this is bbc news with the latest headlines. the prime minister says coronavirus testing needs to be increased massively after it emerges just 2,000 frontline nhs workers in england have been tested. this is the way through. this is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle. this is how we will defeat it in the end. british airways is expected to suspend 36,000 workers until the coronavirus crisis is over. almost one million people apply for universal credit in two weeks, as financial concerns around the pandemic grow. the world health organisation says the world will reach one million coronavirus cases in the next few days.

in the us, 5,000 americans have now died from covid—19 — there's a warning that the country could be on the same trajectory as italy. together we have the power to save countless lives. we are attacking the virus on every front with social distancing, economic support. we could hear people from a few streets away banging on their saucepans and the cheering and clapping reminds you that is life out there even though we are not seeing anyone. thank you with all our hearts. and, saying thank you — celebrities urge people around the country to show support for nhs and care workers with another round of applause tonight.

good morning and thank you for joining us. the prime minister has responded to mounting criticism of the number of tests being carried out to diagnose the coronavirus, by promising to "ramp up" the process. in a video posted online from downing street — where he's self—isolating after contracting the illness — mrjohnson said testing was "the way through". it comes after it was revealed that only 2,000 out of half a million frontline nhs workers in england have been tested so far. in other news — as the airline industry continues to struggle — british airways is expected to announce later that it is suspending thousands of its employees. in a sign of the financial impact of the pandemic on households, 950,000 people have successfully applied for universal credit benefits in the past two weeks — almost ten times the average. and looking at the global picture, the world health organisation has warned that the number of people

infected around the world will reach a million within days. our first report on the situation here in the uk is from our correspondent dan johnson. quite an amazing job... the prime minister, isolating after testing positive himself, couldn't have been clearer. i want to say a special word about testing because it so important and as i have said for weeks and weeks, this is the way through. this is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle, this is how we will defeat it in the end. nhs staff have been queueing around the block to get tested to see if they are safe to go back to work, but this is just a trial. we are still way behind some other countries and the government's own ambition to reach 25,000 tests a day. this hospital in cambridge is the first to try a new bedside testing machine, which gives results in an hour and a half instead of a whole day, and it can be reused, potentially a real game changer.

turning repeated promises into actual test results is a challenge facing the health secretary matt hancock, as he gets back to his desk this morning after his own week of isolation. getting enough personal protective equipment, ppe, to front line medical staff is the other key issue. increasing testing capacity is absolutely the government's top priority. we are now at 10,000 tests a day, we are rolling out additional networks of labs and testing sites and in terms of phe, over the last two weeks, 390 million products had been distributed, and of course we will continue to do more. the figures reach new highs each day — 563 people died in the last 2a hours. across the uk, the virus has now claimed 2,352 lives. and the economic impact is also unyielding. in the last fortnight, nearly one million people

claimed universal credit. ten times the number for a normal two—week period. airlines have suffered and british airways is now close to a deal that will mean 80% of its staff — that's 36,000 cabin crew, ground staff and head office workers — going unpaid. they are not being made redundant but they will rely on the government paying most of their wages until planes can fly again. coming together like this feels precious in these strange disjointed days, so tonight, it'll happen again. a show of strength and support for nhs workers, medics and carers, some we now know giving their lives to this relentless, exhausting and deadly virus. dan johnson, bbc news. earlier, bbc breakfast spoke to professor paul cosford, who is the emeritus medical director at public health england. they asked him for the latest on testing — and to explain why more frontline nhs workers

are not being tested. of course the tests are focused on the people who are ill, making absolutely sure that all of that is being done and needed. and then working the way of getting nhs staff into testing and using the extra capacity for nhs staff. that's something happening at an individual hospital bases and across the nhs. so that's the core priority at the moment, to make sure all that capacity is used for nhs staff when it's not needed for patients who desperately need the tests to help with their diagnosis and treatment. university laboratories, private laboratories, and those involved in animal welfare as well, who have testing facilities, suggesting that if the nhs were to use their testing

facilities, they would be able to massively ramp up the number of tests done. a lot of reports suggesting they offered their help but haven't heard anything. so is there a change in policy in terms of bringing in more private laboratories, university staff and theirequipment, into laboratories, university staff and their equipment, into the mix? that's all part of the work that's going on. we have certainly not refused any help from any laboratories. we have talked to many about what might be possible. there isa about what might be possible. there is a separate strand of work from the work that's going on in nhs laboratories and public health england laboratories to look at how that whole range of capacity can build up. that's the work being led by the office for life sciences on behalf of government and that's where we will aim to get the 100,000, or more than 100,000, from. that's critically important to get into a place over the coming and

weeks and those offers are obviously enormously appreciated and being looked at. let's cross to our assistant political editor norman smith. the prime minister is taking a lot of fla k the prime minister is taking a lot of flak over this issue of testing. he's telling us that testing is the a nswer he's telling us that testing is the answer but fundamentally top people are saying, mrjohnson, tell us something we don't know. so when are we going to get more specifics from the prime ministerfrom we going to get more specifics from the prime minister from the government on when greater numbers of tests can actually rolled out?|j thought it was interesting in the video which the prime minister posted, he didn't mention this 25,000 target that we have heard from government ministers throughout this crisis. i think there was a sense that this is beginning to slip as they find it increasingly difficult to get the necessary tests. also interesting the prime minister himself chose to address theissue minister himself chose to address the issue of testing in this video because he knows it's absolutely

crucial. and more than that, the government is now under real pressure over its failure so far to deliver with just under 10,000 patients being tested per day and only 2000 nhs workers. notjust testing, but in other areas the government is under real pressure. the slow roll—out of ventilators, only 30 more are expected from next week. likewise a new testing centre at milton keynes is not yet fully operational. 0ne at milton keynes is not yet fully operational. one interesting thing we did get from the prime minister in his video, it's clear the government hope in terms of tackling the virus rests not with the current coronavirus test but with the separate proposed antibody test which will establish whether people have immunity from the virus. it's not up and running yet, it's in the development stage, but the government has ordered 3.5 million of those tests and the hope is that will enable ministers to establish whether people have built up an immunity to the virus and can, if you like, be released from the

lockdown. and it is that which the government believe could provide a way out of this crisis, and it's that which they are looking to mass test. it doesn't get you out of the current situation, where we know around a quarter of doctors currently have to stay away from work and self—isolate. it doesn't help in identifying people who have got coronavirus, so that the is of no use now but down the road the government believe that could be an exit strategy. norman smith, thank you. let's stay with the subject of testing. 0ur correspondent andy moore is at a testing centre near wembley. tell us what's been happening there so far because i believe there's been some confusion about who can actually turn up there to get a test for coronavirus. yes, this is the second day of testing at this facility at the ikea store in wembley in north london. it opens in about an hour. we have already seen about an hour. we have already seen a couple of members of the public

turning up at the gates and being turned back because this is not for members of the public. yesterday we saw quite a few long queues here that subsided later on but i think people werejoining the that subsided later on but i think people were joining the queue on the principle of, if you see a queue, join it, let's give it a go and try to get a test. but the testing bays behind me, you can see about five of them behind me, they are only for nhs staff, and only for those staff who have been invited to come here to get the test. again yesterday we saw doctors and nurses anxious to get back to the front line, who thought they might be able to get a test while they were off work but again they were turned away. they are expecting quite a lot of people here this morning. we have seen traffic cones be put out on the north circular nearby giving you the idea they expect quite a number of people. in those bays behind me, people. in those bays behind me, people will drive through. they will have a swab at the back of the

throat and the knows and then drive through. when you are through the queue the process itself should be quite rapid. we are hearing at other centres around the country like this, for example at chessington world of adventures in surrey, while this centre was quite busy, that one a p pa re ntly this centre was quite busy, that one apparently was quite quiet, but it's only the second day, so i'm sure people running the centres will say they still have to bed the system in and it will improve. the government say there are 2000 tests of nhs staff so far and i hope to get 3000 by the end of today. andy moore in north london, thank you for that update. should more of us wear face masks to help slow the spread of coronavirus? advisers to the world health 0rganisation are weighing up recent research into whether a cough or sneeze can project the virus further than previously thought. 0ur science editor david shukman has more. how far can a sneeze travel? and would a mask help stop the spread of coronavirus? new research suggests

that the infection could be reaching further than previously thought. and now advisers to the world health organisation are weighing up the evidence. masks are suddenly becoming a common sight all around the globe, from supermarkets in california to police officers patrolling the streets of france. until now, the advice has been that healthy people don't need them unless caring for someone who may have the disease but that guidance may change. it might be that wearing a mask is equally as effective or more effect than distancing, provided that mask is worn properly and provided that people don't infect themselves when they are taking the mask off and touch another surface that may be contaminated. in germany, several regions want it to be compulsory for people to wear masks in public. for many, it makes a lot of common sense but experts say

it is vital to realise the masks don't offer total protection. in austria, the supermarkets are going to insist that everyone wears a mask but health professionals say they must be worn properly and the most important thing remains hygiene. above all, keeping your hands as clean as possible. a clothing factory in rome turns to making masks. demand is growing but one concern is that if the public snap up masks all over the world, that may make it harder for health workers to get hold of them. david shukman, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news... the prime minister says coronavirus testing needs to be coronavirus testing needs to be increased massively after it emerges just 2,000 frontline nhs workers in england have been tested. british airways is expected to suspend 36,000 workers until the coronavirus

crisis is over. almost one million people apply for universal credit in two weeks as financial concerns around the pandemic grow. let's take a look at some of the key developments around the world. in the united states, there have been 88a deaths in 2a hours, a new record. it takes the total death toll there to more than 5,000. the trump administration has warned the us appears to be on a similar trajectory as italy, where the death toll has exceeded 13,000 — the worst in the world. president trump also admitted that america is running out protective equipment for frontline health workers. and he says arrangements have been made to evacuate two cruise ships approaching florida — on which four people have died from coronavirus.

in europe, spain and france have both registered their worst daily fatality rates so far — 86a in spain, and 509 in france. but in italy, the country with the most deaths, fatalities dropped to 727 — the lowest figure in nearly a week. we'll have more on that in a moment. but first this report from our north america correspondent peter bowes. the new reality, drive through testing for the coronavirus in miami. florida is the latest state where people are being ordered to stay at home as the number of cases rise steeply. new york city is still the epicentre of the outbreak in the us. here the restrictions on movement have been tightened further, with playgrounds shut down. health workers in the city say they are completely overwhelmed as they fight the rapid spread of the virus. hospitals are running out of

medications. some hospitals don't have protective gear for staff or family members of patients that come to the hospital. we are running out of medication, running out of equipment, and we are even running out of oxygen, which is something patients that have covid—19 need. stockpiles of emergency equipment and protective clothing are running low. there are reports the federal government and individual states are competing for supplies in a marketplace rife with profiteering and price gouging. president trump says supplies are being sent direct to hospitals by manufacturers and they will soon have a surplus of ventilators. we will fairly soon be ata ventilators. we will fairly soon be at a point where we have far more than we can use even after we stock pile for some future catastrophe which we hope doesn't happen. we will be distributing them, the extras, around the world will go to italy, france, spain, which is very ha rd italy, france, spain, which is very hard hit. america is also, unusually, on the receiving end of

humanitarian aid from russia. after a phone call between mr trump and president vladimir putin, medical supplies including ventilators were dispatched to new york. the us is braced for a wave of coronavirus cases on a scale similar to italy with up to a quarter of a million deaths. closing down flights between certain cities is being considered and the us government is reviewing its advice on the use of face masks. even a scarf used as a mask could help according to the president. his tone becoming more sombre every day. we are going to have a couple of weeks starting pretty much now, but especially a few days from now, that are going to be horrific. but even in the most challenging of times, americans, do not despair, we do not give interfere. we pulled together, we persevere and we overcome and we win. facing some of its darkest days, america hunkers down for the long haul. peter bbc news.

0ur correspondent gavin lee is in brussels. tell us about the numbers across europe. any particular hotspots for coronavirus right now? it's interesting, the total number of cases, more than half a million now, 513,000 cases across europe and of those 33,000 people have died of coronavirus and there are a number that have recovered, 80,000 people across europe have recovered so far. the biggest two countries, italy and spain, both where more than 100,000 people in both countries have tested positive. in italy, they are still pretty sure that curve is starting to drop and they are seeing the spread reducing even though they are still talking about a very high number of cases each day and in terms of the death toll, 800. we had the highest figure in spain that they have seen there. more than 800 people dying of coronavirus in spain

in 2a hours. the spread is still increasing. 7700 people yesterday, the spread still increasing. the government say they are reaching this peak and it will go down in a few days' time. in france they had another record number of deaths in a day, 509. prime minister edouard philippe said the french will not go through a sudden end of quarantine. it will be a very slow release because otherwise the number will shoot back up. let's go to some other countries where there have been notable developments. in greece, they have a micro camp there about an hour from athens, greece, they have a micro camp there about an hourfrom athens, a pregnant woman was taken to hospital in labour yesterday. she was tested positive for coronavirus. she gave birth, she was without symptoms, and then they tested in the camp, 16 migrant men tested and 20 found to have coronavirus. again, they did not have symptoms, but it is worrying because it is the first time migrant camps into greece have

been tested. big debates being had around europe particularly in germany today, data tracking on locations on your mobile phone. if you look on the bbc news website you can see how that works in places like china. it is a question of privacy and in slovenia they have said in the last 2a hours they will not go that way because it amounts toa not go that way because it amounts to a police state, looking at where people are and if they are breaking cu rfew. people are and if they are breaking curfew. it is interesting to see how other countries are reacting and what responses they are taking. to pick up on a couple of those, where you are in belgium, supermarkets are on strike. in finland they have decided social media influencers should be key workers during the pandemic. here in belgium, a country of just over 12 pandemic. here in belgium, a country ofjust over 12 million people, but they are in the top ten in terms of they are in the top ten in terms of the highest number of cases testing

positive for coronavirus with 14,000. one of the biggest supermarkets in belgium, it is understood today that workers in a number of supermarkets in brussels and elsewhere have gone on strike because they say they are not being given any protective equipment. it is only those working in fruit and veg being given blue gloves to wear, and they feel threatened. they are front—line workers, and being praised around the country, and that is causing friction. in finland it is causing friction. in finland it is fascinating to stop one of the youngest prime minister is in the world there has declared that adding to doctors, food suppliers and grocery workers, essential staff in the pharmaceutical industry and energy sectors, add to that, social media influencers. the government there has said these people are key to getting the message out to young people in the country and elsewhere, about washing your hands and face masks. it's about being up—to—date with modern targeting and understanding what is spreading the

word. so social media influencers in finland are classed as key workers now. fascinating to hear about those there are elements from gavin lee in brussels. —— make those developments. charities have warned that they're running out of money. their shops are closed, fundraising events are cancelled and donations are down. the head of stjohn ambulance says they'll be out of money by august if they don't get help from the government — and the national council for voluntary organisations has estimated that the coronavirus will cost charities £4 billion. so how are they coping? well let's speak now to the heads of some of those affected. with me isjo carter, ceo of variety, the children's charity. also i'm joined by carol iddon, deputy ceo of action for children. thank you for taking the time to

talk to us. carol, you have made an emergency appeal because you are concerned about funding. we have launched our emergency appeal, and that's primarily targeted at being able to provide the basic essentials forfamilies that able to provide the basic essentials for families that are experiencing financial difficulty. food, nappies, electricity and gas, that sort of thing. in terms of money, we estimate our fundraising income thing. in terms of money, we estimate ourfundraising income is likely to drop by about 40%. we have had to cancel events. we have also had to cancel events. we have also had to cancel events. we have also had to close some of our nurseries that we run. we have 17 of them closed. we are not receiving income in relation to those nurseries. we are still receiving income from local authorities for services that we provide on their behalf, like children's homes, disability services. there is a commitment to that continuing but we are also

starting to pick up signals from the public sector that they may have to review that situation at the end of the first quarter depending on how long the current crisis is likely to go on. a really difficult situation for you and all your workers dealing with people who are disadvantaged already. at variety gb you are working with disabled and disadvantaged children and young people, jo. how is your work being affected so far? as carol has said, our work has also been hugely affected. the primary focus now is to adapt as well as we can to make sure our beneficiaries are supported in their new need, essentially. families are facing huge challenges from the restrictions that are placed on them. when a child has additional needs, whether it's a physical disability, or a learning disability, the stress that can

cause is immense. families are under huge pressure and they are struggling to cope. carol, are your front line workers trying to still visit families in need while maintaining the social distancing rules ? maintaining the social distancing rules? we are switching and changing the ways we support families so we are using much more online and digital approaches where it is appropriate to do so. we are still making physical contact with families, where we deliver food parcels, electricity cards and that sort of thing. 0bviously staff are maintaining social distancing and taking the right precautions when they need to do so. i think the other real concern is the charity sector is the back—up to the public sector is the back—up to the public sector and the nhs. asjo was saying, some of the children we work with have profound disabilities and health needs and if we are not there to support them and to put their families through support measures, then they will become a burden and a

pressure on the nhs and on the public sector that's already creaking and under pressure. so we are creaking and under pressure. so we a re really creaking and under pressure. so we are really important in making sure the nhs and the statutory services are protected. and if we are not supported then that safety net will go and the pressure will build on statutory agencies. absolutely. i wa nt to statutory agencies. absolutely. i want to ask both of you, beginning withjo, do you feel the charity sector has somewhat fallen between the gaps and is left behind in all of this? we have heard announcement of this? we have heard announcement of support from the government for various sectors and do you think the charity sector has been somewhat fo rg otte n ? charity sector has been somewhat forgotten? i think we need to see the government start to recognise that charities do plug the gap. the government can't be complacent about this sector's ability to continue without extra funding. as carol says, we have to be there to pick up

the pieces, to support families when they are most in need, and families are most in need more than ever right now and the government absolutely has to recognise that. have you had any contact from ministers to express this directly to them? i am part of various different forums as the ceo of a charity and we think is an industry we have been making our feelings and needs heard. we are taking advice from our charity bodies who have been trying hard to get messages heard. and the response so far? the response so heard. and the response so far? the response so far has been unclear, to be honest. ithink response so far has been unclear, to be honest. i think the response so far has been unclear, to be honest. ithink the main response so far has been unclear, to be honest. i think the main thing the government can do is recognise the government can do is recognise the support we need and make support available to us clear so we all know as charities what it is we can actually access and how we access it quickly. carol, a similar question to you, what do you want to see from government and what response have

you had, ifany, so government and what response have you had, if any, so far? we wrote to the chancellor yesterday outlining our concerns about the sector and the need for government to recognise, as jo the need for government to recognise, asjo has said, without the charity sector and without us there to plug the gap, the public purse will suffer even further and the pressure on the nhs and public sector will be catastrophic. that might sound like an exaggeration, but we supported 380,000 children and young families last year, and other charities will have similar figures. without those charities being there and the government being unclear and continuing to be unclear about what support they will give us and what support we can access, then we will have a real problem the longer this crisis goes on. and children and families, older people, those with disabilities, they will all suffer as a consequence of this.

thank you to you both and best wishes as you continue to try to do your work. let me tell you at 8pm this evening, on the bbc, we will be live again as people around the country once again show their support for the health service. now it's time for a look at the weather. here's matt taylor. very good morning to you. bit of a change across the uk, drastic changes but fairly typical of spring. 0ver across the uk, drastic changes but fairly typical of spring. over the next 36 hours, temperatures drop, these are the values for friday, northerly wind, look what happens by sunday, wind from the south, most places see temperatures in mid to

high teens if not low 20s. 0ut there at the moment some sunny spells in the east, plenty of cloud around especially southern and western areas, rain showers coming and going throughout the day, those showers turning wintry across scotland widely as temperatures drop. here at the strongest of the winds on a fairly blustery day, winds gusting 50-78 fairly blustery day, winds gusting 50—78 miles an hour. that will make it feel closer to freezing, temperatures around four or 5 degrees, milder day than yesterday across central and eastern england, especially where you get sunshine later. tonight the colder air marches southwards, some parts of northern ireland, western england and wales see cloud, showers, temperatures above freezing, but scotland, northern and eastern england, frosty started to friday. see you soon.

this hello, this is bbc news with annita mcveigh. the headlines...

the prime minister says coronavirus testing needs to be increased massively — after it emerges just 2,000 frontline nhs workers in england have been tested. british airways is expected to suspend 36,000 workers — until the coronavirus crisis is over. almost one—million people apply for universal credit in two weeks — as financial concerns around the pandemic grow. the world health organisation says the world will reach one million coronavirus cases in the next few days. in the us 5,000 americans have now died from covid—19 — there's a warning that the country could be on the same trajectory as italy. it's time for export now, let's talk

to mike. breaking rugby news. tell us more. “— to mike. breaking rugby news. tell us more. —— it's time for the sport now. positive sports news away from anything to do with coronavirus, concerning england head coach eddie jones who has agreed a contract extension that will keep in the job potentially until the world cup in france in 2023. current contract was due to expire next summer, august 2021. really been rewarded for getting england to the world cup final last year. sport was being played. they had the famous wins over australia and new zealand before losing in the final to south africa but overall since taking over at the end of 2015 his win ratio has been 75%, that's why england were very keen to tie him down to a longer contract that should take on two 0ctober longer contract that should take on two october 2023. if he stays that long, he has agreed this deal, that would make him the longest serving england head coach of all time, even overtaking and eclipsing the world cup winning coach sir clive

woodward. another big day for english football as it deals with coronavirus. this is about players and their wages, pretty controversial, isn't it? big talking point, very big 48 hours ahead you feel for premier league clubs and their players, they had this meeting with associations like the players football association, the league managers association, the english football league and the professional premier league yesterday, that meeting set to continue today. as yet, no blanket agreement for premier league players on big wages to ta ke premier league players on big wages to take a big wage cut but there is increasing pressure to do so. growing donations for clubs that have opted so far to use the governments tax payer retention scheme, as it battles coronavirus and football is off until next month at the earliest, probably longer than that, some big clubs have announced they are putting i suppose nonplaying staff on to leave and reducing their salaries but as yet,

no blanket agreement on wage reductions for the premier league stars. will they follow, the likes of barcelona, juventus, that is the expectation at some point and some english clubs like leeds in the championship and birmingham have had wage deferrals, it is expected in the next 48 are some announcement was coming. 0k, mike, thank you very much for that. you've been contacting us in your thousands with questions about covid—19. we're going to do our best now to answer some of them now — on the bbc‘s your questions answered. with me is professor mark harris, professor of virology at university of leeds. and dr rebecca cooper, who's a public health consultant and former hospital doctor.

good morning to you as well. let's begin with you, mark. question from steve who asks on the limited occasions the uk general public venture outdoors, shouldn't people be wearing face masks? interesting question because we'd been talking today about new research which suggests droplets from coughs and sneezes might spread further than originally suggested. of course when we go outside we should stay at least two metres from anyone else and that's the minimum so i think we need to be staying as far as possible from other people. of course face masks might play a role in reducing that spread even further but i think we have to look at this in the context of what's happening in the context of what's happening in the health service. in the health service at the moment we have a real need for personal protective equipment, especially ice masks and i think all of us would agree that people who need face masks most are those in the front line dealing with

patients and helping with the effo rts patients and helping with the efforts to combat this disease. in an ideal world, if we had enough facemasks maybe we could all wear them but i think we have to be pragmatic about that and keep our distance and that will be the most important aspect of combating this disease at this stage. 0k, doctor cooper, question from susan next who asks why is it that germany can test half a million people a week and here in the uk we can't even test 10,000 per day? this is a big, big topic today as we wait to hear what more the government is going to say about trying to increase the numbers of people tested. yes, thank you for your question and as you say it's something that's been talked about a lot and i think is this outbreak continues and as we get to the end of this outbreak we will look back on how we first tried to tackle the outbreak in the uk. when we first started the science and the outbreak —— government started the science and the outbreak “ government were started the science and the outbreak —— government were looking at protecting the vulnerable and

elderly, letting the virus circulate in the population. it has subsequently moved to suppression of the virus but in the beginning, testing wasn't high on the list and it is now but we've gone to a global market, demand for the test is very, very high and so we have to wait in line, if you like for the tests but they are now being delivered. the other thing is lab capacity and for various reasons, the capacity of laboratories is less than that of germany and we have to be aware that currently, it's taking about 24 hours to turn around the test. i've heard today a machine from cambridge that looks like it's going to be 90 minutes to turnaround a test result, that's in its initial stages. i note there are going to be three more laboratories severed over the weekend but the combination being late of the starting block, ordering the supply of tests, combined with our laboratory capacity means currently at the moment we are

testing fewer people than germany, albeit a super minister says, we are looking to increase it substantially but i think there are lessons to be learned. and move forward as fast as possible. big questions that will have to be examined in due course but very briefly put more private la bs but very briefly put more private labs be brought in to try to help the average, to get the numbers up? yes, i think all options are being looked at. i think as i said, they are now looking at opening three new labs over the weekend which will initially do 800 tests. i think all nhs chief executives have been written to and ask the labs within their hospitals and a capacity to do covid19 their hospitals and a capacity to do covid 19 testing. every option is being looked at but as i said, the lab capacity in our country has diminished over previous years and we need to look at scaling up as fa st we need to look at scaling up as fast as we can. mark, question from rich who asks can ijust say something about the last question before we move on? please do. just

to tell you there are lots of staffs in university labs across the country who are very well trained and can work with tests involved. we have put forward a number of people, many listed people have gone forward from universities to the nhs to public health england of people who have the right skills. these are the people desperate to help and they are sitting there waiting to help because of university labs are closed down at the moment. this is a human resource we absolutely have to use and use as quickly as possible to allow these tests to continue. are you saying the right level of coordination is just not happening? u nfortu nately coordination is just not happening? unfortunately that seems to be the case, we sent some lists, all universities sent lists of staff a couple of weeks ago, sorry, my phone is going. don't worry, these things happen, even on live tv. you said you sent lists of people a couple of weeks ago? yes, nothing yet has

happened, those people haven't been contacted, it's the time to act now, these people are desperate to help, they are sitting at home waiting to help out in the diagnostic labs, they need to use that resource. these lists were sent to the department of health? they were sent to the department of health, yes, by different universities. coming back to the question from rich who asks is the answer to the protection of the world people are vaccine? if it is, how far away is it, if not how are we going to rid the world of this virus? of course the ultimate a nswer this virus? of course the ultimate answer in the long term is a vaccine, of course, that's the a nswer to vaccine, of course, that's the answer to most infectious diseases. there are many studies going on across the world, at least 40 different studies to try and develop a vaccine for this virus. i think i'm very confident we will be successful in that regard. but it's going to take time, it's going to ta ke going to take time, it's going to take at least a year, maybe longer to get the vaccine and is fully approved and tested, safe, there is approved and tested, safe, there is a lot of concern across the world

about vaccines at the moment and people not taking vaccines because they don't believe they are safe so we have to convince people we have a safe vaccine and that will be the way forward. there are other things we can do, you can try and develop antiviral drugs and for viruses like hepatitis c or hiv, we had very effective antiviral drugs. that's another way in which we can tackle this virus, we can try to cure people who are infected by treating them with drugs. vaccines are prevention, drugs are cure, we need to try and develop both of those. which route is fastest at the moment, which one will happen first, the antiviral drugs with a vaccine? i think the antiviral drugs will happen first, there is already a trial started in the uk, funded by our company called gilead who have a drug that has been tested in 15 different locations. it seems to show great activity across the virus in the lab but that doesn't

necessarily mean it will work on the virus in patients but if it does, that would be a great move forward, a drug that we can use to treat patients. really interesting. rebecca, a question from yvonne who asks we all applaud the work of the nhs but the social care workforce which is huge is being overlooked. why are we not being tested? excellent question because it speaks to keeping that pressure off hospitals at a time when we note they are already under huge pressure even before we get to the peak of this virus? absolutely, the short answer is you should be tested and it was said in a press briefing this is absolutely the case, front line workers should be tested, it goes back to the previous question, i'm afraid. which we were talking about, how many tests we can actually do a day currently and we are talking about lab capacity and it's interesting to hear universities have put forward lab capacity and that hasn't been responded to yet. also in terms of the number of tests. we are looking at front line

health care workers being tested and again, this weekend, they are talking about testing symptomatic health care workers, doctors and nurses, or if they are living with people who are symptomatic. it's really important we do the antigen testing to see if these people have the virus or not and if we know that, once they recovered they can get back to the front line as soon as possible but that doesn't mean social care workers aren't absolutely a priority, it'sjust social care workers aren't absolutely a priority, it's just the numberof absolutely a priority, it's just the number of test we can get out as soon as number of test we can get out as soon as possible. i'm going to try and get through a few more questions, we might have to keep our questions, we might have to keep our questions and answers a little briefer but sharon asks, and antibody test to discover whether a person has had covid 19, antibody test to discover whether a person has had covid19, has this been used anywhere in the world or it does such a test currently exist? the test exists, it's been evaluated, excuse me. in 0xford, i believe, at the moment, i believe the government has bought three and a half million of these tests, this will be critical for testing to see

whether people are safe to go back to work if they've been infected. and they recovered. they can go back to work with some degree of confidence. rebecca, if nhs staff are tested today and the result is negative, what stops them getting the virus tomorrow? will they be tested every day asks gillian? good question. very good, quickly, the answer is nothing to stop them getting the virus tomorrow, if they don't have it today and they are on the front line. i think they should be tested once they start demonstrating symptoms and that hopefully is the plan very soon, moving forward, this weekend and they can know if they had the symptoms, self isolate and go back on the front line but the answer is if you don't have the virus to date you can get it tomorrow, that's the simple answer. david asks mark why do some people refer to coronavirus and some call it covid 19? do some people refer to coronavirus and some call it covid19? very simple, coronavirus is the virus. covid 19 is the name of the disease, it's a bit like hiv and aids, hiv is the virus that causes aids. rebecca,

question from jackie, my son is works in a&e and is expecting twins in august, is it safe for her still to be working? good question, the royal college of obstetrics and gynaecologists issued guidance on this, the first thing i should say is women who are pregnant, it's entirely their choice whether they work on the front line or not, their choice has to be respected. if they are less than 28 weeks pregnant, as long as all precautionary measures are put in place, good hygiene, social distancing, the guidance is you can work on the front line. after 28 weeks or if you have an underlying health condition the advice is you don't work on the front line and you stay at home. clear advice there. mark, front line and you stay at home. clearadvice there. mark, one front line and you stay at home. clear advice there. mark, one or more for you from margaret. i feel we talked about this last week when we talked about this last week when we did a session like this but it bears repeating. how can i make sure food delivered to my home is free of the virus? some is covered in

packaging, packaging can be wiped down but what about this fruit and vegetables? i think loose fruit and vegeta bles vegetables? i think loose fruit and vegetables should be washed normally and then stored as you would normally store them of course. if you are cooking the vegetables that would inactivate any virus that was potentially there but i think this isa potentially there but i think this is a very low risk, most likely your fruit and vegetables have been packed by someone wearing gloves under appropriate conditions. no one has looked to see how long the virus persists on vegetables or fruit but i suspect it would not be very long. thank you both so much for getting through as many questions as we did this morning. all really interesting from our viewers, thank you to you for sending them on and thank you both professor mark and doctor rebecca for answering those questions. the prison officers association has told the bbc that more than 8,000 prison staff are off work and self—isolating because of the coronavirus outbreak. that's roughly a quarter

of total prison staff. so far two prisoners have died with coronavirus and 15 officers have tested positive for the disease, and with a shortage of staff and ppe equipment, concerns have been raised of the safety of those who live and work in prisons across the uk. mark fairhurst is national chair of the prison officers association. good morning to you and when we spoke about a week ago you were telling me about the challenges prison officers are facing during this pandemic. is the situation getting worse week on week?m this pandemic. is the situation getting worse week on week? it seems to be escalating quite rapidly. we have over 8600 staff at home self isolating. we now have 16 staff diagnosed with covid19, 1200 prisoners self isolating and over 70 prisoners self isolating and over 70 prisoners who had covid19, it seems to be spreading. we are doing a

commendablejob to be spreading. we are doing a commendable job in trying to to be spreading. we are doing a commendablejob in trying to prevent that spread but i think the key now is to prioritise testing of staff so we can get back to work and we are not putting people at risk when we are on duty. absolutely, the social ca re are on duty. absolutely, the social care sector, front line workers, prison officers, another sector crying out for testing. until that comes, has there been any improvement in the supply of personal protection equipment? despite reports that we've actually received 50,000 sets which are at regional hubs, i'm still getting reports from the front line throughout the entire country that highlights that ppe is in short supply and only being used sparingly when we think somebody is showing symptoms of covid 19. we needed is a matter of urgency, we are putting ourselves at risk, our families at risk and prisoners at risk. it's unacceptable. if there is a central supply sitting somewhere as you suggest, why is that not getting out

to prisons? quite simply it's getting rationed, we are only allowed to use ppe when we are dealing with someone who is displaying signs of covid 19 but think about the high security is tight, when staff and the front line have to search everybody coming into a prison? they are not wearing ppe at all so what is getting passed on? we need to know what's coming in and out and that's why testing is vital, we need to get our finger out and get front line staff including the nhs, tested with immediate effect. how many people are coming into presence? visiting her stop, hasn't it? when you think staff have got to come in but we've also got the ridiculous situation that education providers are insisting that their staff remain on site. they are not key workers, not front line staff, we don't need them on—site, they are putting themselves at risk, address, is at risk and putting the general public at risk. get them out, get them working from home, producing activity packs for prisoners, get them out of our prisons now, it's

absolutely ridiculous. where does that decision, order, need to come from? i would ask the education providers to make the sensible decision and withdraw their staff from prisons, we don't need them on site. what's your view, as has been suggested in recent days, on the early release of some prisoners to relieve that pressure in jails? is that something you think is a good idea? i think there's been a very sensible decision made by the secretary of state in relation to female prisoners, especially those who are pregnant and only he can make the decision about an executive release. we would welcome any measures at all that relieves the pressure on our members at the front line, creating the additional space so we can self isolate people in a single cell and do the sensible thing by everybody if it's needed. to relieve the pressure and get rid of this spread of this covid19. so we would welcome any of those measures and we would support any decision that's made by robert buckland. mark, thank you very much

for your time. millions of people across the uk are expected to take part in a co—ordinated round of applause this evening for the key workers who are risking their own health to care for the sick and keep the country running. it follows the success of last thursday's ‘clap for our carers‘ — which saw huge numbers of people taking to their doorsteps, windows and balconies to show their appreciation for nhs staff. john maguire has the story. applause. when under attack by an invisible foe, determined to drive us apart, we come together. cheering. car horns honk. we are constantly told that these are unprecedented times but, day after day, nhs staff are prepared to step up. 0ur role, a job for each and every one of us, is to support them. we just want to say a massive thank you to everyone at the nhs.

you're working so hard and you're really putting yourselves out there for all of us at home. # too many broken hearts in the world. # too many dreams can be broken in two #. to hear people from a few streets away banging on their saucepans and the whoops and the cheers and claps remind you that there's lots of life out there even though we're not really seeing anyone. thank you with all our hearts to all the people working in the nhs, all the workers, all the volunteers and notjust the nurses. what an amazing thing you're doing now. when this is all over and done with, i'm coming to kiss each one of you on the lips, so puckerup! for the vast majority of us, coronavirus will mean mild symptoms, feeling out of sorts. for others it can pose a mortal threat, but some who recovered are keen to give thanks where thanks are due.

i recently got ill with the virus and i'm grateful to have recovered. i'd like to say thank you to all of the nhs carers and key workers for playing a role in this. thank you nhs for looking after me. we are really proud of all of you, including the nurses, the doctors, the porters, all those who work in care homes and the ambulance teams. let's get your protective equipment and your tests from the government soon. anything to say, girls? thank you. thank you, nhs. from the young and from the older. mark bowden's dad jack, 99 years young, has beaten it. i'm clapping very, very loudly for the nhs. i'd like to say a huge thank you for all the nurses and the doctors at royal bolton hospital, in particular ward d4. they've been looking after my father jack bowden, who is fast approaching his 99th birthday. he's been in and out of hospital now for the last two weeks as he tested positive with covid—19. i've heard today that he is doing fa ntastically well. it looks like he's making a full recovery and apparently today

the nurse said that he was sat up out of bed. we, the staff at lewisham endoscopy theatres, are thanking you for clapping for the nhs. now we are clapping and saying thank you for staying at home. applause. from holby city to casualty to er, for years we've made weekly dates with medics. well, tonight, make another one. eight o'clock, to applaud and to thank the real stars. john maguire, bbc news. let's catch up with the weather. here matt taylor. hello. we are set to experience both sides of spring over the next few days. bit of a chill in the next 36 hours, in northern and eastern areas, warm up on the way for this weekend, feel of late spring by the time we had sunday but lets put numbers under

that. in the northerly winds on friday, temperatures for many in single figures, and chill in the north and east, but on sunday we flip the wind direction to the south, most mid to high teens, low 20s. sunny spells across central and eastern areas through the day, more cloud in the west, some sunny moments, chance of a few rain showers now and then. showers turning increasingly wintry over the north of scotland, the strongest winds, fairly blustery day across the country, touching gale force, 68 mile an hour gusts, may even more, feeling sub zero. further south, slightly milder than yesterday, went from the west, colder air will be on its march southwards. through tonight, pushing south, holding on tonight, pushing south, holding on to cloud and slightly milder weather to cloud and slightly milder weather to the south and west of england and wales, northern ireland. produce above freezing, fought northern england, some frost, sunshine into friday morning. gradually carrying over during the day, some showers

around especially in the west, wintry in northern scotland, the wind easing. afternoon for most cloudier than the morning, starting to see what sunshine develop across the south—west later. away from city centres temperatures in single figures. the change this weekend comes as high—pressure moves from the west to the east, winds going clockwise we started to introduce southeasterly flows, overnight rain in the north and west of scotland, lingering into the afternoon across shetland. elsewhere one or two showers, most places try, best of the sunshine in england and wales in the sunshine in england and wales in the morning, more cloud into the afternoon, temperatures back above double figures once again. it gets warmer into sunday, this low— pressure warmer into sunday, this low—pressure system in, meaning the wind will strengthen on sunday relative to saturday. some rain in the far north—west of scotland, some showers in the west later, sunshine turning hazy but for most, blue sky day, temperatures in the high teens if low 20s. good day to get the windows open, if you are in the garden, don't forget stay at home,

added complication on sunday, tree pollen levels will be up especially in england and wales.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the uk prime minister says coronavirus testing needs to be increased massively after it emerges just 2,000 frontline nhs workers in england have been tested. this is the way through. this is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle. this is how we will defeat it in the end. british airways is expected to suspend 36,000 workers until the coronavirus crisis is over. the world health organisation says the the world will reach one million coronavirus cases in the next few days. in the us, 5,000 americans have now died from covid—19, as fears grow over a nationwide shortage of protective gear there.

almost one million people apply for the social security payment universal credit in two weeks in the uk as financial concerns around the pandemic grow. a glimmer of hope for italy — the world's worst affected country — as fatalities drop to the lowest figure in nearly a week. hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world, for all the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic. here in britain, the government is facing mounting criticism over its testing strategy for lagging behind some other countries.

the prime minister has promised to "ramp up" the process so that healthworkers who are self—isolating unnecessarily can return to work. it comes after it was revealed that only 2,000 out of half a million frontline health staff in england have been tested so far. in other news — as the airline industry continues to struggle, british airways is expected to announce later that it is suspending thousands of its employees. in a sign of the pandemic‘s financial impact on uk households, 950,000 people have successfully applied for benefit payments in the past two weeks — almost ten times the average. in the united states, there have been 884 deaths in 24 hours, a new record. it takes the total death toll there to more than 5,000. president trump has admitted that the government's strategic reserves of protective equipment

and medical supplies to combat the coronavirus are nearly exhausted. in russia, the number of cases has risen by almost 800 over the past 24 hours — that's the biggest dailyjump there. but there could be promising signs coming out of italy — the world's worst affected country — where fatalities dropped to their lowest daily figure in nearly a week. our first report on the situation here in the uk is from our correspondent dan johnson. quite an amazing job... the prime minister, isolating after testing positive himself, couldn't have been clearer. i want to say a special word about testing because it so important and as i have said for weeks and weeks, this is the way through. this is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle, this is how we will defeat it in the end. nhs staff have been queueing around the block to get tested to see if they are safe to go back to work, but this is just a trial.

we are still way behind some other countries and the government's own ambition to reach 25,000 tests a day. this hospital in cambridge is the first to try a new bedside testing machine, which gives results in an hour and a half instead of a whole day, and it can be reused, potentially a real game changer. turning repeated promises into actual test results is a challenge facing the health secretary matt hancock, as he gets back to his desk this morning after his own week of isolation. getting enough personal protective equipment, ppe, to front line medical staff is the other key issue. increasing testing capacity is absolutely the government's top priority. we are now at 10,000 tests a day, we are rolling out additional networks of labs and testing sites and in terms of phe, over the last two weeks, 390 million products had been distributed, and of course we will continue to do more. the figures reach new highs each

day — 563 people died in the last 24 hours. across the uk, the virus has now claimed 2,352 lives. and the economic impact is also unyielding. in the last fortnight, nearly one million people claimed universal credit. ten times the number for a normal two—week period. airlines have suffered and british airways is now close to a deal that will mean 80% of its staff — that's 36,000 cabin crew, ground staff and head office workers — going unpaid. they are not being made redundant but they will rely on the government paying most of their wages until planes can fly again. coming together like this feels precious in these strange disjointed days, so tonight, it'll happen again. a show of strength and support for nhs workers, medics and carers, some we now know giving their lives to this relentless,

exhausting and deadly virus. dan johnson, bbc news. professor paul cosford, who is the emeritus medical director at public health england explained why more frontline health workers are not being tested. of course the tests are focused on the people who are ill, making absolutely sure that all of that is being done and needed. and then working the way of getting nhs staff into testing and using the extra capacity for nhs staff. that's something happening at an individual hospital basis and across the nhs. so that's the core priority at the moment, to make sure all that capacity is used for nhs staff where it's not needed for patients

who desperately need the tests to help with their diagnosis and treatment. it's another difficult milestone for the united states — confirmation that more than 5,000 people have now died because of covid—19, with more than 200,000 known to have been infected. around half of those are in new york state. florida has become the latest state to issue a stay—at—home order. it comes as president trump says the us federal government's reserve of protective equipment and medical supplies for tackling coronavirus is almost exhausted. 0ur north america correspondent peter bowes reports. the new reality, drive—through testing for the coronavirus in miami. florida is the latest state where people have been ordered to stay at home as the number of cases rise steeply. new york city is still the epicentre of the outbreak in the us. here the restrictions on movement have been tightened further, with playgrounds shut down. health workers in the city say they are completely overwhelmed as they fight the rapid spread of the virus. hospitals are running

out of medications. some hospitals don't have protective gear for staff or family members of patients that come to the hospital. we're running out of medication, running out of equipment, and we are even running out of oxygen, which is something patients that have covid—19 need. stockpiles of emergency equipment and protective clothing are running low. there are reports the federal government and individual states are competing for supplies in a marketplace rife with profiteering and price gouging. president trump says supplies are being sent direct to hospitals by manufacturers and there will soon be a surplus of ventilators. we will fairly soon be at a point where we have far more than we can use even after we stock pile for some future catastrophe which we hope doesn't happen. we will be distributing them, the extras, around the world. we'll go to italy, france, spain, which is very hard hit. america is also, unusually, on the receiving end

of humanitarian aid, from russia. after a phone call between mr trump and president putin, medicalsupplies, including ventilators, were dispatched to new york. the us is braced for a wave of coronavirus cases on a scale similar to italy, with up to a quarter of a million deaths. closing down flights between certain cities is being considered and the us government is reviewing its advice on the use of face masks. even a scarf used as a mask could help, according to the president. his tone becoming more sombre every day. we're going to have a couple of weeks starting pretty much now, but especially a few days from now, that are going to be horrific. but even in the most challenging of times, americans do not despair, we do not give in to fear. we pull together, we persevere and we overcome and we win. facing some of its darkest days, america hunkers down for the long haul.

peter bowes, bbc news. over to russia and the number of coronavirus cases there has gone up by almost 800 over the past 24 hours. it's the biggest daily jump in the country. more than 3500 cases have been diagnosed so far. 30 people are confirmed to have died, six of them in the latest 24 hours. the authorities said covid—19 had now spread to most regions. russia initially sought to downplay its outbreak but this week passed a series of strict measures aimed at slowing down its spread. there's been a glimmer of hope for italy as fatalities drop to the lowest figure in nearly a week. the country remains the world's worst affected, with more than 13,000 deaths. the government said it is on the right track, and that the drastic restrictions imposed on italians were starting to yield results. the european commission has today

announced a 100 billion euro package for countries hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak. it'll help the likes of italy and spain to keep businesses afloat and workers in jobs. it comes a day after italy's prime minister giuseppe conte pleaded for support to cushion the european economy from what he described as the "tsunami—like" impact of the coronavirus outbreak. writing in germany's die zeit, he said, "if we are a union, now is the time to prove it." so how far will the 100 billion euro package help? luigi scazzieri, a research fellow at the centre for european reform, and has just written a piece on the risks to the eu of the crisis in italy. good morning. first of all, how far will this 100 billion euros money go? i think so far this remains a proposal, so we will see how exactly

it shapes up. the idea is the european commission, member states, will put forward guarantees allowing the commission to raise money on capital markets. if we look at the headline figure right now, the 100 billion, it strikes me as rather small given the number of unemployed that are expected in light of the huge economic shock facing not only italy but the eurozone as a whole. i would say the proposal also strikes me in would say the proposal also strikes meina would say the proposal also strikes me in a way as an attempt to deflect attention from some of the more controversial debates that have taken hold in the past few days over things like for example corona bonds that have reopened old wounds between the eurozone's north in member states and the southern ones. of course member states have to finance the package in the first instance. will there be any issues around that and politically, how important is it that this money is, i guess, spread out fairly and more

money follows? i think the key challenge is to make sure all member states are able... to run as normally as possible as soon as to run as normally as possible as soon as possible. and of course, while some member states will be able to take on new debt to do that without many problems, others such as italy face much greater challenges in doing so. so the idea, and what has been so controversial, is that in theory the most appropriate way to do this would be to ta ke appropriate way to do this would be to take on new debt at european level, but that's exactly what is proving so difficult. and how is that going to be sorted out, how are the countries which have different views on this depending on whether you are talking about italy, which does like the idea of these corona bonds, but that is opposed by

germany, austria, the netherlands, how will they come to accommodation over this? my worry is they are not, and the eu will essentially do too little, too late, perhaps enough to keep italy a float but not enough to change its current political trajectory and diffuse anti—euro, and teu forces that have also emerged in other member states. i think their response to this, the initial response... going ahead, if member states can't see a way ahead than i would be very worried for the future of the european project. interesting points raised, thank you for speaking to us from the centre for speaking to us from the centre for european reform. 0ur correspondent andy moore is at a testing centre near wembley in north west london.

tell us what's been happening there and what will be happening because there has been some confusion over who exactly is eligible to come to that centre to have a test. yes, this is the second day of testing at the ikea store in north london. to show you what's going on, behind me you might be able to see the white tents, those are five drive in bays where people are being swabbed, a sample taken from the noes and back of the throat for testing. 0ver sample taken from the noes and back of the throat for testing. over this side you can see security as people are checked to see if they have an appointment to take these tests. it's only nhs staff who have received an e—mail and have been invited along, so we are still occasionally seeing members of the public coming along without an appointmentjust on spec. they are being turned away. also nhs members of staff are coming along without an

appointment and they are also being turned away. a short time ago we spoke to someone who was very angry and upset, he wanted to talk to us, and upset, he wanted to talk to us, and he proudly showed us his id card from the nhs and he said how upset he was about being turned away. when i asked him, he was about being turned away. when iasked him, didn't he was about being turned away. when i asked him, didn't he understand that perhaps this had to be an organised process he said, why don't the testers come to us? his view was that people working in the nhs really needed to be tested and as soon as really needed to be tested and as soon as possible. it's the second day, and it seems to be a bit more organised here at the moment. this time yesterday there were long queues but it seems to be more organised here. there are test centres like this across the country, there is another one at chessington world of adventure in surrey. apparently, it was much more quiet there yesterday. another car has just been turned away. and another one behind it being allowed in. this process, gradually bedding down as we react to this incredible

and overwhelming new situation. andy moore in north london, thank you. the headlines on bbc news... the british prime minister says coronavirus testing needs to be increased massively after it emerges just 2,000 frontline nhs workers in england have been tested. british airways is expected to suspend 36,000 workers until the coronavirus crisis is over. the world health organisation says the the world will reach one million coronavirus cases in the next few days. president trump says the us "has to help" two coronavirus—stricken cruise ships approaching florida. on one of them, the zaandam, four people who'd caught covid—19 have died, including 75—year—old john carter, whose widow's been isolated on board since his death. the ships are awaiting clearance to dock in the southeastern state after several countries refused permission.

let's speak now to andrew rae, in london. his parents are currently stranded on the zaandam. also i'm joined by magdalena glazik, her parents tried to postpone their trip due to fears but were reassured by the cruise line that they would be safe and well before departing. thank you forjoining us at this time, stress upon stress of worrying about your parents. andrew, have you managed to speak to your parents since we heard the news from the united states from president trump that they are trying to sort out the situation so ships can be allowed to dock? i speak to them every day and i'm probably speaking to them more than i would normally would at the moment. 0bviously than i would normally would at the moment. obviously we are very worried about them and they are very worried about them and they are very worried themselves. and they are still on the ms zaandam? yes, they

are. what is life there like? presumably they are in their cabin? they have been in isolation since the 22nd. it's basically on lockdown. they do have a balcony to get out and see the sea so they are keeping relentlessly upbeat and trying to stay healthy while on board. i will come back to win a moment, andrew. magdalena, your pa rents were moment, andrew. magdalena, your parents were on the sand down but we re parents were on the sand down but were transferred onto sister ship the rotterdam, i believe. when did you last managed to speak to them? the day before yesterday. when did you last managed to speak to your pa rents ? you last managed to speak to your parents? the day before yesterday. sorry, i didn't catch that before. they tried to postpone this cruise and they were reassured that things would be ok. clearly they weren't, so would be ok. clearly they weren't, so how do they feel about the situation they now find themselves

in? they are in good health but very stressed and upset that they were assured all measurements were taken to make sure everything would be fine. they had the correspondents saying the company had taken care of everything. i'm sure you can understand they are now extremely stressed and tired, they have been confined to their cabins for so many days and it's just confined to their cabins for so many days and it'sjust not confined to their cabins for so many days and it's just not the confined to their cabins for so many days and it'sjust not the holiday they were hoping for. how many days have they been at sea all told at this stage? from march seven, so nearly a month. is that something similar for your parents, nearly a month. is that something similarfor your parents, andrew? yes, the same. of course, because they started on the same crews will stop one set of parents still on the ms zaandam and the other set now on sister ship the rotterdam. both sets of pa rents sister ship the rotterdam. both sets of parents hoping to get to dry land again. magdalena, what have your

pa rents again. magdalena, what have your parents been told about the prospects of being able to get off the ship in florida potentially? my dad and his wife were e—mailed this morning by the consulate in miami saying they were working very hard to get them off the ship. they will probably be tested by medical staff and put through customs. and apparently put on a coach and taken straight to the airport. but that's all theory at the moment, there is no guarantee of anything. all we wa nt no guarantee of anything. all we want them to do is basically dock first. so we are waiting for news that the florida authorities let them dock, that's the most important thing at the minute. andrew, have your parents been told something similar about what might happen, do they have that level of detail? they have been told there is a meeting and the captain will speak to them at ten o'clock this morning their

time. the understanding at the moment is they should be able to port. i have been on twitter speaking to the commissioners over there and gradually they have all been softening their position about this. with trump coming out and speaking, iam this. with trump coming out and speaking, i am confident they will be able to land and get home very soon. be able to land and get home very soon. do you have any sense, would they be able to get onto a plane pretty quickly, or would they have to spend time in quarantine in the united states or would that quarantine period happen once they hopefully got back to the uk? we don't know any of those details yet. it seems the cruise company is having to arrange for everyone to get back home. that's what the port authority has asked for. but we will see, we don't know yet. magdalena, back to you. your parents were transferred, your dad and his wife we re transferred, your dad and his wife were transferred to the rotterdam because they were showing no sign of

coronavirus, isn't that right? yes. has everyone on board the rotterdam stayed healthy as far as they are aware or do they simply not know because of the restrictions on their movement? they are very restricted in the information. lots of information they get from the outside, from their families and what we have been able to get online. as far as i know everyone is 0k and the crew is working really ha rd 0k and the crew is working really hard to make them feel comfortable. we don't have any information as to who is ill or not on the rotterdam at the moment. but from the information i am getting, everyone is fine at this stage. they are very restricted in what they are told on there. magdalena and andrew, thank you both for your time. i'm sure we will stay in touch with you and find out what is happening. hopefully eve ryo ne out what is happening. hopefully everyone will get back home very soon everyone will get back home very soon and we will keep a close eye on that story. thank you so much and ta ke that story. thank you so much and take care. should more of us wear face masks to help slow

the spread of coronavirus? advisers to the world health 0rganisation are weighing up recent research into whether a cough or sneeze can project the virus further than previously thought. 0ur science editor david shukman has more. how far can a sneeze travel? and would a mask help stop the spread of coronavirus? new research suggests that the infection could be reaching further than previously thought. and now advisers to the world health organisation are weighing up the evidence. masks are suddenly becoming a common sight all around the globe, from supermarkets in california to police officers patrolling the streets of france. until now, the advice has been that healthy people don't need them unless caring for someone who may have the disease but that guidance may change. it might be that wearing a mask is equally as effective or more effect than distancing, provided that mask is worn properly

and provided that people don't infect themselves when they are taking the mask off and touch another surface that may be contaminated. in germany, several regions want it to be compulsory for people to wear masks in public. for many, it makes a lot of common sense but experts say it is vital to realise the masks don't offer total protection. in austria, the supermarkets are going to insist that everyone wears a mask but health professionals say they must be worn properly and the most important thing remains hygiene. above all, keeping your hands as clean as possible. a clothing factory in rome turns to making masks. demand is growing but one concern is that if the public snap up masks all over the world, that may make it harder for health workers to get hold of them. david shukman, bbc news. we've seen it in cities

round the world — a co—ordinated round of applause to thank key workers who are risking their lives in the name of public service. and now millions of people here in the uk are expected to do just that later today. it follows the success of last thursday's "clap for our carers" which saw huge numbers of people taking to their doorsteps, windows and balconies to show their appreciation for front line healthcare staff. john maguire has the story. applause. when under attack by an invisible foe, determined to drive us apart, we come together. cheering. car horns honk. we are constantly told that these are unprecedented times but, day after day, nhs staff are prepared to step up. 0ur role, a job for each and every one of us, is to support them. we just want to say a massive thank

you to everyone at the nhs. you're working so hard and you're really putting yourselves out there for all of us at home. # too many broken hearts in the world. # too many dreams can be broken in two.# bagpipes play. to hear people from a few streets away banging on their saucepans and the whoops and the cheers and claps remind you that there's lots of life out there even though we're not really seeing anyone. thank you with all our hearts to all the people working in the nhs, all the workers, all the volunteers and doctors and nurses. what an amazing thing you're doing now. when this is all over and done with, i'm coming to kiss each one of you on the lips, so puckerup! for the vast majority of us, coronavirus will mean mild symptoms, feeling out of sorts. for others it can pose a mortal threat, but some who recovered

are keen to give thanks where thanks are due. i recently got ill with the virus and i'm grateful to have recovered. i'd like to say thank you to all of the nhs carers and key workers for playing a role in this. thank you nhs for looking after me. we are really proud of all of you, including the nurses, the doctors, the porters, all those who work in care homes and the ambulance teams. let's get your protective equipment and your tests from the government soon. anything to say, girls? thank you. thank you, nhs. from the young and from the older. mark bowden's dad jack, 99 years young, has beaten it. i'm clapping very, very loudly for the nhs. i'd like to say a huge thank you for all the nurses and the doctors at royal bolton hospital, in particular ward d4. they've been looking after my father jack bowden, who is fast approaching his 99th birthday. he's been in and out of hospital now for the last two weeks as he tested positive with covid—19. i've heard today that he is doing

fa ntastically well. it looks like he's making a full recovery and apparently today the nurse said that he was sat up out of bed. we, the staff at lewisham endoscopy theatres, are thanking you for clapping for the nhs. now we are clapping and saying thank you for staying at home. applause. from holby city to casualty to er, for years we've made weekly dates with medics. well, tonight, make another one. eight o'clock, to applaud and to thank the real stars. john maguire, bbc news. hello, this is bbc news with annita mcveigh. the headlines...

the uk prime minister says coronavirus testing needs to be increased massively after it emerges just 2,000 frontline nhs workers in england have been tested. british airways is expected to suspend 36,000 workers until the coronavirus crisis is over. the world health organisation says the world will reach one million coronavirus cases in the next few days. in the us, 5,000 americans have now died from covid—19, as fears grow over a nationwide shortage of protective gear there. almost one million people apply for the social security payment universal credit in two weeks in the uk, as financial concerns around the pandemic grow. whilst most countries are tackling the virus by boosting healthcare and preventing social gatherings, each country's approach to testing differs largely. germany is one of europe's leading testers, with an average

of 160,000 being done a week. 0n the other end of the scale, sweden has seen some of the most relaxed rulings amid the coronavirus outbreak, with the country running pretty much, ‘business as usual‘ apart from precautions for the vulnerable and a limit on social gatherings. we can speak now to specialists from both of those countries. professor peter nilsson, epidemiologist from lund university in sweden, and prof. dr. hendrik streeck, who is the head virologist at the university of bonn. good morning to both of you and thank you so much for your time today. let's go to germany first of all. professor, you are studying an area of germany that has been known as the germany equivalent of wuhan. what exactly are you doing in your research? in february we had a pretty large outbreak after a carnival celebration. from where we

believe a lot of transmission happened throughout germany afterwards. this is a very small town. the infection rates actually decreasing right now. what we are trying to achieve right now, i am in a school actually, we are trying to understand how many people or were infected and did not know about this. so we invited, like in a kind of census —like fashion, we invited the inhabitants of this town to come and give blood and swabs to understand exactly how high the mortality rate is of covid—19. and how many people have been infected and did not know about it. you are studying a group of 1000 people, i understand. to what extent will your understanding that comes from this study be used as a blueprint, a model, for the rest of germany and how to respond and react to further developments in the outbreak? we are

actually using who protocol that had been developed to ask exactly those questions. a thousand individuals that we are studying is basically a micro census of germany overall, a kind of blueprint for the country overall and we had a few deaths in this area as well, we can't not only deduct from this what the mortality rate is in germany for this, but as we are studying the households and studying the transmission, we may have a better sense from the environment of those individuals, what, how, covid—19 is being transmitted and what measures are the right ones to stop the spread of covid—19 and what measures may be relaxed in the future because we

have some pretty drastic measures right now and as you know, we have kind of like a shutdown in germany and we would like to understand what we can do to stop the spread of this but may loosen some of the drastic measures that we have. let's go to the professor in sweden. listening to your colleague, he is talking about drastic measures in germany, describe for us what they measures are like in sweden in response to coronavirus. we've heard they are quite relaxed in comparison to other european countries and do you think thatis european countries and do you think that is the right approach? good morning. the swedish strategy is based on three principles, social distancing, protecting the old and frail and stay—at—home if you have any symptoms. this is the official

strategy of the public health agency of sweden and i support it. why? sweden had a few weeks to prepare itself and we are now gearing up with testing. we are preparing hospitals, the public health system etc, however, children, young pupils are still at school. why? to make it possible that their parents can go to work especially in the health ca re to work especially in the health care sector. we see that is very, very important, not to introduce a full lockdown right now. time will come when lockdown might be necessary, for example, in the greater stockholm area, are only metropolitan area. it might be needed but for a limited period of time. this epidemic cannot be fully

stopped, it must be handled in the right way to lower the so—called peak. if it's going to be handled in the right way to lower the peak, then,is the right way to lower the peak, then, is the government essentially trusting that individuals, members of the public, will take heed of what it is telling them to do, that they will actively distance themselves were possible? 0r they will actively distance themselves were possible? or will this lockdown that you talk about that we've seen in other places not simply be inevitable in sweden because generally people don't behave in this way unless they are forced to. the prime minister of sweden told that basically he has trust in our experts, this is the difference between sweden and some other countries, experts take the lead. secondly, swedes are told to behave like adults, in a very responsible way. and i hope and i think that it's part of the swedish culture that we show each other

respect and we try to behave in an aduu respect and we try to behave in an adult way, that has been asked for. so social distancing is essential. but a total lockdown can backfire because if the lockdown was lifted one day, the epidemic may re—emerge. for example, 100 years ago the spanish flu hit sweden, not only once but in three successive waves and the second wave was even more deadly than the first. we must do everything we can to stop further waves of infection in our country. and this is why i support the current strategy. however, if the situation may change, the strategy may change and i think that if the health care sector is bound to be overwhelmed by cases, there will be

original, temporary lockdown to protect also the national economy for the future. a total lockdown for a very long time period, is not what sweden is about to do. professor, i'd love to go back to you now, on what doctor nielsen, professor nelson has just what doctor nielsen, professor nelson hasjust said. do what doctor nielsen, professor nelson has just said. do you accept his point that if there is a very restrictive lockdown as there is in many european countries, that the virus at the end of that lockdown, or as the measures ease, there may bea or as the measures ease, there may be a bounce back of the virus and do you hope the work you are doing might then really come to fruition in terms of handling the situation at that point, as we move from restrictions into something beginning to approach normal life again. i agree with my colleague in sweden. it can happen. especially in

the form, if we loosen the lockdown again, it bounces back in a way we cannot control any more. right now, we are seeing the start of a slight decreasing trend of new infections in germany. i think for us it's not the time, a critical moment, to understand the virus better and to create facts, how we can in the long—term, controlled this epidemic in europe and in the world, that we do not get into a point of a recession or economic crisis because we are on the one hand side trying to control the virus but on the other hand, putting people at risk because of the economy. so it's a very ha rd because of the economy. so it's a very hard balancing act for the politicians and we, as virologist and my colleague in sweden, we have the time and the responsibility to

find the facts, how we can deal with this crisis in the future. fascinating to speak to both of you and thank you both so much for your time today. just into is in the last few seconds, the latest figures on the coronavirus situation in spain. we are told, let me just to check these figures, i think we are being told that the coronavirus cases has risen to 110,000, just over 110,000 today, from 102,000 on wednesday. up approximately 8000 cases according to the spanish health ministry. i'm just checking because we sometimes get details on the death toll as

well and yes, those figures just into us. the spanish coronavirus death toll rising to 10,003 on thursday from 9053 on wednesday. really grim figure as the number of cases continues to rise in spain. japan has announced it will ban all travellers from the united states, china and most of europe, including the uk, starting tomorrow — as it ramps up efforts to try and stem the spread of the coronavirus. until last weekjapan appeared to be succeeding in keeping the spread of the virus under control. but now cases in the capital tokyo have begun to rise rapidly — leading to fears the world's most populous city may be about to get hit by a major outbreak. from tokyo rupert wingfield hayes reports. this was central tokyo just a few days ago. no social distancing, certainly no lockdown. in the same street today, something

has started to change here. it began last weekend with the city's parks. so this behind me is the gate to yoyogi park in central tokyo, one of the city's biggest and most popular parks. normally on a saturday afternoon it would be, at this time of year, jammed with people holding sakura parties, that is cherry blossom parties because the cherry blossom is coming into full bloom. you can see now, though, the gate is now closed, there is a sign on it saying it is closed because of the coronavirus. this has just happened in the last 24 hours or so. tokyo is finally enforcing these sorts of measures to keep people out of public spaces. this was the same park a week earlier. it was pictures like these posted on the internet that prompted the government to act. the prime minister's chief medical adviser told me, without a major change in behaviour, tokyo could now be on the verge of a major outbreak.

very fortunately, until today, we have been able to avoid the worst case scenario. i think we are at the crossroads, unless japanese people or society as a whole, behave very responsibly to avoid places or events that put them at high risk of infection. we may end up with a very serious situation. but tokyo is still going to work on very crowded subways. shops and restaurants are still open. and on the streets, knowledge of the danger from covid—19 still seems sketchy at best. translation: i do feel like it is other people's problem. so it is hard to imagine myself being infected with it. i am going out to eat lunch.

i have a meeting, so i will be out until night time. japan is not doing large—scale testing. fewer than 35,000 people have been tested so far. speaking to me from king's college in london, a professor told me the lack of testing is leaving japan extremely vulnerable. i think thatjapan is now in the explosive phase, where it is going to spread and an exponential growth of cases. so do not assume that japan is exceptional. this is a global epidemic, pandemic. and japan is always at risk of rapid exponential growth of infection. many injapan continue to claim that it is different. its culture of cleanliness is keeping it safe from the virus. like these two—year—olds at kindergarten, after playtime it is daily handwashing class.

such habits may have helped to slow the spread of the virus, but they will not make japan immune. now, months on from the first detection of the coronavirus in china and the country has been offering equipment to dozens of countries, in what it calls its largest—ever effort at foreign assistance. but some countries have rejected the testing kits and medical masks over concerns about quality. yin lee from bbc monitoring has the latest. ever since china declared the peak of the epidemic in mid—march it has focused its messaging on the amount ofaid focused its messaging on the amount of aid it's sent out, in the form of medical expertise so doctors have been sent to dozens of countries but also, kind of, radical equipment. test kits, face masks, goggles, ventilators, all sorts of things, usually described in volumes as

terms of being loads or tonnes. china has sent notjust donations from the state or foundations like ali baba from the state or foundations like ali ba ba but from the state or foundations like ali baba but kids that had been going out have been cells of equipment from companies in china, it's not just goodwill equipment from companies in china, it's notjust goodwill but business. the reaction for the most part to the equipment that has been sent at the equipment that has been sent at the medical assistance has really been one of gratitude. lots of countries have been caught short by the epidemic and they are sort of medical equipment and for the most pa rt medical equipment and for the most part are very grateful for it but in some instances, some political leaders have used it as an opportunity to really make political points and compared the responses from other world powers like the us or eu. the headlines on bbc news... the british prime minister says coronavirus testing needs to be increased massively — after it emerges just 2,000 frontline nhs workers in england have been tested. british airways is expected to suspend 36,000 workers — until the coronavirus crisis is over. the world health organisation says the world will reach one million coronavirus cases

in the next few days. if you were watching yesterday, you might have seen our report on the challenges of trying to self—isolate when you live in a remote farmhouse, miles from the nearest shop or neighbour. today we have the opposite situation. fiona lamdin has been to meet the residents of a tower block in bristol to see how they are coping. this is the first time numeri hussain has left his flat in two weeks. just a few steps to take the rubbish out. his wife and three children are inside on the 15th floor. to be honest, it is very hard

for them to be able to move. the kids are very active. so theyjump here, theyjump here, they broke something here, they do something here. the space is very small for them. there are over 80 families living here. none of them have washing machines. instead the entire block shares this laundry room. it has five communal washers. there is five, six people always so this time it is not good because the laundry is not big and just the smallest space, so that's why i'm not coming in at this time. numeri is worried about contracting corona from here but his family are running out of clean clothes. when we go in the lifts, what do we do? we spray. the buttons. and we stay away from? the walls. samuel and his boys also live on the 15th floor. with a two and a six—year—old,

the stairs are out of the question. so you can imagine what it's like in the lift when you can't even swing a cat! can you hold this one sec for me, please? i can't do this. coming down this morning, there was seven in there. julie has asthma, diabetes and uses a wheelchair. it feels like i am in a prison, locked out. ijust sit at the window and look out the window all day. and that's really annoying me because i want to go out. i'm not used to being indoors. but you know you have to stay in... yeah. ..because it is just too dangerous? yeah. two lifts and one washroom for hundreds of people to share, making social distancing almost impossible. look what i've got for you, boys. julie is giving you something. but they tell me they've never felt closer.

fiona lamdin, bbc news. so much of the world is closed off at the moment — and that means a lot of us are having to open our minds to unfamiliar technology, like video conferencing calls, to stay connected. that's exactly what the members of the caribbean social forum from woolwich, in south london, did. and the results were pretty successful, as tarah welsh reports. # don't worry about a thing...#. singing in isolation, but wendy is not alone. # every little thing is gonna be all right...#. she can still meet up with her friends but it has to be online. laughter. like so many of us, they are learning how to adapt in these uncertain times. ok, you need to move away, dawn, if we are to see you. as soon as it happened,

i called all the it people that i knew and asked what the best platform for me to get to work with our group, that's going to be easy for them to get into, it's not going to be complicated. they usually get together at the caribbean social forum in woolwich. we filmed with them in december, before any of us had even heard of social distancing. but now some of them are in isolation for at least three months. sometimes the worst time is night time, on your own. but with this, we could have a midnight chat and see each other. that feeling of feeling alone disappeared. you sort of went to bed and felt you had a visit at your house, even though they were not there. 600 people belong to the forum and not all of them can get online so other members make sure that everyone gets a phone call. and for those that can log on, this is much—needed support.

victor always said we are a family and i think that is really important for us to become like that. when you guys have come and helped me and i help you. we are all here to help one another through this new era that we are going through. now, i know someone who died from covid—19, a few days ago... oh, wow. ..so we just have to really do what we are advised to do. it is worrying, it is worrying but all we can do is the best that we can, and give our patients the best that we can. jenny is an nhs nurse but today is her birthday. one, two, three... and the forum has not forgotten. out of time: # happy birthday, jenny...#. and they are looking forward to the day when they can sing together in time and see each other in person. i try not to be depressed. i am blessed with a lot of gifts.

i am blessed with a lot of things. i am blessed with nice children, nice friends and i'm blessed with being a part of the forum. so i hope everything will go and we will meet up again to celebrate the end of this virus. out of time: # we will meet again. # don't know where, don't know when. # but i know we will meet again. # some sunny day...#. spreading some happiness! lemonjuice, mosquito bites and blood donations? reality check‘s chris morris tackles more health myths about coronavirus that are being shared online. we are all going to be in this for the long haul and separating fact from fiction is really important. so here are some more myths you should be aware of.

myth number one — "lemonjuice protects you from covid—19." there have been plenty of claims about things you should eat or drink to thwart the coronavirus, and the lemonjuice myth just won't go away. it started with a viral social media post containing advice from a fake chinese scientist. to be clear, lemonjuice is obviously not bad for you. in fact, all fruit and vegetables are essential while nearly all of us have to stay at home. they can help keep you healthy, but they don't stop you getting a virus like this. myth number two — "mosquito bites can infect you with the virus." we all know you can get other diseases from mosquito bites, but there is no evidence at all that the little brutes can infect you with coronavirus. again, remember this is a respiratory virus, spread mainly when someone who is ill coughs or sneezes. the best way to protect yourself is to avoid close contact

with anyone who is sick, and keep washing your hands. myth number three — "blood donations will get you a free test." some people are hoping they might get a free coronavirus test if they donate blood. that's absolutely not the case, but there's been a persistent false belief on social media that it might be. to be clear, you don't get tested for covid—19 if you give blood. the last thing staff who run blood banks want is sick people coming in. nor of course can you get the virus from a blood donation. so the best advice right now, try to stay healthy while scientists work towards medical breakthroughs. chris morris there. let me just tell you the latest figures on coronavirus from iran. the death toll has reached 3136 in the last,

with 124 deaths in the last 24 hours, that's according to the iranian health ministry. right now, will say goodbye to viewers on bbc world. thank you very much for watching. goodbye. and right now, time for a look at the weather. here's matt taylor. hello. we are set to experience both sides of spring over the next few days. after a bit ofa spring over the next few days. after a bit of a chill in the next 36 hours, most notably across northern and eastern areas, sudden warm up on the weight this weekend, feeling like late spring by the time we had sunday. let's put numbers on to that, in the northerly winds on friday temperatures for many in single figures, added when chilled to the north and east but by sunday we flipped the wind direction from south, most mid to high teens if not low 20s. at the moment sunny spells to come across central and eastern areas, more cloud in the west, still sunny moments, chance of a few rain

showers. showers turning wintry over at the north of scotland, we see the strongest winds on a fairly blustery day across the country, touching gale force if not 60 miles an hour, maybe more. making it feel sub—0 with air temperatures around five or 6 degrees. further south slightly milder than yesterday, went from the west, colder air on its march southwards. through tonight, pushing south, holding onto cloud and milder weather to the south and west of england and wales and northern ireland, temperatures above freezing but for much of scotland, northern, central and eastern england, frost, sunshine into friday morning. gradually cladding during the day, some showers in the west, wintry in northern scotland, the wind easing, afternoon for most is cloudier than the morning, starting to see more sunshine developing in the south and west. away from city centres, temperatures in single figures. the change this weekend comes as high—pressure moves from the west to the east with winds going clockwise we started to introduce the south

easterly flow. 0vernight rain in the north and west of scotland, lingering into the afternoon across jutland, elsewhere, one ortwo showers, most places dry, best of the sunshine across england and wales, more cloud into the afternoon. temperatures back above double figures again. getting warmer into sunday, this low pressure sta rts into sunday, this low pressure starts to close in, the wind will strengthen on sunday relative to saturday. some rain in the far north—west of scotland, some showers in the west later, sunshine turning hazy, for most blue sky day, temperatures into the high teens if not low 20s. good day to get the windows open if you are in the garden, don't forget to stay at home, added complication on sunday is that tree pollen levels will be up is that tree pollen levels will be up especially in england and wales.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. in spain, a grim landmark as the death toll from coronavirus passes 10,000. another 950 people have died in the past 24 hours. the uk prime minister says coronavirus testing needs to be increased massively, after it emerges just 2,000 frontline nhs workers in england have been tested. british airways is expected to suspend 36,000 workers until the coronavirus crisis is over. the world health organisation says the the world will reach one million coronavirus cases in the next few days. in the us, the death toll exceeds 5,000