this is outside source on bbc news, for viewers in the uk and around the world. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. british prime minister borisjohnson is facing a second night in intensive care for coronavirus. the government says he's in "good spirits", stable and breathing without help. he is notjust the prime minister, all of us in cabinet, he is notjust oui’

all of us in cabinet, he is notjust our boss, he is also a colleague and also ourfriend. the uk's chief scientific adviser says it's too early to say whether the pandemic is peaking, as britain records its biggest daily jump in deaths. stark statistics coming out of the us show the heavy toll coronavirus is having on african american communities, as cases continue to climb. wuhan, the chinese city where the coronavirus pandemic started, has reopened to the outside world after almost three months of lockdown. and is the lockdown giving us more vivid dreams? we'll talk to a specialist about how this crisis is affecting our sleep. welcome. the british prime minister, borisjohnson, the man responsible for leading the uk's battle against coronavirus, has now spent nearly 2a hours in intensive care, fighting covid—19. he's asked foreign secretary dominic raab to deputise for him. a short time agao mr raab gave this update on the prime minister's health.

ican i can tell you he is receiving the very best care from the excellent medical team from st. thomas as hospital and remain stable overnight stop he is receiving standard oxygen that acid and treatment. has not required any respiratory support. he remains in good spirits and in keeping with usual clinical practice, he is monitored closely and critical care. during this daily press briefing we were also given the latest uk figures. in the last day 786 hospital patients with coronavirus have died. this is the highest reported so figure so far for a 24—hour period, but experts say the growth in numbers is actually lower than the predicted long—term trend. it brings the total number of people who have died in uk hospitals to more than 6000.

let's get more from our political correspondent jonathan blake. hejoins us now. dominic raab said the cabinet has "very clear instructions" from the prime minister while he remains in hospital — do we know any more about them? the sense he got from the news conference printed by the foreign secretary and effectively bryce johnson plus my secretary is that he was carrying out the plan that was put in place by the government before boris johnson fell ill. put in place by the government before borisjohnson fell ill. he was at pains to point out as i think downing street is is that he is there facilitating the government's response and continuing along the route that was set by borisjohnson and his senior ministers along with advice from public health officials and scientists. the and he will not

do anything to change that. he was asked repeatedly byjournalists coming in via video link to the press c0 nfe re nce coming in via video link to the press conference what exactly his role was and how much capacity he has and every time he referring to collective responsibility and that the government was united. very much the government was united. very much the impression being given by dominic rob is hopefully that the minister makes a speedy recovery and is able to return to work but as days go on there will be decisions that need to be made and with limited contact from the prime minister himself, that could become difficult. everyone is wishing him a speedy recovery. when it comes to decisions that have to be made one of the most difficult is whether the lockdown should continue and and what kind of capacity. do we know what kind of capacity. do we know what kind of impacted as having? there was an indication from the

chief scientific advisers that briefing that there was a glimmer of positivity. he was very careful to add caveats but says there was some suggestion in the latest figures for hospital admissions that a flattening of the curve was beginning to occur. that would potentially suggest that the lockdown measures, the restrictions on movement that have been in place here in the uk for a couple of weeks now were beginning to have an effect. and terms of that is being lifted or eased in any way, both raab and the chief scientific adviser played a downbeat prospect and said it was too early to talk about any relaxation of those restrictions. we did not expect that to bea restrictions. we did not expect that to be a decision that raab is confronted with in the next week or so confronted with in the next week or so while standing in for the prime minister. our correspondent and westminster, thank you. let's get the latest now from

it mainland europe. training to spain we go to... spain has seen a rise in the daily figure for coronavirus—related deaths, after four consecutive falls. 743 deaths were registered in the latest tally, but authorities say that some of this number can be attributed to deaths which took place over the weekend but had not been recorded. more people with the virus have died in spain than any other country, apart from italy. so lets take a look at the situation in italy. doctors and nurses from romania and norway are being deployed to those badly—hit areas in the north of the country, to help fight the pandemic. the teams, 35 people in total, are heading to bergamo and milan. italy now has more than 16 and a half thousand deaths. in france, the number of people who have died from coronavirus has surpassed 10,000. additional measures to contain the virus are about to come into force. from wednesday outdoor exercise will banned in the capital

between ten in the morning and seven in the evening. all residents leaving their home are required to carry a permission slip explaining why they are outside. so are the new rules being welcomed? we've had this reaction. translation: that is what we do for everyone, with the greatest courtesy and parisians are very understanding. we are welcomed at the controls, there is no difficulty. for certain people, we have to explain and re—explain the manner in which to fill out the permission slip because for some it is not always clear. but it is ok. translation: frankly, it is starting to feel long. i think it is starting to really weigh down on people mentally. apart from that, well, we know we don't have any choice. this is what must be done. we ask ourselves why these measures weren't taken earlier. personally, i think it is quite late that they have decided to take these draconian measures.

so that is the reaction from france where those stricter measures are coming in and turning away from coronavirus very briefly because the vatican has welcomed a decision by australian's high court to quash the conviction of cardinal george pell for child sex abuse. cardinal pell was released from prison and made his way to a monastery in melbourne. the 78—year—old was jailed for sexually assaulting two choir boys in the 1990s. but seven high courtjudges unanimously agreed the jury "ought to have entertained a doubt" about his guilt. in a statement, cardinal pell said "i hold no ill will toward my accuser, i do not want my acquittal to add to the hurt and bitterness so many feel, there is certainly hurt and bitterness enough. " he's the most senior figure accused in the global scandal of historical sex abuse that's rocked the roman catholic church. a statement said the holy see "has

always expressed confidence in the australian judicial authority" and that it " reaffirmed its commitment to preventing and pursuing all cases of abuse against minors." hours after the news broke, pope francis offered his morning mass for all those who suffer from unjust sentences, which he compared to the persecution of jesus. it's a departure from the theme of masses in recent weeks, which have all been related to the coronavirus pandemic. and then there was this tweet from the pope — "we've been witnessing the persecution thatjesus underwent and how he was judged ferociously, even though he was innocent. let us #praytogether today for all those persons who suffer due to an unjust sentence because of someone had it in for them." our religion editor martin bashirjoins me now.

extraordinary statement from the pope there martin — how unusual is it for the pope to weigh in? for the last two and a half years, every single time i have asked the pope's official spokesman about whether pope francis has a view about the proceedings and when cardinal pell was first charged, subsequently in convicted and then appealed and then appealed to the high car dominic court, the pope had nothing to say until the judicial process completed its course and now it has. today's mass i think it would be stressing dominic stretching that a little bit far because... the passion of christ and in that mass he was referencing the unjust sufferings of christ up to

the point of good friday where he was crucified and he rightly said about praying for all those who suffer unjust sentences. he did not make any explicit reference to cardinal pell and subsequently the issue of the statement saying that it will come the high court's the session but he also went on to say that it reaffirms its commitment to preventing and pursuing all cases of abuse against minors. some people have wondered if this indicates that cardinal george pell might get anotherjob back cardinal george pell might get another job back and cardinal george pell might get anotherjob back and realm and he was after all something like that third morris dominic most senior person in the vatican. i think that is unlikely because he is 78 years old and he told friends he wants to stay in australia. interestingly the president of the bishops conference

in australia, has knowledge that deep divisions that still exist in his country. he said this in a statement today, today's outcome will be welcomed by many but will be devastating for others. there is very little triumph within the church and australia and i think that it church and australia and i think thatitis church and australia and i think that it is most likely that cardinal george pell will see out the rest of his days in australia. though it is worth keeping in mind that because he never had to hand in his right hand, he remains a cardinal and therefore if a papal conclave is called between now and his 80th birthday next year, he could elect the next pope. fascinating. thank you for putting that into contacts as well. thank you so much. turning back to the subject of coronavirus of course dominating our

coverage so far. let's catch up with what's happening in china because, for the first time since it began monitoring the toll of the coronavirus epidemic back injanuary, officials there report no new deaths from the virus. new infections have also dropped and all 32 cases reported came from overseas travellers entering china. but there are questions about whether the government has been underreporting figures. steve mcdonnel is in beijing. many have suggested that the figures here cannot possibly be catching all the cases, neither all the infections nor the deaths. but a nyway infections nor the deaths. but anyway it does not really matter because what really matters is the trend. if the sort of loop goes like that or i like that, it does not relate matter how high, it could be ten times as many people have died here as come up in the figures but as long as the trend is right and it does seem to be in terms of ice

coming out the other end, it is quite constructive. and offering hope for other countries. desperately needed help. also in the last few hours, the chinese city of wuhan — where the outbreak started — has opened to the outside world.restrictions in wuhan have now been lifted for the first time since the 23rd of january when beijing locked down the 11 million people living there. the majority of stores have reopened and residents are able to travel again. here you can see people arriving at wuchang station in wuhan. injapan, prime minister shinzo abe has declared a state of emergency in tokyo, osaka and 5 other regions in the country. people are being advised to stay inside and businesses will shut. coronavirus infections in tokyo have more than doubled in the past week to abouti,200. it comes after the government announced a massive stimulus package, which mr abe described as among the world's biggest, to soften the economic blow.

it's worth around $1 trillion us dollars, which is about 20% of japan's gross domestic output. rupert wingfield—hayes is in tokyo. if you take tokyo and its surrounding areas, it really is the world's largest metropolitan area with a population altogether of around 37 million people. the state of emergency really does affect a vast number of people. we understand it is going to go into effect initially for a month but it will not be the same as the lockdowns that have been declared in the uk or in america or in some other european countries because the japanese government simply does not have the power to do it. the japanese government is requesting businesses close and requesting that ordinary citizens stay—at—home as much as possible. but a lot of life will continue to go on, the tokyo transportation network will continue to run and a lot of people will continue to go to work. but it is

hoped because this is a disciplined and law—abiding society that it will be enough to stem the growth of covid—i9 here. stay with us on oustide source, still to come: is coronavirus playing havoc on your sleep? we'll speak to a dream expert about the impact of lockdown on your subconscious. it's been more than three weeks since croatia suspended school and university classes because of the pandemic. however, one teacher has found a unique way to deliver a lesson. matt graveling has the story. music. this is a music lesson with a difference. the musician — a teacher. the audience — his pupils. music. translation: i'm in third grade. translation: i'm in grade six. translation: i don't go to school yet. translation: two days ago, i visited and sang to eight of them. today, this is my third stop and i

have arrangements for ten more. notjust here in the centre, but to other areas as well, because the kids had to move out of their homes after the earthquake. some even live outside the city. but i have to go and see them, too. translation: i take my hat off to the teacher for the initiative. especially in the time when we must not go out. it means a lot for their motivation. this is outside source live from the bbc newsroom. our main story... british prime minister borisjohnson is facing a second night in intensive care for coronavirus. the government says he's in "good spirits", stable and breathing without help. let's bring you up—to—date with the situation in the united states. new york continues to be at the centre of the covid—i9 outbreak in the us. speaking in the last few hours

the new york governor andrew cuomo said monday saw the largest single day increase in the number of deaths. the bad news is 5,489 new yorkers have lost their lives to this virus. that is up from 4,758. that is the largest single day increase and we talk about numbers but that 731 people who we lost, behind every one of those numbers is an individual, is a family, is a mother, is a father, is a sister, is a brother. so a lot of pain again today for many new yorkers and they are in our thoughts and prayers. absolutely crucial to remember the individuals behind those huge figures.

but there are some promising signs as well. statistics released by the new york city's emergency department show that the number of patients admitted with coronavirus like symptons has slowed. near the end of last month over 1,500 people were being admitted to new york's a and e departments. that's down to around 500. mark levine chair of the new york city health council committee — says this shows that the isolating measure put in place in new york is paying off. across the nation — it's a mixed picture. new statistics on how african—american communities are hit by covid—19. as of sunday, 1,824 african american chicago residents have been diagnosed with covid—19. they make up just over half of all coronavirus cases in the city. but african americans only make up 30% of the population in chicago.

so disproportional there. and when it comes to coronavirus deaths in chicago, african americans account for two—thirds. let's dissect this with our reporter in washington. a therapist's proportionate number of african americans are affected by the coronavirus. and you are seeing that not just in the coronavirus. and you are seeing that notjust in chicago but also in other major cities as well, detroit and new orleans and particularly in connecticut and new york. only a handful of connecticut and new york. only a ha ndful of states connecticut and new york. only a handful of states reporting these figures based on race but the ones who have passion similarity disparities in the question is why is that the case? some of the possible answers are that african—americans possible answers are that african—america ns could be possible answers are that african—americans could be more predisposed or have more pre—existing conditions like hypertension and breathing difficulties that could complicate

the complicated when they come down with the coronavirus and may not have as good access to health care providers. also some workers could be still going to theirjobs and not have access to the same amount of protection and be deemed essential workers in places like grocery stories and medical facilities and all of this could be played into why we are seeing larger differences between african—american fatalities and general population. again when it comes to disproportionality, we see new york hugely affected when compared to the rest of the united states. wright, new york state is still the hotspot for coronavirus in the united states. although there are now productions here in washington, dc the numbers are starting to go up dramatically and washington, dc could be the next hotspot. the concern is that new york city was hit first and we saw the trajectory of cases there and

that sort of trajectory can be matched and other us cities somewhere down the lines and not just washington, dc but miami, houston and dallas and detroit and new houston and dallas and detroit and n ew o rlea ns houston and dallas and detroit and new orleans are seeing this. those cities following the same trajectory of new york city that is how you get into the projected hundreds of thousands of deaths. they are still saying that a peak in the virus in the united states is looking at the middle of april and then adjusted by a couple of days may be but it still seems like predictions that this next week, particularly new york are going to be the darkest for the united states with this pandemic. thank you. more than 1.3 million people have coronavirus worldwide. but the impact goes far beyond just those who've been infected. lockdowns across the world are affecting billions of people. and while the stress of the pandemic is causing some sleepless nights, others are experiencing the opposite — more vivid dreams. here's an example.

mark blagrove is a professor of psychology at swansea university and specialises in dreams. iam assuming i am assuming dreams, they show us what is going on and our subconscious and when we are under this kind of stress scenario that is really coming through, what we are doing and thinking at night. some of the time they will show us subconscious things that we might not be so conscious of that at the moment a lot of people will be having the quite obvious stress of their body and waking life and they may well dream of those stresses and adding to that is the fact that they can sleep and in the morning and they have no greater amount of rapid eye movement sleep across the morning even up to about 40 minutes of that you could have near the end of that you could have near the end of the night and this could lead to very long dreams and far more dreams being recalled. and if people are

having anxiety and leading onto nightmares is there any way of controlling what is going on when we fall asleep eventually? one thing we are finding is if people talk about nightmares to other people or talk about dreams because in some insta nces about dreams because in some instances they will be having dreams that are not quite nightmares or for some people some having a relaxed lockdown they will be having pleasa nt lockdown they will be having pleasant dreams but the benefits of sharing your dreams with other people. this goes beyond any benefits that there might be to the individual for considering their own dreams but the sharing with others gives a self—disclosure and what we find in our experiments is that the person you share the dream with can end up having more empathy towards you and the present situation with the lockdown, there is not only more time fordreaming the lockdown, there is not only more time for dreaming but time for sharing dreams during the day. we do

not have to much time but should we be reading anything too much into these dreams or a recurring dream or something that is coming back to us as yell at the moment what we did at that weekend as we discussed with a nurse who is having covid—19 about a recurring dream she was having. nurse who is having covid—19 about a recurring dream she was havingm was about having the outside world being threatening and people inside the house at a party she was at not knowing what the warning she was given where and then seeing a dead body and then her having a cat on herface body and then her having a cat on her face suffocating her. body and then her having a cat on herface suffocating her. that dreams can be quite transparent that they can tell you about the life and a metaphorical way and metaphors about your life can be quite enlightening. thank you so much for talking us through that. a fascinating insight. thank you. anyone who is experiencing any more lucid or vivid dreams to get in touch with us. it will be great to

hear from you. touch with us. it will be great to hearfrom you. i touch with us. it will be great to hear from you. i will be back with the next edition of the show very shortly. stay safe. the weather will be cooling down over the easter weekend, but until then, it's very warm for us, but whatever your view, there will be more cloud in the sky compared with what we have seen today. more cloud overnight will keep temperatures up, not much in the way of frost. close to the south coast, showers around and rain covering more of north—west scotland with a stiff breeze. still clear enough in parts of northern england and southern scotland. temperatures fall close enough to freezing for a touch of frost, but where you're clear, you're best placed for a view of the super moon. one or two mist orfog patches developing tonight, clearing in the morning. cloudy skies for many of us tomorrow compared with today, but there will still be some sunny spells around. you may catch a shower in southern

england, the midlands. northern scotland still sees some outbreaks of rain, maybe a spot in northern ireland. where you have the rain, still quite breezy winds. elsewhere, winds are reasonably light, and even though there is more cloud around, there are sunny spells and it is still warm. temperatures in the high teens, a few spots in south—east england into the low 20s. pollen levels are high in england and wales. it is warmer now, the windows are open and perhaps that is why even if you are staying inside, you may be suffering as a result. some fog patches around parts of southern england to start the day on thursday, still have a lot of cloud in scotland, maybe squeezing out some patchy light rain or drizzle. most places will be dry, and the cloud breaks to allow some sunshine to come through. in england and wales, temperatures in the low 20s, but some chilly air lurking through northern scotland, where we are into single figures. things start to change

as we go into good friday, the frontal system edging our way that pushes east into saturday taking some rain with it, another area of low pressure following as we go deeper on into the easter weekend. what does that mean? nowhere will be particularly wet. as you can see from a selection of places, there's the chance of catching a few showers, but there will still be sunny spells but really where it has been so warm, temperatures will be coming down and quite considerably by the time we get to monday, with a developing north—easterly wind. cooler over the weekend, chance of rain but certainly not a wash—out.

this is bbc news. the headlines: the british prime minister boris johnson is said to be breathing without any assistance in hospital and continues to be monitored in critical care. foreign secretary dominic raab, who is deputising for mrjohnson, said he remained stable overnight and was receiving "standard oxygen treatment". new york's governor has said the state has recorded its highest number of covid—19 deaths in 24 hours. 731 people succumbed to the coronavirus on monday, bringing the state's death toll to 5489. but andrew cuomo did say that hospitalisations appeared to be "plateauing". wuhan, the chinese city where the outbreak began, has reopened after almost three months of lockdown. china said it has recorded no new coronavirus deaths for the first time since january.

the prime minister is to spend a second night in intensive care being treated for coronavirus, but downing street said today he was in "good spirits", having been admitted to hospital on sunday evening. it's being reported that mrjohnson is in a stable condition. he is being given oxygen, but he's not on a ventilator. the queen has sent a message of support to mrjohnson‘s family, including his partner, carrie symonds, who's expecting their child. the latest official figures on the spread of coronavirus show that 786 have died in hospital. that's the highest reported so far for a 24—hour period, but experts say the growth in numbers is actually lower than the predicted long—term trend. it brings the total number of deaths in uk hospitals to more than 6000. so far, 55,242 people have tested positive in the uk, an increase of 3634 on monday's figures. here's our political

editor laura kuenssberg. nothing stops the spring, but the country is on pause. not knowing how deep this crisis will really cut, if the prime minister himself will recover. after a night for boris johnson in intensive care, the foreign secretary in his place at the lectern. he remained stable overnight. he's receiving standard oxygen treatment and breathing without any assistance. he's not required any mechanical ventilation or noninvasive respiratory support. he's notjust the prime minister to all of us in cabinet or notjust our boss, he is also a colleague and also our friend. so, all of our thoughts and prayers will be

with the prime minister at this time, with carrie and with his whole family. and i'm confident he will pull through. because if there is one thing i know about this prime minister, he's a fighter. politicians in other parts of the globe have been laid low, but borisjohnson is the only world leader needing this kind of emergency care. stable for now, but in a sensitive situation. the last public glimpse of the prime minister was on friday. obviously ill, speaking from his flat. admitted to hospital on sunday, and then into incentive care last night. behind whitehall‘s closed doors and spaces, the government machine still whirrs. cabinet committees are grappling with different challenges from the crisis. civil service continues whatever happens, but many dilemmas are ahead. with the prime minister absent at this final time, if there is a genuine disagreement in the cabinet, who actually makes the decision?

decision—making is made by collective cabinet responsibility. that is the same as before, but we have got very clear directions and very clear instructions from the prime minister. and we are focused with total unity and total resolve on implementing them. of course, any prime minister is actually the ultimate decision—maker. good morning, everybody, it is great to see you. the chancellor would take the foreing secretary's place if he take ill. michael gove on the right the latest along with many staff stuck in isolation at home. but a rare appearance of the former boss of this table sought to reassure. the infrastructure is there day by day. it is the infrastructure for the civil service, for the cabinet, of ministers and junior ministers.

and there is always somebody who if the prime minister is not available is able to step into that place and leave that cabinet government. normal politics are on hold. our thoughts are with the prime minister, his fiancee and his family. the labour party will act in the national interest and that is what i have offered to act assertively with the government and support because that's the right thing to do and push them further when we need to do it. i want to send every good wish to him, to his fiancee and to his whole family. we are all willing you on, boris. get well soon. a stressful and strange moment in history. an impromptu poster taped to mrjohnson‘s own hero. and messages from the world and from windsor. the queen sending her own message of support to the prime minister's family and his fiancee, expecting her first child. borisjohnson, prime minister, politician, partner and a father, too. laura kuenssberg, bbc news. our correspondent helena wilkinson is at st thomas's hospital in central london, where borisjohnson is being treated. spending another night in intensive care. that is right. more than 24

hours since the prime minister was moved from a ward here at the hospital, one of the best hospitals in the country, he was moved at around 7pm last night into intensive care. we were told that was as a precaution in case mrjohnson needed to go ona precaution in case mrjohnson needed to go on a ventilator. this is an excellent hospital full survey was treating some of the first patients who were testing positive for coronavirus they do have a lot of experience here. but we heard as you mentioned earlierfrom experience here. but we heard as you mentioned earlier from the experience here. but we heard as you mentioned earlierfrom the foreign secretary that boris johnson remains tonight here in intensive care. he is in tonight here in intensive care. he isina tonight here in intensive care. he is in a stable condition. he is we are told in good spirits. he is receiving what they have described as standard oxygen treatment. and he is breathing without help. i think usually the prime minister has not needed to go on a ventilator. the ventilator of course being the most invasive type of way that you can

give oxygen to a patient. but the patient in that case has to be sedated and it very simply takes overin sedated and it very simply takes over in terms of the breathing to allow the patient and their body to be able to try and get over the virus as best they can. but what mr johnson can expect in intensive care as with all other patients across the country who are trying to get over this virus in intensive care is very close monitoring. they will be checking heart rates, oxygen levels, blood pressure around the highly skilled nurses and doctors in there. they will be closely monitoring the prime minister but the latest update from downing street is that he is in good spirits, he is stable tonight, but he is still in intensive care. thank you so much for bringing us up to date from st. thomas's. as we've heard, borisjohnson‘s been given oxygen in intensive care,

but has not been placed on a ventilator. so, when patients suffering from this disease go into intensive care, what kind of treatment can they expect and what are their prospects of a full recovery? our health editor hugh pym explains more. they're for the sickest patients. intensive care units in hospitals have sophisticated monitoring equipment and highly trained staff who are constantly checking those in their care. patients will normally require an oxygen supply, sometimes with devices like this, known as cpap, continuous positive airway pressure. they could simply be on oxygen. beyond that, we sometimes put them on a pressure mask which if you are wearing it is like putting your head out of the car window. it is additional pressure

to get your lungs to work breathing. if their condition worsens, some patients need to be put on a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe. this involves a tube inserted into the airway and the patient will be sedated. ria was in hospital for an operation and then was diagnosed with covid—19. she described what it was like to be in intensive care. ir was a point where i wasn't sure if i would come out of the hospital. that was the truth. sorry. it was very hard because i didn't even have the breath to ask the questions. the nurses, the doctors were by my side, they thought of everything needed before even i could think of it. i owe them my life. my situation started to worsen again. this man is another the coronavirus patient who was moved to an intensive care unit and stayed there for five days. the first thing is all the wires going on. that was so scary.

and having this mask put on to me for about 12 hours. that was really scary. and lots of really, each time i would call for a nurse or a nurse would come into the room, they had always put on gear. it feels strange. but they are fantastic. the latest survey said the average age was 60 for covid patients in intensive care, 73% are men and 27% are women. those with a bmi over 25, defined as overweight or obese, accounted for 70% of the patients and those who had a put on a ventilator within the first 24 hours accounted for 63%. coronavirus patients who are still very unwell after two weeks must need intensive care and that will require at least a week in hospital.

dr ron daniels, who is the sepsis trust's critical care consultant. he says he can take a long time to make a full recovery. for those who been critically unwell enough to need to be on a ventilator, particularly if it's more than a few days or for the majority of patients, we should not expect to see them return to their full level of function for several months after the illness. this is really going to hit people hard. it all depends. patient experiences in intensive care vary a lot, but they are all there because they are seriously ill. hugh pym, bbc news. across the uk, nhs staff say they're having to deal with the stark challenge of rising numbers of coronavirus patients while struggling with limited resources. yesterday, our medical correspondent fergus walsh and cameraman adam walker brought you the story of the doctors and nurses working in the intensive care unit at university college hospital in central london. his report today looks at how the hospital has to be completely reconfigured to help treat patients with the disease. at first glance, it looks like a normal hospital but coronavirus has

changed everything. ward after ward has been cleared for covid—19 patients. i didn't take this seriously enough. imran isjust 37 and has breathing difficulties due to the virus. you don't know how bad it is until it actually hits you. and so i would absolutely urge everybody to listen to the government guidance and stay away from people. he has a wife and two children, everything to fight for. i have felt times where my body has been willing to just give up completely and i'm not, i'm a very young and fit individual. from the moment patients arrive at a&e, nurses and doctors face the risk of infection.

i do worry about my staff because they're being exposed to patients who have a dangerous disease. the man in charge at the hospital throughout this crisis leads from the front. i'm a doctor myself, i work in a&e with coronavirus patients. i'm also anxious. but on the other hand, we are all professionals, we know how to protect ourselves and we know the risk, so we can deal with this. the biggest transformation has been in intensive and high—dependency care, where the number of beds has increased fivefold, with plans for even more. but will it be enough? can they cope with the surge? all those questions are really critically dependent on three things — people, kit and oxygen. we have enough people, that's difficult because inevitably, staff have had to go off. we currently have enough oxygen, our current problem today is having enough itu—grade ventilators. if you're purple, you're a confirmed tempo pace.

orange is suspected. the very sickest patients will need a ventilator to breathe for them. if you look at our itu, there are two non—corona patients, both of them longer stay weaning off ventilators the rest has been taken over by corona. we have another hospital doing urgent cancer, but this place is essentially becoming a huge corona centre. everyone going into intensive care must wear full protective clothing. beds have been created in every available space. so, this is an anaesthetic room attached to an operating theatre. and just look inside here. this operating theatre has now been repurposed for two intensive care beds. it's actually rather overwhelming because itjust reinforces

the level of threat, the level of preparations going on here. and just what we are facing. it's the same layout in ten operating theatres, leaving just two for emergency surgery. you're getting stronger, yes? all hospital visits have been stopped. only in exceptional circumstances might a family member of a very sick patient be admitted. it's the personal cost of what is happening to patients, which isjust devastating sometimes. it is really hard because we can't let all the relatives in to see their loved ones. while the patients may not be aware, the relatives are really feeling this. like all of us, the doctors and nurses wonder when life will return to normal. certainly in my family, we have a holiday booked in august. we have all got that as a date, i don't know if that's a hope. like everyone in the country, i mean, in some ways,

i've got a job, i am getting an income, i know that i am not suffering like a lot of people are. the whole country's suffering here. and the whole country knows it owes an immense debt to nhs front line staff. putting themselves at risk from coronavirus day after day to save lives. during her daily briefing, scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon was questioned about a growing number of deaths in care homes across scotland, including eight deaths at castle view care home in dumbarton, where residents were showing symptoms of coronavirus. she said work would take place to understand the impact of the virus on the care sector. the care inspectorate will be notified and we'll do whatever investigation they need to do in the case of deaths in care homes and i think it is appropriate

that that happens. a heart surgeon at wales' largest hospital has died from coronavirus. jitendra rathod was an associate specialist in cardiothoracic surgery at university hospital of wales. the cardiff and vale university health board says he was an "incredibly dedicated surgeon who cared deeply for his patients". the first minister of wales has also paid tribute. a very senior and a very highly regarded doctor here in wales. we've had other clinicians who have been on the front line who are suffering from coronavirus, and it just tells us that this virus has no respect of persons or place, which is why it is so important we all do absolutely everything we can to protect one another from its impact. while the london region has seen the highest number of deaths and confirmed cases in the uk, the midlands has seen a sharp rise in infections. the mayor of the west midlands has insisted the region's hospitals are prepared, but the cabinet minister michael gove has called the wider midlands region "a particular area of concern", with a total of 212

deaths reported there on friday, as our correspondent sian lloyd reports. distressing to watch, a 37—year—old nurse struggling for breath in intensive care. 29 weeks pregnant and compelled, michelle wright says, to send a message to those still not following advice aimed at halting the spread of this virus. a new facility to help cope with a sharp rise in cases in the midlands is being prepared. this nightingale hospital on the outskirts of birmingham will admit its first patients in five days' time. and testing is being increased.

a new centre at the edgbaston cricket ground opened just yesterday. the wider midlands region has recently been described as a particular concern by the government. and a spike in the number of deaths is being investigated. those involved in coordinating the response on the ground say they currently have enough capacity to cope here. but they admit that understanding more about the transmission of the virus would help. some of the work we're doing here is understanding the density of the population, so we have a lot of families in the west midlands that are large family groups that perhaps live in smaller properties, maybe flats, so that may be a factor. wally is one of those who have died. his son is preparing for his funeral tomorrow. i had to watch the doors shut on the ambulance and he went alone, and i waved to him and his nurses

are doing an amazing job, and they're trying to be there, medically and support as family in the dying moments for people who can't be there with their loved ones, you know? this family values the support given by the health service, but the midlands is being described as the next coronavirus hotspot, and with that, a message from michelle wright. sian lloyd, bbc news, birmingham. the comedian eddie large, best known for being part of double act little and large, sadly died from coronavirus last week. he had been suffering from heart failure and contracted the virus in hospital. the bbc‘s alex lovell has been speaking to his wife patsy and son ryan. we didn't ever expect him to get the coronavirus.

i mean, we were shocked to find that he had that. i mean, his health wasn't good. i knew our time together wasn't going to be very long. but to end up having that virus, thatjust finished him off. yeah, it was just one too many things, really. it was the last straw, i guess. dad had been suffering with his heart for a long time. and over the years, itjust started to get worse and worse. but at the very end, we still had, as always, that hope that dad was going to be coming home, and then as soon as he was diagnosed with covid—19, he just deteriorated quite quickly. and that was the end, unfortunately. that is almost the trouble with somebody who is a fighter and has fought so long that you cannot think

they will ever be beaten, really. i know. i mean, he did fight hard. for most of his life, he's had this illness. trouble with his heart and everything. but 17 years he's had with his donor's heart. and we thank them so much, they donorfamily. so much. and that southmead hospital, was it not? southmead has been brilliant. they were fantastic for his last days. the heart transplant itself, dad was in southmead and then had to be ambulanced up to a different hospital where he had the actual heart transplant and that was 17 years ago. and in a real shocking way, there were nurses who were treating dad this time, in the most recent time, who had actually treated dad at the same hospital

all those years ago as well. it was quite incredible. dad recognised a few of them as well. and we were so lucky and have been so lucky. it is horrible that dad is now no longer with us, and that is really upsetting. but we got 17 years that we probably should never have gotten, and we'll forever be grateful and thankful that dad had that transplant and we got 17 years that were just a blessing for me, my sisters, my mum, his grandkids. got to see dad, and some of them we never thought they would get to see him for as long as they did. we are lucky to have had that. that was the son and wife of the comedian eddie large who passed away last week from coronavirus. today, thousands of volunteers who've stepped up to support the nhs in england during the crisis have been given details of what tasks they can do to help. the volunteers may have to deliver food and medicines, drive patients to appointments and phone those who are isolated, as our north of england correspondentjudith moritz reports.

this chemist‘s in leeds has never been busier, but it's not that the shop is full of customers. it's the increased need for drug deliveries which is adding the pressure. that's why the pharmacy has started using volunteer drivers who've signed up through the nhs. it'll be a huge help. there will be a lot of patience, especially those who are self—isolating and wanting deliveries, so with the extra help from these drivers will be a massive bonus for everyone. the pharmacy is using nhs transport volunteers to get its medicines out. right now, these are ready to deliver. nigel works at a primary school nearby and has done his first trial delivery. it went really well, and it was literallyjust delivering prescriptions, and again, a big thank you from the people and making sure they're 0k. nigel is one of three quarters of a million volunteers who've registered. all signed up, ready to go, just waiting to hear from somebody

who needs some help. i'm able to make and receive the telephone calls to the most vulnerable people. the nhs got three times the number of applications than expected for the scheme. there has been some frustration amongst volunteers who say they haven't been asked to help yet. but those organising the programme say they're starting it slowly and it will ramp up over coming weeks. steve has helped with one shopping delivery so far, but he's furloughed from his job and would love to do even more. i've got plenty of time on my hands and i can go out and help somebody in a heartbeat. if i got a call now, i can leave and help somebody do some shopping, pick up some prescriptions oranything, and i think there are hundreds of thousands of people who probably think the same. there's still a need to fill roles not included in the scheme. in southport and ormskirk, the hospitals are appealing for help with jobs from laundry to cleaning. right now, every volunteer is vital.

judith moritz, bbc news. we wish all the volunteers the best of luck. let's catch up with the weather now. here's nick miller. the weather will be cooling down over the easter weekend, but until then, it's very warm for us, but whatever your view, there will be more cloud in the sky compared with what we have seen today. more cloud overnight will keep temperatures up, not much in the way of frost. close to the south coast, showers around and rain covering more of north—west scotland with a stiff breeze. still clear enough in parts of northern england and southern scotland. temperatures fall close enough to freezing for a touch of frost, but where you're clear, you're best placed for a view of the super moon. one or two mist and fog patches developing tonight, clearing in the morning. cloudy skies for many of us tomorrow compared with today, but there will still be some sunny spells around. you may catch a shower in southern england, the midlands. northern scotland still sees some outbreaks of rain, maybe a spot in northern ireland.

where you have the rain, still quite breezy winds. elsewhere, winds are reasonably light, and even though there is more cloud around, there are sunny spells and it is still warm. temperatures in the high teens, a few spots in south—east england into the low 20s. pollen levels are high in england and wales. it is warmer now, the windows are open and perhaps that is why even if you are staying inside, you may be suffering as a result. some fog patches around parts of southern england to start the day on thursday, still have a lot of cloud in scotland, maybe squeezing out some patchy light rain or drizzle. most places will be dry, and the cloud breaks to allow some sunshine to come through. in england and wales, temperatures in the low 20s, but some chilly air lurking through northern scotland, where we are into single figures. things start to change as we go into good friday, the frontal system edging our way that pushes east into saturday taking some rain with it, another area of low pressure

following as we go deeper on into the easter weekend. what does that mean? nowhere will be particularly wet. as you can see from a selection of places, there's the chance of catching a few showers, but there will still be sunny spells but really where it has been so warm, temperatures will be coming down and quite considerably by the time we get to monday, with a developing north—easterly wind. cooler over the weekend, chance of rain but certainly not a wash—out.

this is outside source on bbc news for viewers in the uk and around the world. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. british prime minister borisjohnson is facing a second night in intensive care for coronavirus. the government says he's in "good spirits", stable and breathing without help. he is notjust the prime minister. for all of us incompetent, he is not

just our boss. he is also a call week and also a