patients with coronavirus in hospitals across england — which means they're occupying around one in ten beds. 1,408 people are now confirmed to have died from the virus in the uk. that's an increase of 180 people since yesterday. 0ur health editor hugh

pym has the latest. just a week ago it was a giant conference hall, with room for a dozen football pitches. now it is a hospital, with intensive care beds and ventilators, and ready in a few days‘ time to receive the first patients. the capacity eventually will be 4000. if those beds are used,it will be 4000. if those beds are used, it will be the biggest hospital in the world. simon stevens, head of nhs england, toured the site at the london excel centre today and met some of those making things happen. today, there are over 9000 positive coronavirus patients in hospitals across england. and we know that number is only going to increase. that's why what you see here is a mass mobilisation taking place right across the country, but also at these new nightingale hospitals. this has been an extraordinary team effort on behalf of nurses and doctors, therapists, pharmacists across london, but also

volunteers, paramedics and people returning to help. the first staff we re returning to help. the first staff were applauded in today, volunteers from other hospitals and recently retired doctors and nurses will be caring here for serious ill covid—19 patients at what is now called the nightingale hospital. there are artic lorries here, tuesday and wednesday when i was last year, and 110w wednesday when i was last year, and now we have it fully ready to take some patience. there is still work to be done. but huge progress, building a hospital in london, nightingale london, in less than two weeks. it is unbelievable. is in the heart of london's docklands, with business hotels all around. the fact they have transformed this conference enter into a giant hospital so quickly shows how serious they think the pressure on the nhs could be. birmingham's national exhibition centre will house a nightingale hospital, so will the central convention centre in manchester. the sec in nottingham

will become a centre with space for up will become a centre with space for up to 1000 patients. the prince apology stadium in cardiff are set to be used as an nhs field hospital. northern ireland is creating dedicated facilities for coronavirus patients. most doctors and nurses are impressed with the preparations. but some are frustrated, because as freelance workers, they don't feel they have the right financial and legal protection. it is vital the government protectors, and give us the equipment, and that includes sick pay and worker protections. as well as the kit that we need to be able to do ourjobs to the best of oui’ able to do ourjobs to the best of our abilities. despite the extensive preparations, some nhs staff are still frustrated about the lack of personal protective equipment. and they are anxious about what the next few weeks will bring, as the likely peak in demand approaches, with maximum pressure on the health

service. hugh pym, bbc news, the nightingale hospital in london's docklands. the social distancing that we're all enduring is having an effect and has reduced the number of contacts between us all in the last week. the chief scientific officer patrick vallance says he still expects the number of infections and deaths to rise over the next two to three weeks. but the number of infections is not accelerating at the moment and sir patrick urged us all to continue to stay home. here's our political editor laura kuenssberg with the latest. we've got 0scar, give me a wave. stretching into the distance. you are missing your friends, stretching into the distance. you are missing yourfriends, yeah? but he'll be ok. this could last a look longer than the family's daily five kilometres. they are missing a lot of school, but they are young and it's important to teach them to be resilient and deal with whatever situation they are faced with. so we

can cope. it's not normal life. even the prime minister's chief adviser is at home with symptoms, too. the new government routine, though, produce a progress report on how the country is coping with the limits on all our lives that have only been in place for a week. this is a united national effort. the spirit of selflessness shown by so many is an inspiration. the chief scientists slides, capturing the measures. they are in place, they are making a difference in decreasing the contract, which is so important to spread the disease. and we are doing a good job at cutting down. the reason that it is important is because it prevents the number of cases. based on what you know now, are the restrictions working? what we know is that the measures that have been taken are having a very big effect on contacts. i showed you the data on transport, you can see dramatic reductions in the amount of transport being used. you see

dramatic reductions in football. we know that things like restaurants and pubs, places where people aggregate, have been closed. so, we are seeing a big change in contracts. that is predicted to have a very significant effect. foreign secretary, you're asking a huge amount of the public. is that the government's view that people need to be willing to follow these restrictions for as long as six months, if that is what it takes? the more members of the public, as they are doing increasingly, follow this guidance, the quicker we will be able to get into a position where we review when and how there is any easing of those restrictions. but any rollback is still likely to be at least three months away. we a lwa ys at least three months away. we always understood that they potentially require to be in place for a very long period of time. this period of 13 weeks has always been understood, and clearly we keep that understood, and clearly we keep that under review. whether it is easing limits on leaving home or school is reopening, when it eventually comes, it will be piece by piece. we may

need significant restrictions for longer than the original three weeks. and beyond that period, there will be times when we don'tjust go from everything being restricted to nothing being restricted. here is me, standing, walking around my garden. routine is the key to coping for 80—year—old hector. he has some other advice. i thinki for 80—year—old hector. he has some other advice. i think i will keep myself fairly busy with one thing or another. but for six months? you've got to try to keep up your sense of humour, i suppose. laura kuenssberg, bbc news. the government has announced it will charter flights to bring home the tens of thousands of britons stranded abroad. the foreign secretary dominic raab says the uk hasn't faced a challenge on this scale to get people home in recent memory. he's called for people to take commercial flights where they are still available straightaway. where airports are shut down or planes grounded, the government has pledged £75 million to charter rescue flights with a number of airlines

to bring people home as soon as possible. the vulnerable and the elderly will take priority. caroline hawley reports. this is one of the rescue planes sent to peru to bring stranded british tourists home. by the end of tomorrow, with specially chartered flights, the government hopes to have about 1,000 people back on uk soil. look at the smiles on these junior doctors who have been told they will be getting out. how much of a relief is that going to be? massive relief. thank you. i think there's been a lot of frustration that there hasn't been much communication and things have taken a lot of time. but now things are happening, i think everybody is relieved and grateful to be going home. in lima, people are queueing up to be on the flights. it was in a state of emergency in some are still making

long and difficult journeys emergency in some are still making long and difficultjourneys to the capital. to make it worse, there are some coronavirus cases in the hospitals where british people are staying, so some people are being forced to stay put. people in high—risk places of coronavirus, where it is present, its really distressing, and upsetting. it's terrifying, to be quite honest. so, we really just need terrifying, to be quite honest. so, we reallyjust need some help from the british embassy, asap. we reallyjust need some help from the british embassy, asapw we reallyjust need some help from the british embassy, asap. it is a week since the foreign office advised british tourists abroad to head home. this is the command centre of a huge operation to help as many people as possible to do just that. across oceans and continents, british tourists are desperate to be repatriated. there are said to be 30,000 people trying to leave australia alone. today, the government announced new measures to help. where commercial flights are no longer running, the government will provide the necessary financial support for special chartered flights to bring uk nationals home.

0nce flights to bring uk nationals home. once a special charter flights have been arranged, we will promote them to the government travel advice and the british embassy or high commission in the relevant country. from retired passengers on cruise trips, to young backpackers, there are hundreds of thousands of british people stuck abroad right now. the task of bringing them home has no precedent. caroline hawley, bbc news. some high—profile uk businesses have had to call in the administrators, and blamed the coronavirus outbreak. the italian restaurant chain carluccio's said existing "challenging trading conditions" had been exacerbated by the virus. the rent to own company, brighthouse, has also gone into administration, putting more than 2000 jobs at risk. 0ur consumer affairs correspondent, sarah corker, joins us from manchester. sarah, where these a couple of businesses that were already in trouble? yes, well, brighthouse has been struggling for a while. it has been struggling for a while. it has been hit by a series of mis—selling

claims. but covid—19 was the final straw. customers, of course, they rely on brighthouse for things like fridges, tvs and washing machines. they rent them and they also pay interest until they finally own them. the advice tonight is that they should continue to make those monthly payments. as you say, italian chain ca rluccio's monthly payments. as you say, italian chain carluccio's also went into administration today. the casual dining sector, of course, has had a difficult few years. the coronavirus has made that situation much worse. administrators today are working out the options. and while they do that, staff will have 80% of their wages paid for by the government through that job retention scheme. good news there. but there are fresh signs today of problems with the aviation sector. so, easyjet, of course, has grounded its entire fleet. loganair, the regional provider, has said it may

not survive without government help. sarah cope in manchester, thank you. a breathing aid that can help keep coronavirus patients out of intensive care has been created in just a few days by engineers at university college london. they've been working with clinicians, and the mercedes formula one team, to develop the device, which delivers oxygen to the lungs without the need for a ventilator. if it passes clinical trials, it could be used in hospitals next week. our medical correspondent, fergus walsh, has more. for the very sickest covid—19 patients, as in this intensive care unit in italy, a mechanical ventilator offers the best chance of survival. it takes over the job of breathing, giving the loan is a chance to recover. patients on ventilators need to be sedated, and they require expert staff. the nhs has around 8000 of them. it is

planning to acquire another 8000 from suppliers in the coming weeks. but it is estimated over 30,000 could be needed at the peak of any outbreak here. i think it's encouraging from the government that they have said they were trying to find 30,000 ventilators. i think it looks as if in less than a third of those might be available in the next few weeks, when i think the epidemic will peak in the uk. the government admitted a communication confusion after the uk failed to join a admitted a communication confusion after the uk failed tojoin a eu scheme to source extra ventilators, but denied the nhs had been disadvantaged. by contrast, this device has been approved. known as a cpap, they are already used by the nhs, butare cpap, they are already used by the nhs, but are in short supply. a team at university college london, working with mercedes formula 1, devised a new one. normally, medical device development would take years. in this case we have been able to do

it in days. university college hospital is now using the device to treat coronavirus patients. hospital is now using the device to treat coronavirus patientslj sincerely treat coronavirus patients.” sincerely think it may save many lives by preventing patients from needing to go on to a ventilator, and saving up vital resource for the very, very severely ill. this is a great example of how the nhs, universities and industry are working together at extraordinary pace to meet the challenge posed by coronavirus. if the trials of this device go well, then mercedes filming —— formula1 device go well, then mercedes filming —— formula 1 says it can produce up to a thousand of these a day. in italy, around half of covid—19 patients on cpap did not need intensive care. so the new device could greatly ease pressure on the nhs. fergus walsh, bbc news. the vast majority of coronavirus deaths in the uk have been in england, but let's get the view from the other nations.

47 people have died from coronavirus in scotland. in northern ireland, 22 people are dead. and, in wales, which has the highest death toll outside england, 62 people have died. hywel griffith is in cardiff, emma vardy is in lisburn and sarah smith, the bbc‘s scotland editor, is in glasgow. let's go to hywel first. yes, the welsh government has warned that the population here is, on average, older, sicker and that the population here is, on average, older, sickerand poorer than in many parts of the uk, so the consequences of coronavirus could be felt more deeply here. today, it announced a fighting fund, worth more than £1 billion, half of which would be extra money to give to businesses to weather the storm of the weeks and the months ahead. now, the weeks and the months ahead. now, the first minister, labour ‘s mark dra keford, says he the first minister, labour ‘s mark drakeford, says he has been working closely with the uk government but said he felt there were still gaps that needed to filled. while no one

wa nts to that needed to filled. while no one wants to be seen scoring political points at a time like this, he has been very keen to point out where wales have been doing things differently. in northern ireland, coronavirus has been having a significant impact on the prison service, with some 20% of prison staff currently off work, so, today, this has become the first part of the uk to decide to temporarily release some inmates from jail early. now, it won't apply to those convicted of the most serious crimes like murder, sexual offences and terrorism. it's going to affect those who may be in the last three months of their sentences. the justice minister naomi long acknowledged today this may well cause some distress to victims and families but said it is a step that needs to be taken to ensure the safety of prison staff. here in glasgow, the scottish conference ce ntre glasgow, the scottish conference centre behind me is going to be turned into a temporary hospital which could house up to 1,000

patients, but the scottish government say they hope they may not need to use it at all. they have already managed to quadruple the numberof already managed to quadruple the number of intensive care beds available in existing hospitals. it's also been announced today that routine screening for breast, bowel and cervical cancers is going to be suspended for the next three months and that is, in part, so the labs in the staff who would have been working on those cancer tests can get started on coronavirus testing instead. sarah, emma and hywel, thank you very much. the family of an nhs consultant, who died yesterday after contracting coronavirus, has thanked the public for their messages and support. amged el—hawrani was an ear, nose and throat specialist based in derbyshire. dan johnson reports. he went out fighting, like the noble, strong man he was. and he went out peacefully, on his own breath. he would have been heavily exposed, and he worked so hard, both private,

both nhs and many hospitals. he saw hundreds and hundreds of patients. we don't know how many patients he was exposed to. is he a hero? of course, just like every doctor, every nurse and everyone working in the nhs. and, just, my heart goes out to anyone who's also lost someone because of this virus. there is now this support and praise, talk of doctors and nurses as heroes. do you think that's overdue? nurses should be paid more, doctors should be paid more. anyone who dedicates their life to others should be rewarded and respected as heroes and just to know, every day, that their efforts are appreciated. it's an international tragedy, this is, and this virus is indiscriminate. it doesn't worry about religion or creed, race or colour. it affects all of us.

paying tribute to his brother amged el—hawrani, one of the first front line medics to die from coronavirus. so just how at risk are frontline medical staff of falling seriously ill or even dying from coronavirus? and why is personal protective equipment they need so important? our health correspondent, sophie hutchinson, has been finding out. why are health workers more at risk? all doctors and nurses and other health care workers are at increased risk of covid—19 because of the high levels of exposure they get through their patients, and that's why protective equipment is so essential to them. particularly at risk are those who look after patients with breathing difficulties, because the virus is transmitted in minuscule droplets in their breath, coughs and sneezes, so intensive care experts who have to insert tubes into patients' airways to connect them to ventilators, or those involved in resuscitation,

carrying out chest compression and ear, nose and throat specialists are all at exceptionally high risk of getting the virus. do all patients pose the same risk? well, the risk isn'tjust about how often a person is exposed to the virus, it's also about how much virus is transmitted into them. and that quantity is known as viral load. it's believed that the sicker the patient, the more virus they expel from their bodies. so doctors and other health care workers treating the very sickest are at substantial risk of catching large volumes of the virus and getting a severe infection. how do you protect yourself if a member of yourfamily is ill? try, where possible, to keep a safe distance from them. so, sleep in a separate room or use a separate bathroom if you can. wash your hands thoroughly and try not to touch your face.

and anything that they have touched, make sure that its clean. so, for example, door knobs and tv remote controllers. can you get the virus again if you've had it already? well, we don't know for sure but it seems unlikely that you would get the virus again within a short space of time. and that's because, when you are fighting the virus, your blood produces antibodies to attack it. once you are better, those antibodies remain in your system, possibly for up to a year. and, eventually, it's hoped there will be an antibody test to tell you whether you have had the virus. 0ur health correspondent sophie hutchinson there. keyworkers have told the bbc they will have to take time off work because of a lack of early years childcare. over the last two weeks, nurseries have been closing across the uk — even to keyworkers. with small numbers attending, it's no longer financially viable to stay open, and, in those that do, nursery staff are calling for extra protection when looking after children of nhs workers.

0ur education and family correspondent frankie mccamley has more. good morning. this was the last time these parents could drop their children off at the littlejungle nursery. like many others across the country, it's now closed. we've come to the realisation that we have to close, because, although we are getting the furlough, that's only going to cover 80% of salaries, and that's just salaries, so we have all the other costs that we are accumulating. so, rent, business rates and the revenue is not coming in. the closure of nurseries has left keyworkers, including these frontline nhs staff, without a this really including these frontline nhs staff, without childcare. this really left us quite stuck. it is difficult for two key worker parents or, indeed, single parents, to continue working even their current hours, let alone doing extra hours, if we don't have adequate childcare provision. we currently do not

have any childcare. my husband now has the option to take furlough, which would mean he would be on 80% wages but we are now in the position that, in three months' time, my husband may not have a job. in the nhs, we are putting our lives at risk for the entire nation and this is, without any doubt, our duty. equally, it's the duty of the uk government to secure, without any delay, the funding for the designated schools and nurseries supporting keyworke rs. when parents are stuck in that position, with no childcare like this to turn to, councils are trying to step in and find other places them to go nearby. but this isn't a problem they've faced in the past, so things could take some time. new emergency legislation will give the uk government the power to force nurseries to stay open. if they do, there are calls for more guaranteed financial support and protection for staff. i think they should protect them in terms of allowing them some flexibility of attendance and i've also seen many nursery saying, look, you know, we are struggling

to get protective apparel, whether it be rubber gloves, aprons, etc, etc. better wipe that down, i think we used it on here, didn't we? a group of medical students are trying to offer informal childcare where they can. i don't possess all of the clinical skills necessary to allow me to help out in a hospital, but what i can do is look after the children of keyworkers. by filling in those gaps, we are able to allow the workforce to continue. but this is only a short—term solution to what is a long—term crisis. if childcare provision isn't available, it will only add to the burden of those already bearing the brunt. frankie mccamley, bbc news. prince charles is out of self—isolation, following his diagnosis of coronavirus. the 71—year—old prince spent seven days self—isolating in scotland after testing positive and displaying mild symptoms. the duchess of cornwall tested negative for the virus, but will self—isolate until the end of the week. people in madrid paused

for a minute's silence at midday today to remember the more than 7,300 people who have died with coronavirus in spain. the country has overtaken china in the number of infections, and, today, even tougher restrictions are being introduced. only the united states and italy have confirmed more. guy hedgecoe reports from madrid. the new normal in spain. the country's once—buzzing capital is now a virtual ghost town. spain has been in lockdown for over two weeks. but, now, that's been tightened further as as non—essential workers have been told to stay at home. the spread of the virus through care homes has been one reason the death rate in spain has been so high. the vast majority of spaniards have been complying with the terms of the national lockdown, but the government hopes that these new reinforced measures will help bring

the virus under control and that that, in turn, will take the pressure off a health care service which is under enormous strain. an all—too—common sight, ambulance after ambulance speeding through the streets. over 12,000 health care workers have contracted the virus and many feel they lack the protection they need, even at this critical stage. translation: it's frightening when your suit rips or when somebody‘s saliva gets on your face. that's when you are most afraid. the government says the measures it's been taking are starting to take off. we are seeing an improvement in the numberof infected citizens, we are seeing an improvement in terms of the curve starting to show a different trend. i think it's a little bit unfair to point to spain as being an exceptional case in what i see is a general case around the world.

the lockdown has been a challenge for spaniards. a massive change of lifestyle for a society that loves to interact. they sing. but, like so many across mainland europe, singing seems to be cathartic. almost the new way to get through it. these young women, who live opposite a hospital, keep their spirits up by cheering the health workers who have suddenly become national heroes. guy hedgecoe, bbc news, madrid. here, as well as doctors and nurses, the uk is depending on an army of low—paid workers to get us through the crisis. shop workers, delivery drivers and care workers, many on minimum wage, are continuing to work despite the threat of the disease. richard bilton has been talking to some of them. low—paid workers risking the disease

to keep the economy going. we've got a frozen veg at —22 and cauliflowers and there is also other stuff, peas and so on, a full load. marco is one of thousands of truck drivers restocking the nation's larder. it's been really busy, so we've been going back and forth from this place in belgium where we usually load five or six lorries a week. it's been 15, 20 so far. food is important. morning, driver. morning, you all right? ready for another chaos day? yeah, we are. those deliveries matter in the nation's supermarkets. keeping lockdown uk fed. filling empty shelves, pat is a minimum wage hero. i do get concerned about being amongst the crowds that we are in amongst

at the moment.