this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world: there are now more than a million confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world — 50,000 people have died. ten million americans have lost theirjobs in two weeks, as the economy shuts down to slow the spread of coronavirus as the death toll reaches almost 3000 in the uk and after days of criticism, the government announces plans to significantly increase coronavirus testing. applause and applause rings out from homes across the nation, to show the immense gratitude to nhs workers, britain's carers, and all those helping to keep the country going.

hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. i'm martine croxall. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. the number of confirmed cases now stands at over one million people. experts say over 50,000 people have died, with the number of reported cases doubling in the past week. italy's death toll has passed 13,000, and spain's reported over 1,000 deaths in a single day, to take its total to 10,000. the united states is the third worst hit country, with over 5,000 fatalities. with nearly a quarter of a million cases in the us, new york has seen over half the country's deaths. here in the uk, the health secretary announced plans to carry out 100,000 tests

every day in england by the end of the month. it was also announced that 569 more people have died in the past 2a hours, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to 2,921. here's our global health correspondent, tulip mazumdar, on how medical staff are trying to cope with the record number of over a million infections. a milestone that nobody wanted to reach. it is believed the outbreak started here, at a wholesale seafood market in wuhan, in china, at the end of last year. by early january, the country confirmed it had identified a new coronavirus and cases there started to soar. it didn't take long for covid—19, as it was later named, to then spread all around the world. it took more than two months

from the first reported case in china for the number of infections to reach 100,000. then, just two weeks later, cases double to 200,000. now, in the last week alone, the number of infections have jumped from 500,000 last friday to more than1 million now. so a million is obviously a huge number, and presents an important milestone. but i think what we need to remember is that these are the numbers of diagnosed cases. and in fact the unknown, the amount of people who haven't had a test to know that they're infected, is obviously likely to be much greater than that. so my worry, really, is what this means globally. and we're keeping an eye on many other countries around the world, especially for example africa, where some of the case numbers are really beginning to creep up. we have seen what happens when this virus hits countries with relatively strong health systems. in europe and the us, medics have been overwhelmed. there are grave concerns

about what will happen in countries with far weaker healthcare facilities. south africa currently has the largest outbreak on the continent, with more than 1,400 known cases. smaller outbreaks are also under way in countries including burkina faso, cameroon and senegal. elsewhere, there is some very early, very cautious optimism. china says it has largely stopped the spread of the disease there, with parts of wuhan now reopening. south korea has also seen cases fall in the last couple of weeks. but it is still extremely unclear how this pandemic will play out, as cases globally continue to rise. the virus is striking at the heart of the us economy. a record 6.6 million americans filed for unemployment benefits in the last week. the scale of the economic disaster is stunning,

as the us shuts down to contain the virus. here's our north america editor, jon sopel. it's a perfect spring day in washington, and this is one of the cities busiest shopping streets — except it's not. the stores are closed, the streets empty, nobody is buying. and this is what that looks like in graph form — years of unemployment going up a couple of hundred thousand here and there, but 10 millionjobs have gone in the last two weeks. these workers in california are among the many who've suddenly found themselves out of a job, victims of coronavirus. we still have to pay rent, we still have to pay bills, that's a lot of stuff that we still have to pay, and with nojob, what are we going to do? the us is closed for business, more or less literally. the old saying goes that when america sneezes the rest of the world catches cold — maybe not the right phrase

to use in the midst of a global pandemic, but this is going to hit the global economy. but the president is confident the rebound will be swift. nobody‘s ever seen anything like this. the entire world has shut down. you go from having the most powerful economy in the world, and from other countries that are doing well, to being everything is shut down. it's very sad but, we're going to get it going and we're going to be stronger than ever. that is tomorrow's battle. the fight against covid—19 is the immediate concern and in new york, the governor says they will run out of ventilators soon. right now we have a burn rate that would suggest we have about six days in the stockpile, but we have extraordinary measures in place that can make a difference if we run into a real ventilator shortage. america is adjusting to a new reality — queueing forfood, unemployment soaring.

the most powerful country in the world somewhat powerless in the face of this invisible enemy. jon sopel, bbc news, washington. well, president trump had an update on his own health at the daily coronavirus briefing. take a listen. idid take i did take a test thatjust came out. this is from the white house physician. ijust took it this morning. it took me literally a minute to take it. it took me a guess 111—15 minutes. i went to work, i did not wait for it. it came up with a conclusion and it said the president tested negative for covid—19. i think i took it out of curiosity to see how quickly it works. i have done them most and the second one is much more pleasant. peter bowes is our north america correspondent and we can talk to him now.

there was a mention of wearing face what did he say about that? -- face what did he say about that? —— facemasks. face what did he say about that? -- facemasks. will the federal government order all americans to wear facemasks outside of their homes. people living in los angeles and new york cities have been told by local officials that is exactly what they should doing. he was asked about that but he seemed to back away from a national order. he again mentioned the fa ct order. he again mentioned the fact that perhaps wearing a scarf could be just as good as wearing a face mask. we heard from a scientific advisor to the president and she explained why the federal government will not order everyone to wear a face mask. she did not want people to get some sort of

false idea that they would be protected from the virus by wearing a face mask stop you could still be infected by the virus if you're wearing a mask and it might encourage people to be more careless about touching their faces with their handsif touching their faces with their hands if they are wearing a mask, thinking they are safer and that is simply not the case. the message we get over and over again is that a face mask might protect other people from getting the virus from you but it will not necessarily protect you from other people. he also talked about the incredible jobless total which have gone up and up in the last couple of weeks and also help for business. yes, 10 million people in two weeks. an extraordinary figure, unprecedented in this country's history. it prompted the administration to talk about the financial help offered to americans, the huge bill passed in congress a few days ago and

as from the end of this week, business loans will be available to those small businesses that really face the possibility of going out of business and those cash payments, direct payments in fa ct, payments, direct payments in fact, into people ‘s bank accou nts fact, into people ‘s bank accounts will be starting within two weeks. a much shorter time scale than some people had feared, they thought it may take several months but the administration same within two weeks many americans will be getting up to $1200. peter, for the moment, thank you very much. here the british government has announced plans to significantly increase coronavirus testing in the uk. the health secretary, who has just returned from self—isolation after contracting the virus, said he hoped that 100,000 tests could be carried out every day in england by the end of the month. after days of intense criticism, he admitted there had been big challenges with testing from the beginning. here's our political correspondent, laura kuennsberg. will there be enough? not a pleasant process, but a vital one. this is horrible, and i can

only apologise for it. because health workers are desperate to know if they have the virus, so they can be, if they can, where they belong, treating patients on the front line. ijust can't see that this is right. we're both keen to work, we're both desperate to work, and as with most gps, we would work through a minor illness. we don't take time off lightly. after days of accusations of missing targets and mishandling, the health secretary, just back at work after the virus himself, is trying to show the government is getting a grip. i understand why nhs staff want tests, so they can get back to the front line, of course i do. but i took the decision that the first priority has to be the patients for whom the result of a test could be the difference in treatment that is the difference between life and death. privately, the government admits

they have been too slow, so now, with help from business, and a huge new push, they are setting a vast new target. i am now setting the goal of 100,000 tests per day by the end of this month. that is the goal, and i'm determined that we will get there. can you give us a firm date by when any nhs staff that needs a test will get a test? because in a fast—moving crisis like this, the end of the month is still a long time away. i will, over the coming weeks, seek to ensure that every nhs front line staff member who needs a test gets one. would you put a date on that? would you give it a deadline? because people are very worried about this right now. well, they are, and i'm glad that we're able to speed it up. it will absolutely be before the end of the month. but we are — and i'm saying, over the coming weeks. remember, there are

two kinds of test, one to show if you've had the virus after recovering, but the one these nhs staff are queueing up for at a superstore car park turned testing drive—through, records if you have the virus right now. if the drivers of these cars are negative, they could get back onto the desperately—stretched wards as doctors and nurses. that's why it is so urgent now. it is so frustrating. we should be the first so that we can look after our patients. i'm very sad. it is quite efficient and it allows us to go back to work as soon as we could, really, so that is the best thing we could possibly do for nhs staff, to be honest. testing has become the most acute political problem in this crisis, with senior labour mp dawn butler, who lost her uncle to the disease, in grief and anger, insisting the government needs to test everyone who works in hospitals without delay. we're going to need a strategy for community—based testing for really the majority

of the population over time, because that is the route out of lockdown. but a former cabinet secretary, no stranger to managing crises, suggests there might be deeper roots to the problem. does it seem to you, though, that the government was too slow? i think when we look back on it, and i think all of us should take a share of the blame here, pandemics, even in my time, was top of the risk register. did we do enough to build spare capacity? did we do enough to think that through and actually get materials in hand? have enough ventilators, have enough protective equipment, probably not. but let's not worry too much about the mistakes of the past. even if testing centres become a familiar sight, with no cure, no government can make coronavirus go away. but the actions they take can make a difference to how it affects us all. laura kuenssberg, bbc news. western europe remains one of the hardest—hit regions in this crisis,

with death tolls mounting at alarming rates. 950 people died in a single day in spain — that's the highest daily total anywhere in the world so far. the number of people dying in france and italy is also rising by the day. 0ur europe correspondent, mark lowen, has this report, which starts with exclusive footage from inside a spanish hospital. hoping for a sign of life. when the disease hits, it decimates. fighting it demands precision and speed to cope with these numbers. this is one of spain's biggest hospitals, vall d'hebron in catalonia. but it could be anywhere else that the virus has struck, for this is its hallmark — to plunder a country, overwhelming its hospitals. the doctor shows just one of the patients here needing assisted ventilation. there are 200 in this intensive care unit.

catalonia, spain's wealthiest region, is at its limit. "look how vulnerable we are when it hits, a complex living soul stripped bare," lying face down to help clear the lungs — a basic technique to battle a stronger killer. spain, as elsewhere, is short of supplies for its medics, who make up around 15% of all cases. they try to prepare for the front line, but nurses likejoanna say it's taking its toll. emotionally it's also hard, because you're worried for yourself, your own safety, you worry about your patient, your own families. lots of people have relatives or friends who are at home unwell, so, you know, it's quite stressful. after a record daily rise in deaths, spain says it is now flattening the curve, the infection rate is reducing, but it won't be quick. nor will it in france, where deaths there have now

jumped to more than 4,000. a specialist plane was configured to transfer the sickest to germany for treatment. european states using every tool at their disposal. germany, with far fewer deaths of its own, also took in patients from italy. the critically ill loaded into air ambulances. a virus that knows no borders is taking a worldwide effort to confront it. mark lowen, bbc news, rome. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: getting the message across. police in mexico promote hand—washing and social distancing, amid anger over the government's handling of the crisis. the accident that happened here was of the sort that can, at worst, produce a meltdown. in this case, the precautions worked, but they didn't work quite well enough to prevent some old fears about the safety features

of these stations from resurfacing. the republic of ireland has become the first country in the world to ban smoking in the workplace. from today, anyone lighting up in offices, businesses, pubs and restaurants will face a heavy fine. the president was on his way out of the washington hilton hotel, where he had been addressing a trade union conference. the small crowd outside included his assailant. it has become a symbol of paris. 100 years ago, many parisians wished it had never been built. the eiffel tower's birthday is being marked by a re—enactment of the first ascent by gustave eiffel. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: the number of people around

the world who have been diagnosed with coronavirus has passed 1 million — over 50,000 of them have died. more than ten million american workers have lost theirjobs in the last two weeks alone, as the economy shuts down to slow the spread of coronavirus. mexico seems to be faring better than its northern neighbour, the united states, when it comes to coronavirus cases. so far, only about 1,400 infections have been reported there, compared to more than 230,000 in the us. but those numbers are on the rise, and there's been growing anger over the mexican government's handling of the crisis, as the bbc‘s will grant reports. a uniquely mexican way to tell people to wash their hands, amid accusations the message wasn't getting through, state police in this robbins performed a mariotti song to

remind the public to practise social distancing and self isolation. however, some say the response at the federal level has been less harmonious. the country's president 0brador has come in for widespread criticism. for days, he said people could go outside, attend large events, even kiss and embrace. those at mexico's just drive through coronavirus test being run by a private clinic in the capital were angry at the president's attitude. translation: if the president really cares about his people, then he must protect them, so this woman. very this mexico will struggle to do with the crisis. the mexican health authorities insist they have taken the problem seriously from the start. with a number of coronavirus patients rising above a thousand, the government has now declared a health emergency which grants its new powers to enforce distancing and isolation. translation: we don't want to go to the scenario where other

countries are unfortunately going through so this is the moment. the world health organization has broadly defended mexico's response. translation: mexico is benefiting from the experiences of those countries that have already taken these measures. the steps they have taken are very laudable. they are on the right path. the fingers, mexico faces a number underlying health challenges. its population, for example, has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world and astonishing 10% of its adult population suffer from the condition. and if the second most obese nation on earth. translation: i'm especially worried for my sons. is a discussed to mexico city taco stand. i try to get him to exercise but now he can't go outside stop with far fewer infected in mexico than in the us, it has prompted some

mexicans to demand that americans not be allowed to ci’oss americans not be allowed to cross the border. meanwhile, thousands of central american migrants remain in temporary camps under the so—called remain in mexico policy waiting for the asylum applications in the us to be processed. stuck in limbo, illness and loose spread among them quickly and a further humanitarian crisis beckons. will grant, bbc news. let's get some of the day's other news. the us navy has removed the amount ofan the us navy has removed the amount of an aircraft carrier who raised the alarm about an outbreak on board his ship. the uss theodore roosevelt. in a statement said relieving the captain of his post was in the best interests of the navy and the nation. in a letter that made headlines earlier this week, captain crozier appealed for help and said several sailors need to be quarantined. president trump has extended until the end of april at the time the russians have off work

because the coronavirus pandemic. mr putin acknowledged the outbreak still hadn't reached its peak, but he didn't announce any new measures such as the lockdowns. russia has its highest number of deaths caused by covid—19. the italians have their singing — and the british — well they do it with polite applause. for the second week in a row people across the uk have emerged from their homes to show gratitude to health workers — the people who are saving lives and keeping the country going. david silito reports. applause felixstowe. cheering and applause east london. bagpipes glasgow. pontypridd. applause leeds. applause for the carers, and also supermarket workers. applause

this is for delivery drivers, shelf stackers, care workers, child minders, refuse workers, everyone who is helping to keep the show on the road while we stay at home. people like the grounded airline crews, who are now volunteering to offer refreshment and moral support to the nurses and doctors at the whittington hospital. it's lovely how people have come together and working as a team, as a community, and helping support us, to try to keep us hydrated and well fed, so we can give the best care to our patients. indeed, the heart of this is, of course, the health workers. this road in bath, now lit in nhs blue, sits in the shadow of a hospital on the coronavirus front line. my mummy works at the... nhs. ..nhs. as someone who works in the community in the nhs, it means a huge amount that everyone is clapping and showing support.

by coming out, we're showing them we appreciate what we are doing. downing street, islington, newark, and everyone with the same message. thank you. it is a national thankyou. david sillito, bbc news. let's bring you some more upbeat news now. after months of severe droughts, one of the world's great natural wonders, the victoria falls, has roared back to life. the flow of water for the southern african waterfall is now well above the seasonal average following heavy rainfall further up the zambezi river. but few people will get to enjoy the spectacle because zambia and zimbabwe, the borders the falls sit on, have closed viewing areas as part of a coronavirus lockdown.

don't forget, there is much more on the bbc news website. you watching bbc news. hello. temperatures topped out at 15 celsius in hampshire on thursday. they will take a step backwards, those temperatures, on friday, but then into the weekend they're on the up. a frost for some of us, especially across the north and east of the uk. plenty of cloud to follow, but sunny skies arrive at the weekend, and yes, those temperatures are heading up, but with a strengthening wind. high pressure pretty much in control of things, so still a lot of dry weather around for the next couple of days. low pressure gathering in the atlantic as the weekend goes on. it will strengthen a southerly flow coming into the uk, and that's why those temperatures are going to be heading up. and we could well see across parts of south—east england by sunday as high as 20

celsius, the first time we've reached that high since last october. but we're not there yet, and there will be a frost across scotland, parts of eastern england to start friday, maybe minus 5 in rural aberdeenshire. and a few wintry showers in scotland, to relatively low levels in the north, continuing on and off during the day. a lot of cloud in the west to begin the day. there will be a few showers around here, and cloud increasing. we had that cold start to the east, that cold, bright start to the east. still maybe the odd shower, but most places will be dry. sunny spells returning later in the afternoon to south wales, south—west england, those temperatures around 8—12 degrees. a little bit of a backward step compared with thursday. now, overnight and into saturday morning, an area of rain and hill snow pushes north into scotland, edging further north. the clear skies will be the further south you are in england and wales, and there could be a few fog patches around. still a touch of frost in places, so it is rather patchy in nature, that frost, as the day begins. and looking at saturday, the flows are starting to come in from the south, and temperatures gradually edging up on saturday. it's a slow process, though, and still a lot of cloud around in scotland. the rain and hill snow clearing from the north. in northern ireland,

rather cloudy, and northern england as well. elsewhere in england and wales, there will be sunny spells and those temperatures are creeping up. more places in double figures on saturday. the breeze, though, starting to pick up. and then for part two of the weekend, on sunday, a lot of sunshine around. but it will be windy, particularly in the west, and here it will be clouding over. we could well see some outbreaks of rain moving in the best of the sunshine across the eastern side of england. this is where we're going to see those higher temperatures, but higher pollen levels too.

this is bbc news, the headlines: the coronavirus pandemic has continued to spread rapidly, with more than 50,000 people now having died from the outbreak. there are also now more than a million people infected worldwide double the number from this time last week. the united states accounts for about a quarter of all cases. ten million us workers have lost their jobs in the last two weeks, as the country's economy shuts down to slow the spread of the virus. the weekly figures are the highest in american history. treasury secretary steven mnuchin says assitance payments should reach individuals within two weeks in europe, spain has seen the biggest daily increase in deaths anywhere in the world as a result of the virus, but its infection rate is slowing. meanwhile in the italian city of milan, the main crematorium in the has closed its doors until the end of the month to deal with a backlog of coronavirus victims.