this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the prime minister boris johnson has been admitted to hospital for tests, ten days after testing positive for coronavirus. mrjohnson was last seen in public clapping for nhs staff on thursday. downing street has described it as a ‘precautionary step‘ on the advice of the pm's doctor. the queen has made a rare television address to britain and the commonwealth, stressing the value of self—discipline and resolve. i hope, in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. and those who come after us will say

the britons of this generation were as strong as any. the uk government warns it could step up limits on outdoor exercise if people continue to flout social distancing rules. spain reports a fall in its daily death toll for a third consecutive day in the last hour, the prime minister borisjohnson has been taken to hospital. he's expected to stay in overnight having been admitted and is having what number 10 is describing as ‘routine tests'. our political correspondent chris mason is here. it's about ten days since he tested

for the virus —positive. it's about ten days since he tested for the virus -positive. we know? they have been telling us that on the advice of his doctor the prime minister has been admitted to hospitalfor minister has been admitted to hospital for tests. it's an minister has been admitted to hospitalfor tests. it's an nhs hospitalfor tests. it's an nhs hospital in london and the spokesman says it is a precautionary state as the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus ten days after testing positive for the virus. he's been in self isolation for ten days, remaining there because his symptoms did not clear up after the week—long exclusionary period people are asked to maintain. i am told it is the persistence of the symptoms, including a high temperature, rather than a further deterioration, that led to the decision tonight. it was not an emergency admission, but a decision reached on the advice of his doctor and it was thought he thought it sensible to seek doctors out face—to—face. the conservative mp andrew murrison has been giving his reaction to my colleague james reynolds. iam i am sorry to hear this but i think

the prime minister has looked increasingly unwell over the last week. he's clearly been doing his level best to remain on top of things, in my opinion doing a good job, but this is an extraordinary condition and it affects people in very different ways and i do really wish the prime minister all the very best and a swift recovery but i've worked with dominic raab at the foreign office and i can say he extremely competent. he's not the first secretary of state for nothing and will certainly be a formidable ca reta ker and will certainly be a formidable caretaker whilst the prime minister recovers fully from his hospital treatment, or that i am no doubt. i think we will be impressed by the daily briefings and the sure—footedness of ministers, particularly matt hancock, the health secretary, and the feedback i'm getting from my constituents and others is that they are confident in the government, supported by the experts, and i've no doubt that this will not affect the course of the

government at this particular crisis. i don't know the precise situation and how the prime minister is, simply that he's been admitted to hospitalfor is, simply that he's been admitted to hospital for tests and is, simply that he's been admitted to hospitalfor tests and i have to ta ke to hospitalfor tests and i have to take that at face value. i think he really has been struggling with coronavirus. it is really unpleasant for many people. and i think the best thing for him to do is to get well quickly and i'm sure he's in the best hands with our national health service and he will be back in full command of the situation very soon. but in the meantime, i think it's important that we continue to manage this situation as best we can and i have every confidence in our cabinet and government and the experts that are advising senior ministers, and i know that boris will be remaining in strategic control of the situation, but obviously decisions on a moment to moment basis will have to be taken by other senior ministers, which is right and proper.

i hope ihope in i hope in the years to come, eve ryo ne i hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. and those who come after us challenge. and those who come after us will say the britons of this generation were as strong as any. in a rare address to the nation, the queen has called for unity and resolve, in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. thanking the health service, and all those who've kept essential services functioning, she also spoke of the sacrifices being made as normal life is suspended. we should take comfort that while we may still have more still to endure, better days will return. we will be with our friends again. we will be with our families again. we will meet again.

the queen's address comes as the uk approaches two weeks since the lockdown began, and with the death toll nearing 5,000. and in the last hour, we've heard that the prime minister boris johnson has been admitted to hospital. he'll undergo tests as he still has symptoms of coronavirus, ten days after testing positive. earlier, the government warned a ban on outdoor exercise is possible, unless social distancing rules are followed. scotland's chief medical officer has resigned after being caught visiting a second home, in breach of her own guidance. good evening. for only the fifth time in her 68 year reign,

the queen has addressed the nation outside her annual christmas broadcast. she's paid tribute to the nhs and key workers keeping goods and services going amid the coronavirus outbreak, and said that when the country succeeds in overcoming it — that success will belong to us all. barely an hour after the queen's address, it emerged that the prime minister had been admitted to hospital on the advice of his doctors after having continuous symptoms of the coronavirus. more on that shortly, but first, here's our royal correspondent nicolas witchell, on the queen's address. from windsor castle, a broadcast by the longest serving head of state in the world. a speech without parallel in her reign, as britain and the wider world face an unseen threat. while we have faced challenges before, this one is different. this time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavour, using the great advances of science and our instinctive

compassion to heal. we will succeed and that success will belong to every one of us. she spoke first to those facing the most immediate challenge. i want to thank everyone on the nhs front line, as well as care workers and those caring out essential roles who selflessly continue their day—to—day duties outside the home in support of us all. i'm sure the nation willjoin me in assuring you that what you do is appreciated and every hour of your hard work brings us closer to a return to more normal times. together, we are tackling this disease and i want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it. cheering and applause. she praised the way people had come together to help each other

and support the health services and she thanked those who'd followed the government guidelines to stay at home. our collective response, the queen said, would define us. i hope in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. and those who come after us will say the britons of this generation were as strong as any, that the attributes of self—discipline, of quiet good—humoured resolve and a fellow feeling still characterise this country. the pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future. she recalled her first broadcast, as a teenager during the second world war, when she'd sought to comfort children who'd been sent away from their homes for their own safety. today, once again, many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones.

but now, as then, we know deep down that it is the right thing to do. for all the current hardships, the queen said, we would come through it. we should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return. we will be with our friends again. we will be with our families again. we will meet again. but for now, i send my thanks and warmest good wishes to you all. it had been an exceptional broadcast for an exceptional moment. nicholas witchell, bbc news. in the last hour, downing street has said that the prime minister has been admitted to hospital in what's being described as a precautionary step. he tested positive for coronavirus 10 days ago. our political correspondent chris masonjoins me now. what do we know? the statement published by downing street at 9:10,

number ten spokesman saying on the advice of his doctor, the prime minister has tonight been admitted to hospitalfor minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests. it minister has tonight been admitted to hospitalfor tests. it is minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests. it is a precautionary step, the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus. as you say, ten days on after testing positive for the virus. he has been in self—isolation for those days, remaining there as is the advice because his symptoms hadn't cleared up. we have seen and heard from him since he has been in self—isolation, including the other night clapping at eight o'clock, as so many of us did for nhs workers and he's been continuing to chair a cabinet meetings and carry on as prime ministerfrom cabinet meetings and carry on as prime minister from self—isolation. i'm told it was the persistence of these symptoms, including a high temperature, rather than a further deterioration in his health that led to tonight because my decision. taken to an nhs hospital in london earlier this evening. it was not an emergency decision, a decision reached on the advice of his doctor.

sensible to see doctors face—to—face rather than being consulted over the phone. he is expected to stay in overnight. number ten described the tests as routine. he is still leading the government tonight, borisjohnson, in leading the government tonight, boris johnson, in contact leading the government tonight, borisjohnson, in contact with ministerial colleagues and officials but the fun root foreign secretary dominic raab will lead to the government's coronavirus meeting first thing tomorrow morning. the prime minister alongside the queen personifies the country's public response to this pandemic and he is experiencing the unpleasant reality of it. chris mason, thank you. the health secretary matt hancock has said its "mission critical" that people obey the social distancing restrictions, and that a ban on outdoor exercise is possible if they are flouted. the latest figures show that 621 people died in uk hospitals in the last 2a hours after testing positive for coronavirus, nearly 100 fewer than yesterday. the total number of deaths across the uk now stands at 4,934.

our health editor hugh pym reports. groups of people in london today, some sunbathing, it's not acceptable, says the health secretary. the official rule is that people should stay at home unless they are taking one burst of exercise or going for essential shopping, and he warned that if the public didn't act in the spirit of the guidelines, then firm action would need to be taken. we've included exercise as one of the things that you can leave your house to do because exercise is good for our physical and our mental health. but, please, do not bend or break this rule. we can't rule out further steps, but i don't want anyone to think that any changes to the social distancing rules are imminent because the vast majority are following the rules. at the downing street news briefing, the latest information on hospital admissions in england was shown. after a downward move, the london figure has carried on rising and there was a steep

increase in the north—west. all other regions saw increases. officials said the nhs did have the capacity to manage the caseload. we still, as the secretary of state has said, have capacity in all of our hospitals to manage these cases, and we're hoping, in due course, if everybody continues to practise social distancing, that those cases will start to fall. there have been recent urgent appeals for more ventilators for critical care beds. ministers have called on manufacturers to step up production. the health secretary said there werejust over 9000 in the system and the aim was to get to 18,000 ventilators. how many will there be there next week, at a time when experts say the nhs will be close to or at the peak of demand? i haven't got an exact figure for how many extra we will deliver next week, not least because when we bring them in from abroad, there are risks to the timing there, and challenges to the timing,

but i would expect many more over the next week, and the goal continues to be to keep ramping it up to the 18,000 target that we've set. on the front line, many doctors and nurses are anxious about the number of coronavirus cases to come. what i'm amazed by is how people are prepared to work right through that because of a tremendous commitment to their patients and their profession and their colleagues. so it's been quite inspirational but it is, certainly in my career, 30 odd years, i don't think i've ever before coming to work worried about whether i was going to get ill from myjob. many different preparations are being made, including this temporary mortuary in essex which health leaders hope will not be needed. lives will be saved, say ministers, if people follow the guidelines. hugh pym, bbc news. and just a reminder

of the rules on going outside. you can leave your home for one form of exercise a day, but the advice is to stay as local as possible. you can also shop for basic necessities such as food and, medicine as infrequently as possible. you're also allowed out of the house for any medical needs, including giving blood, and you can travel to work, but only if you can't work from home. today, police patrolled parks, across the country, making sure that people stuck to these rules, as helena wilkinson reports. hove beach on the south coast, on a warm sunday. the council pleaded for people not to visit. too many, it said, had been using the seafront to meet up with friends. today, it was almost deserted. it appears most people have been sticking to the stay at home instruction. under the restrictions, we're allowed to exercise alone or with members of our household once a day. franklin, who works in the nhs,

was doing just that. more people are coming outjust to obviously enjoy the sun, rather than to partake in physical activity. it's slightly selfish, in a way, because obviously it is for the nation and if you can stay indoors, it's important that you do. if you can't, then obviously it's understandable that you need to walk your dog or whatever. but coming outjust for the sake of coming out, yeah, it is a bit selfish. this park in south—east london has been fairly busy today with people out walking, cycling and jogging. some people playing football in the park. now, most people have been following the social distancing guidelines, but the police have been patrolling here over the weekend, stopping some members of the public who've been sunbathing, telling them to move on. and the police have been moving people on elsewhere, to make sure they're following the rules. this is primrose hill in london. when the police turn up, people begin to disperse, but local officers say the park has been much quieter

than it was yesterday. that is my playground but we can't go in it because of the coronavirus. living in the same borough are five—year—old hayes and his mother. their home is a one—bedroom flat. life under restrictions for them isn't easy. so many others are in a similar position and with no garden space, parks are vital as access to the outdoors. but emma says under the rules, trying to get to her local park means they'd be out for too long. our nearest park is primrose hill and that's just... it's that little bit too far that once we've walked there, we have to walk back. so, unfortunately, what we have been doing isjust walking round the block. the warm weather across much of the country this weekend has brought many people out. most have stuck to the rules closely.

for those who haven't, the message from the government is, if the rule breaking continues, even tighter restrictions might be introduced for all of us. helena wilkinson, bbc news. in the last half hour, scotland's chief medical officer has resigned after being caught visiting her second home, in breach of her own guidance. dr catherine calderwood made a public apology and received a police warning after she travelled from edinburgh to another home in fife for two consecutive weekends. alexandra mackenzie reports. this is a vital update about coronavirus. to help save lives, stay at home. day after day, scotland's chief medical officer has told millions of people to stay at home to help save lives. but after pictures were published in the scottish sun, catherine calderwood was forced to admit she had travelled from where she lives in edinburgh to her second home in fife this weekend and last weekend.

i've already issued a statement this morning apologising unreservedly for travelling away from my home while restrictions were in place. as well as this weekend, it is important to be clear that i also was there last weekend with my husband. i didn't follow the advice i'm giving to others. i'm truly sorry for that. nicola sturgeon initially said she would continue in her role advising the scottish government. her advice and expertise has been invaluable to me and it continues to be so. if i am to do what i need to do to steer the country through this crisis to the very best of my ability, i need her to be able to focus on the job that she is doing. many have expressed their anger and disbelief at catherine calderwood's actions. police scotland say that they have spoken to her and emphasised that the stay at home rule apply to everyone. as we go into a third week

of lockdown, which has been observed by most, the chief medical officer has now resigned from the scottish government. alexandra mackenzie, bbc news, glasgow. the new labour leader sir keir starmer has begun naming members of his shadow cabinet. his leadership rival lisa nandy becomes shadow foreign secretary. anneliese dodds is shadow chancellor. and nick thomas—symonds becomes shadow home secretary. the appointments came as sir keir said the government had made serious mistakes in its handling of coronavirus, and called for an exit strategy, a way out of the current restrictions, to be published. our science editor david shukman has been exploring what might be, and when. in the city where the outbreak started, wuhan in china, a return to the open air after months of tight control. despite questions about the virus, and whether it might strike again, the authorities want to show life getting back to normal.

so, when will restrictions be eased here in the uk? from the quiet streets of manchester, to the usually packed landmarks of london, everyone wants to know. so, what is involved in what's called an exit strategy to get us out of this crisis? well, the first step has to be reducing the number of infections, because until that happens, measures like social distancing can't be relaxed. then there will have to be mass testing to find out who's got the virus and who hasn't, and also who's been infected, got better, and should have some immunity. at the same time, there'll need to be contact tracing, that's keeping track of any new cases and everyone who has been close to them, to prevent new outbreaks from emerging. but all of this is still being worked out. this is the most important question worldwide. no country has an absolute answer to it. there's very intense research going on as to how we do actually get out of this.

we want in our original report which, you know, came out at the same time as the lockdown was announced, that exit strategies from the days were very problematic, were challenging. vital to any progress against the virus is research. there's a massive scientific effort under way around the world on several key fronts. the first of these is to find ways of making tests quicker and cheaper than they are now. this is essential work. there's also a race to find treatments for covid—19, to help patients improve their chances of recovery. and the search for vaccines is accelerating, but to make sure they work and that they're safe all takes time. already criticised for being slow on testing for the virus, the government is also under pressure to come up with an exit strategy. that's a demand from the new leader of the opposition. we do need an exit strategy,

and one of the things i've said today is the government needs to publish its exit strategy. people want to know, how does this end? it seems to me it's a combination of testing and then a vaccine. in paris, drones are used by the police to warn people to stay indoors. every government is wrestling with how best to tackle the virus — notjust now but also in the months ahead. david shukman, bbc news. hugh pym, our health editor, joins me now. we heard the queen saying tonight we will succeed against the virus but how are we doing at the moment in how are we doing at the moment in how successful we have been so far? the latest stats show the number of newly reported deaths today was down on yesterday but there was a sharp increase in the number of cases, new infections. the experts away so you shouldn't read too much into just one day's figures, you need to wait for a trend. i think the hospital

admissions one is more interesting. it shows every area increasing in the number of admissions in england. london and the midlands having come down a bit, have started spiking back up. a sharp rise in the north—west and one or two other areas. london has always been seen asa areas. london has always been seen as a couple of weeks ahead of the rest of the uk. this could suggest more pressure beginning to build up elsewhere, singling difficult times ahead. in some senses, the nhs is holding up well. matt hancock said there was a buffer of 2000 critical ca re there was a buffer of 2000 critical care beds in the system, but in so many ways, the nhs is facing up to its toughest two or three weeks yet and many doctors and nurses will be very apprehensive about what's to come. thank you very much. italy meanwhile has recorded its lowest daily death toll in over two weeks, a further sign that the country is starting to get the disease under control. but the reality on the ground is still very bleak for many italians, particularly amongst poorer communities. from rome, jean mackenzie reports.

at this moment i have no way to have money, no. on these balconies there is desperation. people who've not been able to work now for weeks. tito started bringing food to those who can no longer afford to buy it. like stephano, who sells houses for a living and now can't feed his two young children. casual work is common here, so for many the money has simply stopped. like for maria rosa. yesterday, her money ran out.

these sacrifices have helped fight the epidemic here. the situation is finally improving, but the price has been high. this virus has taken thousands and thousands of lives, but it's also taken people's livelihoods, its take on people's futures, it's taken some people's very last pennies. the government has promised to pay part of people's weeks into this strict lockdown, the money hasn't arrived. applications only opened last week.

here, they've given up on political promises. italy may be starting to control this virus but it's unprepared for the devastation it's leaving behind. jean mackenzie, bbc news, rome. meanwhile, spain has reported its lowest number of daily deaths linked to coronavirus for more than a week. the latest figures show nearly 700 people died, taking the total to 12,400. the country has just over 130,000 confirmed cases, the second highest in the world after the united states. nearly 400 companies that provide care for people in their own homes have told the bbc that they don't have enough personal protective equipment.

some fear they will run out of supplies within days, with a serious impact on their ability to care for people with coronavirus symptoms. our social affairs correspondent alison holt has more. the number of coronavirus related hospital deaths in the uk has risen by 569 to just under 3000... suzanne catterall is a senior care worker in cumbria, supporting people in their own homes. she is at the sharp end of the care system. i'm just she is at the sharp end of the care system. i'mjust about she is at the sharp end of the care system. i'm just about to set off on my first goal of the day, it's 7am. her video diary shows the importance of personal protective equipment for keeping her and her clients a. of personal protective equipment for keeping her and her clients ai just finished my first client. needed to use seven pairs of gloves on one caller and an apron. this is due to cleaning, then doing personal ca re due to cleaning, then doing personal care for the client, including applying three different creams.

suzanne will see seven clients during the day. we get a box of gloves from the local nail bar, a couple from vets, some from food supplies... above says they have received some supplies that their stock will only last without having it, you risk transmission, you risk making more of society and well. then you risk burdening the nhs further. nearly 500 care homes responded to our questions about ppe. 80% didn't have enough. this is just a snapshot of the views of some of the uk's home care providers but the number and the speed of their responses is an indication of how concerned they are by the ongoing difficulties of getting personal protective equipment. for some, the needed acute. one day of supplies left, more expected in 2—3 days. a few days, fingers crossed next week. melanie cares for people in dorset,

she will see 16 different clients during her day. will we be