good morning, how are you? i'm victoria derbyshire, welcome to bbc news. here are today's headlines: a second night in intensive care for borisjohnson — a third night in hopsitalfor the pm because of coronavirus. he is comfortable, he is stable, he is in good spirits. he has had oxygen. he has not been on a ventilator. the foreign secretary has just arrived for talks with ministers and experts. he says the pm is doing

just fine. no review of the uk's lockdown restrictions — ministers say it's too early to tell if they're working. the new nightingale hospital begins treating its first coronavirus patients. france introduces tougher lockdown measures — including no exercise outside — as more than 10,000 people die from coronavirus. but some very good news — two and a half months on, thousands of people in wuhan enjoy theirfreedom, as the chinese authorities lift travel restrictions in the city where the pandemic started. applause and joy for one patient in leicester who spent two weeks in hospital with the virus but is now through it. good morning.

interested to find out from you if you've had coronavirus and been admitted to hospital, like the pm, how long has it taken for you to fully recover? do send me an email victoria@bbc.co.uk. 0r there's thtier — @vicderbyshire. stable and in good spirits — that's the latest on the prime minister, who has spent a second night in intensive care in hospital. borisjohnson is receiving oxygen, but does not need a ventilator. he had been due to oversee a review of the lockdown next week, three weeks after it came into force. but the foreign secretary, dominic raab, who is standing in for him, suggested it was too soon for this to take place. meanwhile, nhs nightingale, the new temporary hospital in east london, has begun to receive its first patients. yesterday the number of deaths in the uk from coronavirus rose by 786. it was the largest daily increase and took the total number to more than 6,000. 0ur political correspondent jonathan blake has the latest. another night in intensive care for the prime minister. last night, downing street said

he was being closely monitored but in good spirits. they described his condition as stable. get well soon messages from nhs staff. they are among the many wishing borisjohnson well. the man standing in for him sought to reassure the public yesterday. dominic raab said he was confident the prime minister would recover, and there was some cautious optimism about the wider picture, too. although yesterday saw the highest daily increase yet in the number of deaths from coronavirus, rising by 786 to a total of 6,157, the number of confirmed cases of the virus rose by 3,634 to a total of 55,210. that, said the government's chief scientific adviser, could be a good sign. it's possible that we're beginning to see the beginning of change in terms of the curve flattening a little bit.

we won't know that for sure for a week or so. but what we're not seeing is an acceleration. it's important that we keep these new cases down, because of course, this in turn leads to the number of people going into hospital. and the aim all along is to reduce the number of cases below the capacity of the nhs, and to save lives. but it doesn't mean restrictions in place to slow the spread of coronavirus are likely to be lifted or eased in the nearfuture. it's too early to say when we will actually reach that peak, and when we might be able to make any changes. and therefore the message at the moment is very clear — however lovely the weather this easter weekend, stay at home, protect the nhs, save lives. now is the time we need to be really firm, and everyone needs to be firm, about sticking to that message. because if we are, as the statistics appear to show, making a little bit of progress on that, now‘s the time to hold to it, to make sure that we do see

those beneficial changes. the government insists it is getting on with its work while the prime minister remains in hospital. but anxious hours and difficult days lie ahead. jonathan blake, bbc news. 0ur correspondent charlotte rose is outside st thomas‘ hospital. presumably we are expecting an update on his condition a little later? victoria, boris johnson will have woken up this morning after spending a third night in saint thomas is behind me, is second in icu. downing street said last night he was being kept in the intensive ca re he was being kept in the intensive care unit for close monitoring but said his condition was stable and he was in good spirits. the man who has been deputising for him, the foreign secretary dominic raab, arrived in downing street a few minutes ago and said the pm was doing fine. also, the health minister, edward elgar,

has been telling the bbc this morning that he is in good spirits. we know from the news conference yesterday that dominic raab said of the prime minister is a fighter and he is sure he will recover soon. he also wanted to reassure the public that decision—making was continuing despite the absence of the pm and that work was going on behind closed doors. we are expecting a statement later on from downing street to give ita later on from downing street to give it a further update on the pmcondition. thank you, charlotte. 0ur correspondent nick eardley is in downing street. can you clear up whether or not dominca raab, who's standing in for the pm, is going to review the paritlal llockdown at the three week mark on monday or not? so when borisjohnson announced the lockdown measures he said the government would look in three weeks at the possibility of whether the scientific evidence showed that some

of these restrictions could be lifted. now it is written into legislation, the legislation passed to tackle the coronavirus crisis, that there has to be some sort of update. i think we've got a pretty clear indication of what it is going to say. there doesn't seem to be the evidence at the moment that it will be safe to lift the lockdown restrictions. we have heard that from dominic raab yesterday. he was saying there would be the worst time to ta ke saying there would be the worst time to take the foot off the pedal. that it was time to try to consolidate some of the progress that had been made. likewise we've heard from the chief scientific adviser, the chief medical officer, that they don't think we've necessarily reached the peak of this crisis. there is no real sign the government thinks we are ina real sign the government thinks we are in a place where we can start to lift those restrictions yet. 0k. dominic raab, what is top of his to—do list today? dominic raab, what is top of his to-do list today? he has got, in about ten minutes' time, a meeting with ministers and the scientific

and medical experts about the latest on the coronavirus crisis. he arrived here a few minutes ago from the foreign office just a short walk up the foreign office just a short walk up to numberio the foreign office just a short walk up to number 10 from his normal office. we asked him how the prime minister was doing. he said he was just fine. as you heard from charlotte, i think maybe later this morning, early afternoon, we will get a better update from the hospital, st thomas', where he is, and from downing street about the pm plasma condition. some perhaps cautious optimism. 0vernight we were told by number 10 that if things changed we would be told about it. we have not been told anything official from boris we have not been told anything officialfrom borisjohnson‘s we have not been told anything official from borisjohnson‘s team. last night he was said to be stable and in good spirits. the fact he has not got worse is probably a good sign but we will have to wait until later this morning to find out exactly what is going on with his help. thank you.

the first coronavirus patients have been admitted to the new nhs nightingale hospital. the temporary field hospital, at the excel centre in london, was set up in just nine days to handle the crisis and can accommodate up to 4,000 patients. it's the first of several to be built across the country. this morning the mayor of london, sadiq khan, said the nhs was coping with the crisis so far, but that londoners would have to do their bit to keep it that way. we've had some really good news, which is a few weeks ago we started planning for the worst, which is a peak where we would need in london about 8000 intensive care unit beds. to give you the scale of the challenge we normally have across the whole of london about 800 intensive care unit beds with ventilators, oxygen and those sorts of things. because of the brilliance of things. because of the brilliance of the nhs, the army, planners and many others, you saw we have opened

the nightingale hospital, we've got the nightingale hospital, we've got the capacity now to deal with our needs. at the moment, thankfully, we are nowhere near reaching 8000. at the moment we still have 25% above capacity on the nhs before we even go to the nightingale. so it demonstrates the can—do attitude of not just demonstrates the can—do attitude of notjust londoners, demonstrates the can—do attitude of not just londoners, but demonstrates the can—do attitude of notjust londoners, but those around the country who helped us get ready for the peak of this virus. at the moment we think the peak of this virus, which is the worst part of the virus, will be in a couple of weeks' time. that's why it's so important everyone weeks' time. that's why it's so im porta nt everyone follows weeks' time. that's why it's so important everyone follows the advice, the instructions and rules, stay at home this weekend as well, even though it is easter weekend and the weather is going to be hot. a well respected doctor who specialised in treating the elderly has died after testing positive for covid—i9. dr anton sebastian—pillai who was in his 70s, died on saturday after being admitted to intensive care. kingston hospital nhs foundation trust said he had been working at the hospital

as recently as the 20th march. let's talk to former conservative defence and foreign secretary malcolm risk and, by decisions that dominic raab and the cabinet will have to make in a few weeks. good morning. good morning. even when discharged from hospital, mrjohnson could need a few weeks to recover, which leaves dominic raab having to make potentially big judgment calls for all of us. is that an issue? well, it's an issue but i don't think it is as difficult as is sometimes suggested because of the circumstances at the moment. normally if the prime minister is not available, they will be very major political decisions to make, which might require, which might result into divisions in the cabinet. most of the big decisions on the coronavirus have already been

taken and any adjustments to that will be essentially on medical advice, with one important exception. that is that at some stage, maybe next week, may be slightly later, the cabinet will be required to review weather and if so and in what way we ease the lockdown. that is notjust a medical judgment. it has to be a balance between the medical considerations and the consequences of leaving the whole economy shut down with all the possible damage not just whole economy shut down with all the possible damage notjust to the economy but mental health and other problems, over an extended period. it's partly political, it is partly medical. for many people watching thatis medical. for many people watching that is a massive life changing judgment call. and the british public have got to trust the man making those decisions? well, it will be the man, it will be the cabinet. that would be true even if borisjohnson is cabinet. that would be true even if boris johnson is back cabinet. that would be true even if borisjohnson is back or was available because it is a cabinet system, though the prime minister of the day has infinitely more

influence. he is often called first amongst equals. he can very often steer the direction in a particular way. dominic raab does not have that authority, nor would he claim it. he is the person who is chairing the cabinet. if he can speak to the prime minister, he will do so in order to get his view on these matters. if borisjohnson‘s health is not good enough for that to happen. dominic raab would have more influence on the outcome than any other individual member. but it would very much be a collective decision. it would be how the majority of the cabinet feel is right to respond on the question of whether it is time to ease the lockdown and if so in what way. 0bviously lockdown and if so in what way. obviously it is going to happen. it will happen step—by—step, not all at once. what if mrjohnson is off four weeks, possibly a month, two months? would the not be an argument for giving dominic raab the full powers of the prime minister? well it very much depends on what we mean by if

the prime minister was off for several months. if he is fully conscious, if he is aware of what is happening but is not yet physically strong enough to return to full responsibilities, then he could still be and would be consulted by dominic raab in orderfor his views to be known, to be part of the wider discussion. we hope that will not happen but if the prime minister was ina bad happen but if the prime minister was in a bad way, if he was not conscious or able to offer a view, thenif conscious or able to offer a view, then if the issue becomes a more difficult one, and more difficult decisions might have to be reached. so would that be a scenario whereby people would argue the full powers of the prime minister are passed to dominic raab? well, it's not so much a question of the full powers. a prime minister does not have explicit powers. let's use the word authority then. that's a more appropriate point. in the case of dominic raab and he is not deputy prime minister. he has never been given that appointment. he is first

secretary of state and that is why he has been asked to be the acting prime ministerfor the he has been asked to be the acting prime minister for the time he has been asked to be the acting prime ministerfor the time being. i know dominic raab well enough to know dominic raab well enough to know that they would be expected —— you will be expected to take the sort of power is the prime minister is. there are powerful members around the cabinet who wish to meet collective decisions and that is what he will want as well. rishi sunak, the chancellor, michael gove and other members of the cabinet, all have a part to play. 0k. finally, i'm really interested to know what you think about the military language being used by some politicians, some parts of the media, somejournalists politicians, some parts of the media, some journalists when discussing this virus? they say it isa war, discussing this virus? they say it is a war, a battle, medics are on the front line, boris johnson is a war, a battle, medics are on the front line, borisjohnson will pull through because he is a fighter, as dominic raab puts it. you are a former defence and foreign secretary and you were during an actual conflict of the bosnian war. how do you feel about that warrior type language we know exactly what

people are saying. it is not a word like the second world war. we are not fighting against another country. the whole world is united against this ghastly disease. but it does require many of the same qualities that you see in wartime. so the comparison is with how this country responded to the blitz or the possibility of the german invasion in 1940, it's totally different, but some of the qualities required in responding to that, which is a calmness, a willingness to a cce pt which is a calmness, a willingness to accept the temporary suspension of our civil liberties, which is what has happened, and also the humour that so many people are showing and the imagination of how they cope, as i am, and you are, with my children, with my grandchildren and so forth, these are all qualities which are far older generation even than mine can't recall being familiar with. it is what the queen was referring to in the first broadcast she ever gave

when she was 14, i think it was, 80 yea rs when she was 14, i think it was, 80 years ago. it wasn'tjust a bit of nostalgia on her part. she was saying we have faced love the same kind of challenge, but something comparable before and we have the qualities as a country to deal with it. are you staying well? i think i am!| it. are you staying well? i think i am! iwake it. are you staying well? i think i am! i wake up each morning just check. i'm frustrated like everybody else but like everybody else i'm discovering the time to do things that i never had the time to do in the past. when i finish this particular interview i will be narrating the second chapter of the house pooh corner, winnie the pooh, to my two granddaughters, aged 12 and seven. they got chapter one yesterday and they get chapter two today. they are having chapter two whether they like it or not. we are grateful for your time. the very fa ct grateful for your time. the very fact they asked me to do it shows that i am getting full marks for the time being but i don't take it for

granted. 0k, thank you. thanks very much. enjoy the time reading winnie the pooh with your grandchildren. some very good news from china — the authorities there have started allowing people to leave wuhan, where the coronavirus pandemic started. the city was locked down two—and—a—half months ago. it comes after china reported no deaths on tuesday, the first time this has happened since it began publishing figures. 0ur china correspondent robin brant is in beijing. and you are alive, robin. i'm so sorry, i didn't realise! i'm glad to talk to you live. i'm here like malcolm rifkind! so this is finally some absolutely brilliant news for the people of wuhan? yeah, hugely significant, hugely symbolic moment after 76 days when this city, before

all this happened pretty much no one outside of china had heard of it, home to 11 million people, it was cut off from the rest of mainland china, cut off from the world as well and january 23. but now the restrictions have been lifted. people there are able to leave if they want to. people outside the rest of china can also travel to wuhan if they want. president xi went there three weeks ago, a sure sign he felt it was personally 0k for him to go. it was the beginning of victory, in inverted commas, over the coronavirus when it came to wuhan. there are conditions. you need a green cold and a widely held used to health app on smartphones here. —— code. this can track where you have been. if you have been to high—risk areas, you don't get the green code, so you need that. all of this in the context where the official government advice for the province surrounding wuhan continues to be stay at home, don't go out much, just go to the shop once a

day, one family member, wear a mask as well. all of that compounded by the fact that the man at the top of the fact that the man at the top of the tree, president xi, was saying last week to china's 1.4 the tree, president xi, was saying last week to china's1.4 billion population please don't gather in large numbers, please don't go to the cinema. they are still very worried about the prospect of a second wave, and particularly concerned this might be brought on by international imports, people coming into china now, mainly to cities like shanghai and bringing coronavirus with them. and of course it's really interesting for us because we are all wondering, is wuhan the model? does it mean countries like the uk will be in lockdown for two and a half months? can we look to wuhan as an example? well, possibly. china thinks that. well, possibly. china thinks that. we could talk for a lot longer about cultural differences, changing strategies between wuhan, between london, between china, between the uk. but look back to the imperial couege uk. but look back to the imperial college report authored by niall ferguson and others, the one that so

informed the changing uk government strategy, that talked about possibly needing restrictions on people's movements for months and months, until a vaccine is found. that could possibly be 12 to 18 months. president xi, the chinese authorities, believe that once they got their act together, remember there was a cover—up at the first few weeks, but they think once they got their act together and eat the draconian workers did stop the spread. whether you trust the numbers or not, that is a separate discussion. thank you, robin. good to talk to you like. paramedics across the country are putting their lives at risk by working without the right protective equipment, that is according to the gmb union. kate has been sent to nhs staff but union members say there still isn't enough and ambulance workers are at breaking point. here is lauren moss. the apron that we are asked to wear is nothing more than a disposable flimsy apron. personal protective

equipment is the barrier against the coronavirus. and then we've got to put on the sleeve protection that is provided, again, only goes so far up. paul turner is a union rep who has returned to paramedic duties in the north—west. last week, public health england released new guidance advising any clinician working within two metres of a patient with suspected covid—19 to wear an apron, gloves, surgical mask and eye protection. but paul says there still isn't enough kit, leaving staff concerned for their own safety. i am seeing some of the strongest characters in the ambulance service at the moment at breaking point. and i mean some of the strongest characters. these people have done 20, 30 years in the service. i think the main concern for them is they are scared of the ppe. the ppe, as you have seen in the video i sent you, does not protect us or our uniform. many ambulance staff didn't want to go on camera but wrote about feeling scared and unprotected, saying theyjoined the service to save lives, not

lose theirs and risk their families. and it's notjust the lack of equipment that putting a strain on the service. according to figures released by the gmb union in london, one in five staff are currently off with covid related sickness. more than half, 679, are front line workers and over 100 are call handlers. the pressure and the demand on the service has only increased, with sickness levels and issues, having to self—isolate, and becoming ill themselves, it'sjust added more pressure. it's going to be a huge issue with mental health after this with the stress and the strain that they have been put under. a mental health hotline for nhs staff to call or text has launched today. and the department of health says hundreds of millions of personal protective items have been delivered around the country. but it is still a race against time to keep those at the forefront of the outbreak safe from the enemy

they cannot see. lauren moss, bbc news. thanks for your messages about if you have had coronavirus how long it has taken you to get back to being fully recovered, particularly if you have been in hospital. i'm thinking of how long it could take the prime minister to recover. he is said to be fine, according to dominic raab this morning. still in intensive care. with no mechanical ventilation. eve says both herself and her husband both had symptoms from a week last thursday. fever, breathless, intimate and sore throat and runny nose, muscle pain etc. her temperature didn't go back to normal until the tenth or 11th day of having symptoms. she feels like she is getting better one minute and then she seems to go backwards and feels awful again. enough testing has not been done. but we are still

recovering, she says. it is coming up recovering, she says. it is coming up to two weeks of us having symptoms. there must be so many more people the same. your experience is really relevant. i will feed them in through the morning. thank you very much. continued successful recovery for you and your husband. in france, coronavirus deaths have passed 10,000 one of the highest levels in the world. the authorities in paris have intensified the lockdown, banning outside exercise during the day. also, fines now in some towns for spitting in the street, or sneezing without covering the face. with the latest on the impact of the pandemic across europe, here's rich preston. president trump said there were signs the united states was reaching the top of his car. as we had a few minutes ago the lockdown has come to an end in wuhan, where the infection first emerged. 476 days the city was

pretty much deserted. train and plane services have resumed and toll roads have reopened and people are able to leave the city if they don't the virus. with the latest on the impact of the pandemic across europe, here is richard preston. after italy, then spain, france is now the country in the eye of the storm. bell tolls its death toll has passed 10,000. it's only reported its first coronavirus case at the end of january. this is all happened in little over ten weeks. an increasingly tight state of lockdown has now come to this — in paris, a ban on all outdoor exercise in daytime after a sunny weekend saw hundreds take to the city's open spaces. while it remains the country hardest hit by coronavirus, the infection rate in italy is continuing to slow. medical staff in the northern

region of lombardy have criticised officials for how they handled the pandemic, saying too little protective equipment was available. spain is following a similar pattern, its infection rate also slowing down. the total death toll is over 13,500. elsewhere, resistance to a move to limit the spread of coronavirus by tracking people's mobile phones, a technique widely credited for helping reduce the spread of infection across several asian countries, but now facing a backlash in croatia. 0pposition say it violates human rights. the government says it would save lives. rich preston, bbc news. in germany, officials there say the number of confirmed covid—19 cases has risen to over 107,000. the figure shows an increase of more than 3,000 cases from tuesday.

deaths from coronovirus in germany now stand at more than 2,000. the european union's top scientist has resigned, condemning what he called brussels' "disappointing" response to the coronavirus pandemic. mauro ferrari criticised the eu for rejecting his proposal to set up a co—ordinated programme to fight covid—19. the european commission has not commented on the accusations. let's get more with our europe correspondent, gavin lee. what is his point? he has been in thejob, he is a professor of science from italy, and he has been in thejob for three science from italy, and he has been in the job for three months. he basically described his dream vision for this crisis moment for the eu should reshape the european research council and basically put it out of the front of giving the best resources to the best scientists. he published this open page, two page

criticism. he doesn't pull any punches in terms of the condemnation. he believes he was basically failed, that the basic task of coordinating how scientists should work... he said he came up with his plan to combat covid—19. and when he put it through to his board and others within the european commission, it is integrated to straightaway. he felt relief because the commission came to him and said, what ideas have you got with your expertise? he said when he started direct contact it caused an internal political thunderstorm. and actually, despite his title, he believed he was a mere advisor and nothing more. in the past 20 minutes or so the european commission has responded in a fairly anodyne1—page letter, stating that they regret that he has resigned. there will be three other people as caretakers are essentially doing the job for the moment. they say they wish him well

in the future. i think what it comes down to, any seasoned brussels watchers will know they won't get involved in this personally, and briefly there is another mep, part of the research foundation committee, he said he dismisses those claims, it is simply egotistical windowdressing on behalf of the professor. thank you. throughout this pandemic, the gratitude felt for our frontline workers has been echoed across the country. people are so grateful to the staff who have effectively saved their lives. and that is why for one patient, it was a shock for him to see staff applauding him, as he came through the virus and left hospital. so emotional, after almost two weeks of being treated for the virus,

hilton was given a guard of honour when being discharged from leicester royal infirmary. he has been speaking to bbc breakfast. of course, it was one of the great moments of my life. after 12 days in hospitalfor that particular chapter to end like that was absolutely, you know, astonishing. i was on a major high. it had been my birthday only the day before, which was a pretty emotional moment as well. but yes, just feeling that i had made it, that i was alive, thanks to the kindness and the professionalism and they compassion of all those people who lined that corridor, it doesn't come any better than that. when you are as ill as i was, you are reduced to basically the state of being a baby. completely dependent on others for every little thing that happens during your day. so, my birthday was an exciting day, because by then i was able to sit in a chair beside the bed. that of itself was

a giant step forward. anyway, so, there i was sitting in my chair and one of the nurses came up. she had looked at my wristband and records and so on and said, "gosh, i see it's your birthday. what would you like?" and i think i'd been in hospital then for sort of ten days. i'd been through the mill. i felt pretty battered and bedraggled. it suddenly occurred to me, my goodness, wouldn't it be fantastic to have a shave? i said, "i'd love a shave." she said, "all right, i'll give you a shave." and we wish you continued success for your recovery, hylton, as well. time for the weather, with carol. we are looking at sunny spells, and in the sunshine it will feel quite warm. there is more cloud across scotla nd warm. there is more cloud across scotland and northern ireland, courtesy of a weak weather front,

which is producing some spots of rain. behind it, it will brighten up in the highlands and ahead of it, for england and wales, the cloud will be thinning and breaking, sunny spells developing with the odd isolated sharp shower in southern england, south wales, the midlands or east anglia, through the afternoon. but they will tend to fade later on. the front sinks further south overnight and clear skies in the north means we are looking at some frost. further south, we could have some fog patches forming. tomorrow that will lift, leaving another dry day for most but with a fair bit of sunshine, the weather front still draped across the north of the country. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines... a second night in intensive

care for borisjohnson — a third night in hopsital for the prime minister because of coronavirus. ministers say it's too early to say when restrictions under the uk's lockdown will be eased. the new nightingale hospital begins treating its first coronavirus patients. france introduces tougher lockdown measures, including no exercise outside, as more than 10,000 people die from coronavirus. but some very good news — two—and—a—half months on, thousands of people in wuhan enjoy theirfreedom as the chinese authorities lift travel restrictions in the city where the pandemic started. president trump has claimed his government will soon have enough ventilators for every us state, and even unexpected surplus. here, manufacturers have been making more ventilators.

as well as the physical devices, they also need supplies of medical oxygen. so, is there enough to go round? with me is dave west from the health servicejournal. i'm alsojoined by alistair wilson from jfd diving equipment, which has designed a non—invasive ventilator in just two weeks. welcome, both of you, dave west, what is the issue? the issue is the supply of oxygen in the uk, the overall supply of medical oxygen at the moment is adequate, the problem is more ensuring the supply gets to the right hospitals at the right time, and even more importantly... 0ver time, and even more importantly... over the last few days, is ensuring... to pipe the oxygen supply to the patients... dave, i'm really sorry, i am struggling to hear you. i really sorry, i am struggling to hearyou. ican really sorry, i am struggling to hear you. i can hear every other word. we will try and come back to

you because we need to know what the issue is. i heard you say we have definitely got enough oxygen in the uk, it isjust about definitely got enough oxygen in the uk, it is just about getting it to the right places. let me bring in alistair wilson, you are the managing director of... you manufacture diving equipment, so how can you help? just a bit of background, i am one of the directors ofjfd, the rest of my colleagues are all in scotland, so, our business is in aberdeen and glasgow, we have 40 years of experience in the life support and diving equipment market, but also we have had medical devices in our catalogue, in fact, currently, we do provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy to aberdeen royal infirmary. what does that mean, sorry? what that means is, we supply oxygen therapy at an elevated pressure for people with severe lung disease. so, we understand the breathing equipment. from our diving equipment legacy

products. we send divers down on breathing gas to very deep depths in the deep ocean, and to do that, we have to understand breathing gas management, health monitoring of those divers, and the supply of the gas becomes very important. so what have you done in terms of coronavirus? it was interesting, about three weeks ago, i was sitting on my sofa, but starting a period of isolation, but we saw the news in the evening on the sunday 15th march, where matt hancock was making a call for ventilators, and on that same news programme, there was a piece that the bbc put out on the italian situation, where there was an elderly lady sitting outside the hospital, she wasn't allowed in to see hospital, she wasn't allowed in to see her husband, who had just passed away. yet you could clearly see that showers in a condition where she should have been in the hospital

herself. so, very, very rapidly we we re herself. so, very, very rapidly we were exchanging messages between myself and my fellow directors up in scotland, saying, there has got to be things we can bring to bear with regard to our products and expertise, be unable to understand the whole thing about the medical scenario, supplying the gas to a patient. so what have you come up with? well, rediscovered very quickly that in our back catalogue, i can't tell what you have got on your screen i can't tell what you have got on your screen but i'm hoping that you can show some pictures of what we have. we haven't, have you not got something there to show us? we sent something there to show us? we sent some stuff through, i am hoping that your technical eye will be able to show something. we can see it now. have you got a prototype alongside you as well? unfortunately i haven't because the rest of the guys are in scotland and if we need to subsequently do something, i would love to introduce you to the fantastic team of engineers that we

have who have been tirelessly working away for the last three weeks in aberdeen mosul we are showing one of your devices on the face of a patient right now. tell me quickly how it works. so, the beauty of this device is, it is a solid—state ventilator, so it will ventilate patients but it has no moving parts. so, the beauty about this is that we can supply oxygen independently of driving the ventilation, so, we provide breathing gas to the ventilator, which allows the patients to get into a respiratory cycle where we inhalation and expiration, and we can provide additional oxygen directly to the patient at the mask, which means we have a way of conserving the oxygen the patient whilst absently actually helping their breathing at the same time. let me bring dave back in, so, we have got enough oxygen, what is the issue, briefly? can you hear me 0k?

absolutely fine. the issue which has been raised with us over the last few days by hospital directors is actually the engineering that is necessary to pipe the oxygen through to patients, to the vastly increased number of beds and patients who now need to rely on that oxygen. so, the amount of oxygen that is being used at any one time in a hospital is dramatically increasing, and that presents difficult engineering challenges to make sure it can be safely used by that number of patients. so, hospitals are calling on engineering support to help them do that, and there is people who are able to do that. 0k, thank you both very much for coming on, really appreciate it. this is from nhs england, they say... hospital oxygen ta nks england, they say... hospital oxygen tanks are full other normal, as is a

result of the preparations which have been done. individual hospitals received guidance in february and again this week on how to safely manage engineering of increased oxygen usage. now on bbc news, it's your questions answered. with me to answer some of the questions you've been sending in on coronavirus is dr stephanie de giorgio, a gp from kent. and also i'm joined by dr andrew preston, an infectious diseases expert from the university of bath. good morning, both of you, how are you? good morning, victoria, very well, thank you. good to hear that you are both staying well. this first question, probably to dr andrew preston, it is from nick. countries around the world are now starting to enforce populations to

wear masks, why is the uk government not following this step?” wear masks, why is the uk government not following this step? i think we are trying to be consistent with who advice, so, ithink are trying to be consistent with who advice, so, i think there is some thought that it is perhaps better at preventing transmission, rather than necessarily relying on it to prevent someone necessarily relying on it to prevent someone from catching the virus. so, in that case, you would need to know that you have the infection in order to be transmitting. the main advice for that is that you should be self—isolating and therefore not out and therefore not need to wear the mask. i think also possibly we've seen mask. i think also possibly we've seen such a lot of discussion and problems with the supply of ppe to those that really need it so, if the advice goes out for everyone else to start wearing masks, i think there is real concern that it is going to create supply chain issues even more than we have at the moment. this one is from chris, i will put it to you, dr stephanie de giorgio. many of us

with particular conditions and/or being a certain age, have been told to isolate for 12 weeks. however, until there is a vaccine or other treatment available, surely this means that those at risk or who are vulnerable will remain locked down for the foreseeable future, unless they wish to play russian roulette with their lives? i think it is a really difficult one, because you're quite right, we don't have any treatment at the moment. but hopefully, once cases start to decrease, it will be safer for people to start to leave their house. but i completely understand the fear of those who have been asked to stay at home completely, because it is a very scary time when you feel that if you simply leave your house, you might become infected. but hopefully as cases decrease, people will start to feel safer to do so. this is from steve, i will put it to you, andrew. there seems to be a degree of confidence that a vaccine will be found eventually, but sars in 2004 was a

similar respiratory virus, but no vaccine was discovered, so why are the experts confident in this case? with sars, the vaccine efforts were underway, making progress, but then actually, the epidemic sort of died away, which decreased the need for it. i think this is on such a different scale, and so we've already seen probably close to 50 different vaccine projects initiated and underway. so, i don't think this one is going to fall away in the same way that sars did, so i think we will see this through to the end, soi we will see this through to the end, so i think there is real promise that we will have a vaccine but, of course, it is probably not going to be available en masse until some point next year. but as you say, there are so many groups of scientists right around the world, so many teens of scientists, working 24/7, to reach that point of a vaccine, so we wish them well. this is from margaret, and i will put it

to you, stephanie — how big a factor is obesity when it comes to deaths from coronavirus? this is a really interesting question, actually, because we've had a lot of discussion about this. we don't know exactly the mechanism, why people who have obesity seem to be more at risk. it may well be to do with ventilation issues, if somebody needs ventilation. interestingly, the figures from italy and from china seemed to suggest that obesity was a significant factor, but we don't have accurate figures get from the uk on that. so, it is definitely something that people need to be aware of, and people with obesity need to be careful. but we don't know the exact mechanism of it at the moment. this is from jenny, andrew... we are over 70, we don't have underlying health conditions, we've been self—isolating for almost three weeks now, following the government guidelines. however our 36—year—old son who has been

isolating in his own home hasjust received a delayed letter to say he must completely isolate for 12 weeks because he has a low immune system. would it be ok if he moves in with us? that's a tricky one. and it is tricky because you're effectively mixing two households, and you don't wa nt to mixing two households, and you don't want to pass anything from one to the other? exactly. in the absence ofa the other? exactly. in the absence of a test so that both parties know for sure that they are free from the virus, there is a risk involved with that. clearly, then, it is a case of balancing the mental health aspects, and the support they can perhaps give each other, but again, it's recognising that any kind of movement, where they're going outside to make thatjourney, and u nless outside to make thatjourney, and unless they absolutely know for sure that they are virus free, there is a risk associated with that. i would

not like to make a recommendation either way. but that is what jenny is asking for. if we are strictly following the letter and spirit of the guidance we have been given, they should stay in separate homes, be honest. absolutely. as i said, there is a risk associated with them leaving the house, if they are self—isolating and trying to restrict all of that contact that might introduce the virus to them, then the safest option is to keep on doing that and prevent any unnecessary contact. this is from clare, the morning, claire, claire has a four—year—old who developed a high temperature yesterday and is complaining of pains in his legs. 0nline nhs services and say it is for five years and older and i 0nline nhs services and say it is forfive years and older and i can't find any advice online regarding younger children with symptoms — what should i do? do i follow the same rules as for the over—fives? dr stephanie de giorgio, what do you

think? any child who has got a fever and significant pain, it needs to be discussed with a medical professional, especially if the advice is only for the over—fives. so, yourgp surgery advice is only for the over—fives. so, your gp surgery will be open, allgp so, your gp surgery will be open, all gp surgeries are taken from calls. so i would suggest giving the surgery a calls. so i would suggest giving the surgery a call, if possible, take the child's temperature and the surgery the child's temperature and the surgery will then be able to help you and advise you on what you need to do next. definitely the household now needs to self—isolate if they haven't been doing so already, because we have to presume covid—19 until we know that it is not. given that we know that the child is only four, then absolutely i would recommend having a chat with the gp surgery recommend having a chat with the gp surgery today. this is from jeff. the coronavirus is transferable between a human and a tiger, obviously, we reported that from the zoo

obviously, we reported that from the zoo in new york yesterday. can it tra nsfer zoo in new york yesterday. can it transfer from a domestic cat, zoo in new york yesterday. can it transferfrom a domestic cat, and can it go from cat to human, or cat to cat? we are going to speak to a vet check later on because there is some advice from the british veterinary association today which may have been slightly wrongly reported earlier this morning. let's start with the first issue, we know that coronavirus is transferable between a human and a tiger, can it tra nsfer to between a human and a tiger, can it transfer to a domestic cat? this is an emerging story. there are a couple of reports out that seem to suggest there is some level of, for example, covid—19 antibodies in cats in china. those positive cases appear to coincide with the pandemic breaking out there. in terms of the tiger, i guess we don't know for sure that it was directly transmitted from human to the tiger. there's presumably other wildlife in the zoo vicinity. but clearly, the fa ct

the zoo vicinity. but clearly, the fact that this virus came from a nonhuman source fact that this virus came from a nonhuman source demonstrates that they do have some promiscuity in terms of the different host species that it terms of the different host species thatitis terms of the different host species that it is capable of infecting. so i guess it would not be a complete surprise if it was possible to pass this virus between species, because it has happened clearly to get into humans, it looks as if it has happened to get into the tigers, so there is no reason to suggest that it couldn't happen more widely. and what about cat to cat? again, if a host, so, an animal, is capable of replicating the virus, and then breathing it out, then that is a transmission event, and it doesn't really matter then which host breathes it in. it could be cat to cat, cat to something else, it all depends on the ability of the virus to establish the infection within that host, replicate, and therefore get to numbers where it can be transmitted on to the environment or toa transmitted on to the environment or to a new host. so, dogs, you would

say, would be the same answer? absolutely, it depends on the ability of the virus to initiate the infection in that host. i have not seen infection in that host. i have not seen anything regarding dogs, whether there is something subtle about cats, that will come out over the next few weeks, i would imagine. and asks... why are the government still allowing park's to remain open this easter weekend when we all know that people will venture out? there should be a complete lockdown as we know this is the only solution to keep people away, surely. do you wa nt to keep people away, surely. do you want to respond to that, stephanie, or do you want to throw it to andrew? actually, i can't hear you now, so i am going to put it back to andrew. sorry about that, stephanie. go ahead, andrew. i think this is pa rt go ahead, andrew. i think this is part of trying to balance the equation between cutting the transmission of the virus but still maintaining other aspects of health,

such as exercise and mental health. so, in theory, parks could be a safe place, it is all about maintaining that social distancing. if you can be in that social distancing. if you can beina that social distancing. if you can be in a park but not come close to other people, then that should be relatively risk—free. clearly it is not a complete lockdown, most people still need to go out at some point for shopping for the essentials. so, the exercise, i think, is a double—edged sword. do you want people to be shut up for the whole of the lockdown, for other aspects of the lockdown, for other aspects of their health, their mental health, to deteriorate? cutting off that social, individual responsibility. if you can go to the park and maintain your safe distance, then personally i don't see why the park should be closed. when you go out for your exercise, andrew, do you see people who are not particularly social distancing, do you see groups of more than two

people or do you just see people who, like, when i go for a walk on the tow path name i house, people are walking really purposefully, with the aura of, do not doubt me, i am only out for my one hour of exercise! again, similar to you, i think most of the people i have encountered out, i live in a relatively small town, have been incredibly mindful. so, people crossing the roads to give people a wide berth, particularly if they spot someone perhaps in the more elderly groups. so i personally haven't really seen any flagrant flouting of those groups, most people i have come across and seen have clearly been very mindful of the need for that social distancing. stephanie, your back with us. this is the final question, from steve. i ama is the final question, from steve. i am a frontline paramedic, i am currently in seven—day isolation as iam currently in seven—day isolation as i am symptomatic. when can i expect a test to allow me to return to

work? that is actually a question for a government minister. also... ifiam for a government minister. also... if i am still symptomatic at the end of the seven days, and still no test, what am i supposed to do but cut the guidance for healthcare professionals here is really clear. if you are still symptomatic, so you are extreme fatigue... the only thing url out is a slight cough. if you are still symptomatic, you absolutely do not go back to work because you could potentially still because you could potentially still be shedding the virus. so it is really important that all health professionals and anybody else who is working, if they are still symptomatic, they do not go back at seven days, they wait until they are clear. and the guidance is changing but it seems to be 48 hours after your last symptom that you might be 0k to go back to work, but that is a little bit fuzzies still. but it is really important that people don't hold onto the seven days, it is all to do with the symptoms. and i have had coronavirus, i am now getting better, on day 26, and i am still

exhausted. and i went back to work yesterday. it is really important that people don't push themselves too quickly to go back to work.|j didn't realise you had it, stephanie, it is so interesting to hear your experience of coming through it because i am asking our viewers today in light of the prime minister being in hospital, how long is it taking people to fully recover? and you're saying, day 26? yes, i think it is 26, i have lost count, but i am absolutely shattered, i did one day at work back yesterday and i am exhausted again today. so people are going to ta ke again today. so people are going to take a good few weeks after their symptoms have gone to start to feel normal again, and it's really important that people don't push themselves too hard. i'm really tired! and i'm doing my best, but i am tired, it's been a long old hall. johnny thank you very much for talking us, stephanie, and we hope you continue to get better. and andrew, many thanks for your time as

well. —— for talking to us,. this is from another viewer... i work ina this is from another viewer... i work in a small local supermarket. i started feeling ill nearly four weeks ago with covid—19 sometimes. it is only in the last day under half that i started to feel better. i've been self—isolating in one room of my home, as there are four people living under the same roof. i haven't been tested so i cannot say for sure i had covid—19. the first week was awful. i'm still coughing now but i definitely feel better. that is good to hear. now, it is time to look at the weather, with carol. hello again. pollen levels across england and wales are going to be high again today, so bear that in mind. butfor high again today, so bear that in mind. but for most of us today we are looking at sunny spells, and in

that sunshine it will feel quite warm. the exception to that is across parts of scotland and northern ireland, where we have a weather front which is northern ireland, where we have a weatherfront which is producing more cloud but increasingly through the day, the rain will turn lighter and more patchy. as it starts to sink southwards, it will brighten up behind it across the north highlands. for england and wales, there is some cloud around but equally there is a lot of sunshine. the cloud will be thick enough for the odd sharp shower across southern england, the midlands, east anglia and south wales, but by no means will we all see a shower. through this evening and overnight, the weather front continues to sink southwards, taking the cloud and some spots of rain with it. clear skies behind it means there will be some pockets of frost in the highlands, and ahead of it, some patchy mist and fog forming, but it is not good to be a cold night across england and wales. another

dry day across england and wales tomorrow, however, through the day, we could see the odd sharp shower again in some southern counties or the midlands. but they will be the exception. the weather front is pushing northwards and clinging on to the north—east of england and pushing through scotland. along the north sea coastline, it will feel cool tomorrow with the breeze. in the easter weekend, on good friday, a weather front coming in from the west is going to introduce some rain, albeit slower than we thought this tag yesterday. so, for good friday we are looking at the weather front coming in slowly, sharp showers ahead of. but in the sunshine further south and east, we could see temperatures getting up as high as 24 degrees. 0n could see temperatures getting up as high as 24 degrees. on saturday, we still have the weather front moving across, introducing some fairly light rain, a fair bit of clout at

times. still the south—east hanging onto the brightest conditions for the longest.

this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. a second night in intensive care for borisjohnson — a third night in hopsitalfor the pm because of coronavirus. he is comfortable, he is stable, he is in good spirits. he's had oxygen. he's not been on a ventilator. ministers say it's too early to say when restrictions under the uk's lockdown will be eased. the new nightingale hospital begins treating its first coronavirus patients. as cases continue to rise across europe, the eu's top scientist resigns, over the way brussels is handling the pandemic. but some very good news — two and a half months on, thousands of people in wuhan enjoy theirfreedom, as the chinese authorities lift travel restrictions in the city

where the pandemic started. and joyful one patient in leicester who spent two weeks in hospital with the virus but is now through the other side. good morning. an update on british prime minister's condition is expected to live this morning. downing street says he is stable and in good spirits.

borisjohnson is receiving oxygen, but does not need a ventilator. he had been due to oversee a review of the lockdown next week, three weeks after it came into force. the government has said this morning it doesn't get know when it will be able to ease the measures. meanwhile, nhs nightingale, the new temporary hospital in east london has begun to receive its first patients. yesterday the number of deaths in the uk from coronavirus rose by 786. the lockdown has come to an end of the chinese city of wuhan where the virus first emerged. for 76 days the city of 11 million people was pretty much deserted. train and plane services have now resumed. and toll roads have reopened and people are able to leave the city if they don't have the virus. elsewhere, the united states recorded its largest spike in cases yesterday, with more than 1800 fatalities. despite that, president trump said there were signs the us was reaching the top of its curve. we will have more from across the world throughout this

hour. but first, from westminster here is jonathan hour. but first, from westminster here isjonathan blake. another night in intensive care for the prime minister. last night, downing street said he was being closely monitored but in good spirits. they described his condition as stable. get well soon messages from nhs staff. they are among the many wishing borisjohnson well. the man standing in for him sought to reassure the public yesterday. dominic raab said he was confident the prime minister would recover, and there was some cautious optimism about the wider picture, too. although yesterday saw the highest daily increase yet in the number of deaths from coronavirus, rising by 786 to a total of 6,157, the number of confirmed cases of the virus rose by 3,634 to a total of 55,242. that, said the government's chief scientific adviser, could be a good sign.

it's possible that we're beginning to see the beginning of change in terms of the curve flattening a little bit. we won't know that for sure for a week or so. but what we're not seeing is an acceleration. it's important that we keep these new cases down, because of course, this in turn leads to the number of people going into hospital. and the aim all along is to reduce the number of cases below the capacity of the nhs, and to save lives. but it doesn't mean restrictions in place to slow the spread of coronavirus are likely to be lifted or eased in the nearfuture. it's too early to say when we will actually reach that peak, and when we might be able to make any changes. and therefore the message at the moment is very clear — however lovely the weather this easter weekend, stay at home, protect the nhs, save lives. now is the time we need to be really firm, and everyone needs to be firm, about sticking to that message. because if we are, as the statistics

appear to show, making a little bit of progress on that, now‘s the time to hold to it, to make sure that we do see those beneficial changes. the government insists it is getting on with its work while the prime minister remains in hospital. but anxious hours and difficult days lie ahead. jonathan blake, bbc news. the first coronavirus patients have been admitted to london's new nhs nightingale hospital. the temporary field hospital, at the excel centre in london, was set up in just nine days to handle the crisis and can accommodate up to 4,000 patients. it's the first of several to be built across the country. this morning the mayor of london, sadiq khan, said the nhs was coping with the crisis so far, but that londoners would have to do their bit to keep it that way. we've had some really good news, which is a few weeks ago we started planning for the worst, which is a peak where we would need

in london about 8,000 intensive care unit beds. to give you the scale of the challenge, we normally have across the whole of london about 800 intensive care unit beds with ventilators, oxygen and those sorts of things. because of the brilliance of the nhs, the army, planners and many others, you saw we have opened the nightingale hospital, we've got the capacity now to deal with our needs. at the moment, thankfully, we are nowhere near reaching 8,000. at the moment we still have 25% capacity on the nhs before we even go to the nightingale. so it demonstrates the can—do attitude of notjust londoners, but those around the country who helped us get ready for the peak of this virus. at the moment we think the peak of this virus, which is the worst part of the virus, will be in a couple of weeks' time. that's why it's so important everyone follows the advice, the instructions and rules, stay at home this weekend as well, even though it is easter weekend

and the weather is going to be hot. a well respected doctor who specialised in treating the elderly has died after testing positive for covid—19. dr anton sebastian—pillai who was in his 70s, died on saturday after being admitted to intensive care. kingston hospital nhs foundation trust said he had been working at the hospital as recently as the 20th march. the european union's top scientist has resigned, condemning what he called brussels' "disappointing" response to the coronavirus pandemic. in response the the european commission said it regretted professor mauro ferrari's resignation, so early into his role as president at the european research council. the high profile departure comes as covid—19—related deaths in france passed 10,000, one of the highest levels in the world. 0ur correspondent gavin lee is following developments in brussels.

he is an italian professor of science, miro ferrari. he has quite a pedigree to him. he has champion in his home country of italy as well. before he started the job for the european research council, he said this was the dream job he wanted, to shape the future of science for europe. he started the job in january. three science for europe. he started the job injanuary. three months in, just over that, basically he has penned a 2—page open public statement saying that he is now returning to the fight on the front line because he is exasperated by the european union, that bureaucracy in brussels, ultimately he found it really not up to the job when it came to being found wanting in the biggest emergency, the coronavirus pandemic. so he said that he wanted a project involving the reshaping of

his group so that it gave the best resources to the best scientists in europe. but he claims that ultimately it fell flat. there is the wrong type of working within this particular working group in europe. that they are asked to sign things from bottom up rather than creating things from top to bottom. he also said he was approached directly by the european commission president for ideas on what they could do to fight covid—19. and he says that what —— once he started directly working with her it caused a political thunderstorm. he said this quashed his ideas. from gavin lee in brussels to helen kat, who is in downing street at westminster. she is going to update us on when we are going to be updated on the prime minister's condition, helen? no further updates since last night. we are expecting

perhaps in the next few hours and update. just to remind you of what downing street said last night before his 92nd night in intensive care, the prime minister's condition is stable. he remains in intensive ca re is stable. he remains in intensive care for close monitoring and he is in good spirits. it will be encouraging that he appears to be sta ble encouraging that he appears to be stable but we'll have to wait for a couple of more hours to hear latest. and in terms of the priorities of the man standing in for the prime minister at the moment, dominic raab, and the rest of the top team, the rest of the cabinet, what will they be working on today? well, they are working on trying to keep government going as usual. there is a lot of speculation at the moment and a lot of focus on what will happen around the stringent conditions that were imposed, the lockdown conditions, and people's movements and their ability to leave the house. a lot of letters landing on doorsteps from the prime minister in the last couple of days. mine arrived yesterday with a leaflet spelling out those conditions. when

the prime minister but those in place in his address to the nation he said that they would be kept under constant review and he would look again in three weeks and relax them if the evidence shows we are able to. three weeks would have been next week. there has been a lot of speculation because of something that dominic raab, his standing at the moment, said at the press conference yesterday in downing street, where he was asked if there would be this review next week, and he said we will take any review once we have evidence the measures are working. we are not passed the peak yet. we are not at this stage. perhaps the reason the speculation has come up is because there is the difference between relaxation and review. the government does have to review. the government does have to review these measures next week. they have to look at them and decide whether to keep them in place. because as part of the statutory instrument, the bit of legislation that gives police powers to enforce them, the secretary of state for health has to look at them by the 16th of april. that does not mean he has to relax them. all the sounds

and noises we have had from government in the past couple of weeks seems to suggest we are unlikely to see a massive relaxation of this because they are trying to get us past the peak of cases. thank you very much, helen. i don't think there are many who are expecting an easing of those restrictions when this review comes up. thank you for your e—mails. i have been asking you with reference to the prime minister being in hospital how long it's taken you to fully being in hospital how long it's ta ken you to fully recover being in hospital how long it's taken you to fully recover from coronavirus symptoms, whether you have been admitted to hospital or not. this from maddy, 23, female, usually very healthy. she had symptoms including fever, extreme fatigue, aching muscles and a tight chest. she later lost her sense of taste and smell, which quite a few people report. she did not have a cough. the first few days she was tired, she was hot, she couldn't really work. then she started to feel better. but then she was back to feeling exhausted again, sleeping for 12 hours, and only able to work

half days on her laptop. this continued for a week. by the seventh day i was returning to good health and felt like myself again. by day eight i felt completely healthy. so for someone eight i felt completely healthy. so for someone young eight i felt completely healthy. so for someone young and female, it took about eight days. where is this is from... let me bring you this. this is from liam. i began self isolating on thursday the 12th of march when i first got the symptoms. a couple of days later i started to feel better. next day started to feel better. next day started to feel really poorly again. it is an up feel really poorly again. it is an up and down roller—coaster at the beginning. 0n the 25th of march i was admitted to hospital with a temperature of 40.3 degrees. they x—rayed my chest and found i had pneumonia stop but they didn't want me in hospital because of the risk to and others. and they had me on oxygen and a nebuliser which stabilised my oxygen. i got out and buy, the 27th of march. i am still

at home. i have finally overcome covid—19 but i am still recovering from the pneumonia, which will take a while. that is one thing we are told british prime minister boris johnson doesn't have, he doesn't have pneumonia. thank you for those. to send me an e—mail. there's been a jump in new coronavirus cases in the latest twenty—four—hour period in china, although the figures are comparatively low. there were 62 new cases, up from 32 a day earlier. most of the latest cases were people who travelled to china from abroad. meanwhile the lockdown has been lifted in wuhan, where the pandemic began. but not everyone will be able to leave their homes yet, as robin brant reports from shanghai. 476 days now we have had of that city, usually home to 11 million people, cut off from the rest of china and the rest of the world. those restrictions have been lifted today. they were lifted at local

time. just over 16 hours have now passed. it does not mean that anyone in wuhan is allowed to jump passed. it does not mean that anyone in wuhan is allowed tojump on a plane or the high—speed trains that have resumed today or indeed a car and suddenly leave. the thing they need to have is a green code on this health app and widely used on smartphones. this is done pretty simply by the telecoms companies tracking where you have been, if you have been anywhere a high risk you will have a problem. most people can get the green code. if you have that code on your phone you are asked to show it. people will be showing at a train stations, at highway toll booths and in airports in wuhan today. and certainly tens of thousands were due to leave. but all of this is in the context where the official government advice in the province of hubei, that surrounds wuhan, remainsa province of hubei, that surrounds wuhan, remains a stay at home, limit your activity outside, only one person should go to the shops on a daily basis, and she should be wearing a mask. that is compounded

as well by the fact that president xi, the man at the top of the tree, just last week was telling people they should remain cautious, he warned against people gathering a large numbers in tourist hotspots, even saying that people shouldn't go to the cinema here. li kuang is an english teacher who's been at home since the 23rd of january. he says the situation is improving. things are getting better now. actually the lifting is mainly for the transportation going out of wuhan. for people working on site they are free. but for a company like me we are still advised to stay inside. i think the government is doing quite 0k inside. i think the government is doing quite ok because of their swift acts. we can be safe now. but also, we don't feel quite safe now because for only myself, even if i could go outside i wouldn't because i think there are still 2000 to 3000 patients getting treated in hospital right now. and also there are some

patients carrying the virus without showing any symptoms. i don't think it is safe outside. the lifting is quite a good thing but i think it is maybe a little too early. more than £1.4 million has been raised for personal protective equipment forfront line raised for personal protective equipment for front line health staff in the uk after fundraising effo rts staff in the uk after fundraising efforts from high—profile people, celebrities, doctors and gps. the masks for nhs heroes movement, which includes actors like james mcavoy and bernard —— benedict cumberbatch, is raising money to help the government provided much—needed equipment. it comes as last week the british medical association warned the nhs and gps could face life—threatening shortages of such equipment. let's talk to a doctor who is in your ——

neurosurgeon registrar at king's couege neurosurgeon registrar at king's college hospital, and also james mcavoy, hollywood actor, who donated £275,000 to the campaign. is that right, james kim yeah, that's right. that is an enormous sum of money. explain why you did decide to donate such a large sum? well, i'm in the same situation as everybody else, i'm stuck at home, i want to contribute. the only thing most of us can do is stay—at—home. so we are looking for something to do. when i saw this it was immediately clear this was i could contribute and everybody can contribute, whether it isa everybody can contribute, whether it is a couple of quid or a lot of quid. it seemed like a no—brainer. as soon as soon quid. it seemed like a no—brainer. as soon as soon as quid. it seemed like a no—brainer. as soon as soon as i found out these quys as soon as soon as i found out these guys actually had a link to supplies and could get them here, so for example, visors coming in, as soon asi example, visors coming in, as soon as i found that out, i thought, this isa as i found that out, i thought, this is a great outlet. you can't take it with you. we might not be taking it with you. we might not be taking it with us soon. the more we can

protect the nhs and protect front—line workers the better. doctor ravi, what you want to say to james about what he has done? good morning, victoria. to james, it's an extremely generous gesture. and also to the public, who have honestly shown as an outpouring of support. we are all committed. we are really, really looking forward to deliver our mandate, delivery of ppe to front line staff. james, what you wa nt to front line staff. james, what you want to say to ravi? i've already said it to these guys but i will say it again. i will say it on air. thank you so much for doing what you are doing. you are literally fighting this war for us on our behalf and you are saving lives at your own risk. it's a different kind of war, because usually the people fighting it are in foreign climes. but they are right around the

corner. and they are precious. and we need them. thank you so much. ravi, i wonder if you can tell our audience how much has been raised? and what you think of the response? absolutely. we started as an initiative with four of us. it has now evolved into a full—scale operation. we have about 30 people working around the clock all the way to the suppliers and the freight forwarders and partners dhl. today we raised just under £1.5 million. all of these funds are to be used to donate personal protective equipment nationally to everyone that needs it as much as we can. which tells you an awful lot about how people feel about the nhs and staff like yourself. absolutely. ifeel

about the nhs and staff like yourself. absolutely. i feel it's a reflection of how quickly this has expanded as an initiative. it's a reflection of how much the public believe in our cause and people recognise acutely how much of an issue the lack of ppe to front line nhs staff is. we just want to tell all the nhs staff today that we are standing shoulder to shoulder with them, we are in this battle together. you will know the government has said it's not about a shortage of this ppe, it's about getting the right equipment to the right places. do you accept that? i think there are issues along the way that we picked up ourselves. ultimately the government is doing everything it can, but also there are so many moving everything it can, but also there are so many moving parts to the supply chains in ppe. distribution is one aspect. the turnover of ppe is one aspect. the turnover of ppe is extremely high. all of the equipment that is supplied needs to meet the upmost standards. we are

dealing with coronavirus patients. james, are you staying well? is your family staying well? how has your wood been affected? workers off completely, really. here, we self isolated for 14 days because somebody in the family had a fever. it ultimately proved fine. whether they had it or not we don't know. we are doing what everybody else is doing. we are self isolating. we go out for a bit of exercise once a day, we go to the shops if we need to, but we are staying at home. that is the frustrating element. usually when there is a national movement, there is something we can all do. we are signed up to the nhs responder scheme. it really there has not been many requests coming through for that. we all want to do something. it's really ha rd that. we all want to do something. it's really hard because the best thing you can do is stay isolated. that's upsetting. especially when you've got these front line nhs workers out there putting their lives at risk. that is why this crowd funded scheme for masks for

nhs heroes is so useful, because it gives us a sense of contributing. this is ongoing, even though we've raised 1.5 million, it is ongoing. the need for this ppe is going to be ongoing. if you want to donate you can still do that. it will still be used,it can still do that. it will still be used, it will still save lives tomorrow, the next day, the next day. definitely. ravi, have you experienced at the shortages yourself? i think today, experienced at the shortages yourself? ithink today, my background is surgical. we are lucky in ourteam, background is surgical. we are lucky in our team, people working in primary care as well as medical. acute need, i personally as a surgeon acute need, i personally as a surgeon i have had access to personal protective equipment. but i have seen and i've heard stories from my colleagues across different health care settings where this has not been the case. 0k. health care settings where this has not been the case. ok. i mean, we have seen the deaths of medics and other staff who work within the

hospital environment. we don't know if that was exacerbated by potentially a lack of supplies, a lack of protective equipment. but that just shows lack of protective equipment. but thatjust shows how lack of protective equipment. but that just shows how absolutely vital it is to protect patients and protect your own lives as you go about your work? absolutely. i think the protection of the workforce that are so the protection of the workforce that are so dedicated and committed to caring for patients suspected of having covert, we have to prioritise them. together all the masks for heroes nhs team, the nhs staff, all united. so how do people donate? absolutely. go to the crowdfunding website, masks for nhs heroes. that is the number four. thank you very much. no, no. thank you. honestly.

really appreciate you coming on the programme and for all the work you're doing. and james many thanks for speaking to us. really appreciated. cheers, thank you. james mcavoy, who has donated £275,000 to james mcavoy, who has donated £275, 000 to that james mcavoy, who has donated £275,000 to that fundraiser. that is immense. and a doctor ravi, a neurosurgeon registrar at king's college. you got the website address if you want to donate. president trump has claimed that his administration will shortly have another 110,000 ventilators at its disposal to help people seriously ill with coronavirus. he said the machines would be available to american states and other countries. the daily death toll from covid—19 in the united states has now reached nearly 2,000. 0ur north america correspondent peter bowes reports. the worst week so far. the death toll from covid—19 continues to rise steeply across the country. the states of new york and newjersey have both reported their highest daily loss of life, with the number of cases in new york

on a par with italy. hospitals and health workers continue to struggle with the enormity of the crisis. there are also a plethora of people who are just...incredibly, incredibly sick in a way that i've never experienced or seen before, and it's awful to be able to offer them so minimum of things. so every day is honestly the hardest day. the governor of new york, andrew cuomo, says there is some reason to be optimistic. the rate at which people are being admitted to hospital and intensive care is slowing down. at the daily white house briefing, president trump said much more medical equipment was now on its way to hospitals — more than 100,000 ventilators over the next few weeks. so many that they wouldn't all be needed and some could be sent overseas. the uk called today and they wanted to know would it be possible to get 200, and we're going to work it

out, we've got to work it out. they've been great partners, the united kingdom, and we're going to work it out for them. so they wanted 200, they needed them desperately. mr trump also announced that he was considering putting a hold on funding for the world health organization. he criticised the united nations agency for its guidance that borders should be kept open as the us president banned travel by foreign nationals from china in late january. we will look at ending funding, yeah. cos you know what? they called it wrong. the coronavirus outbreak has affected black communities in the us disproportionally. in some places, up to four times more african americans are dying than other races. president trump said it represented a tremendous challenge for the nation. peter bowes, bbc news, los angeles. the president of the british veterinary association has clarified

advice about keeping cats and whether or not they should be kept indoors to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. let's talk to danielle dos santos. what is the advice regarding cats? the advice is not that all cats should be kept indoors. it is important we have clear messaging. what we are saying is isa clear messaging. what we are saying is is a if you are in a household self isolating because of cold symptoms and your cat is happy to stay indoors, it would be better to keep them indoors. not all cats do well indoors. for some cat the lack of access to outdoor space creates stress related medical conditions. if your cat is happy to stay indoors and you have symptoms, then do so. but the overriding message here is one about hygiene across the sectors. that is absolutely clear. if you have symptoms, if your cat is happy to stay indoors, that might be a good idea. why? this is a very new disease. some of the information

that we have about covid—19 is lacking. now it is possible that animalfurcan act as lacking. now it is possible that animalfur can act as if lacking. now it is possible that animal fur can act as if surface lacking. now it is possible that animalfur can act as if surface in the same way that a table surface would or could. it is possible the virus could be carried on for. because that is a possibility, although an extremely rare possibility, if you do have covid—19 symptoms and your cat is happy to stay indoors, that will minimise the risk of the cat going out and visiting the neighbour and having virus particles on their firm. this would be something that is possible, probably extremely rare and that is why if they are happy to stay indoors, it is across any measure to keep them indoors. i am going to ask about dogs as well. is it the same situation about —— word with dogs? if you are self isolating duty covered 19 you should not be leaving your house. your dog should access the garden for exercise. again,

comes back to basic hygiene principles. there is evidence that animals can pass on covid—19 to people. it is more about the surface risks. if someone else is walking the dog for you, make sure they wash their hands thoroughly and practice their hands thoroughly and practice the good hygiene we have been emphasising all along. obviously cats and dogs can both act as services, as you put it? absolutely. the risk would be very low. but in an era where we are all being precautionary, if your heart is happy to say indoors, keep your cat indoors. try to minimise contact with your pets. wash your hands in between. don't kiss your pets. just to try to stop them from acting like a surface. thank you very much. danielle de sa ntis. a surface. thank you very much. danielle de santis. president of the british veterinary association. this message on twitter... i have a four cats and one sick wife with the virus. the cats are the last thing on my mind right now. i am just

spending 80% of the time cleaning, luckily i have loads of medical supplies like gloves and a good mask. after almost two weeks being treated for the virus, hylton murray—philipson was given a guard of honour whilst being discharged from leicester royal infirmary. he spoke to bbc breakfast today. of course, it was one of the great moments of my life. after 12 days in hospital, for that particular chapter to end like that was absolutely astonishing. 0f chapter to end like that was absolutely astonishing. of course, i was on a major high. it had been my birthday only the day before, which was a pretty emotional moment has

well. but yes, just the feeling that i had made it, that i was alive, thank to the kindness and the professionalism, the compassion, of all those people who like that corridor. it doesn't come any better than that. hello, this is bbc news, i'm victoria derbyshire, here are the headlines. a second night in intensive care for the british prime minister borisjohnson. intensive care for the british prime minister boris johnson. it intensive care for the british prime minister borisjohnson. it is his third night in hospital so far because of coronavirus. ministers say it is too early to say when restrictions from the lockdown will be eased. paris introduces tougher lockdown measures including no exercise outside, as more than 10,000 people die from the virus. as cases continue to rise across europe, the eu's top scientist resigns, blaming the way brussels is handling the pandemic. the new nightingale hospital in london

begins treating its first coronavirus patients. there is some really good news from china — two and a half months on, thousands of people in wuhan enjoy their freedom as travel restrictions in the city are lifted. british prime minister borisjohnson has spent a second night in intensive care as he continues to receive treatment for coronavirus. downing street says the prime minister is being kept in st thomas' hospital in london for close monitoring. the foreign secretary, dominic raab, is deputising for the prime minister and questions have been raised about decisions which will have to be made as we continue to handle the pandemic. we can speak now to bronwen maddox from the institute for government. good morning to you. if borisjohnson is absent for a reasonable length of time, what are the implications for dominic raab and the rest of the top team, the cabinet? it's a very good question and i think we are just

beginning to see the applications of this question, which really extend well beyond this current case. because there are rules in the british constitution for this, it is really at the prime minister's discretion. he said, i have nominated dominic raab to deputise for me when necessary, so, not handing over complete power. and we are governed, of course, by the cabinet, we have a cabinet system, and so the prime minister is first among equals in that, but the whole cabinet is supposed to accept responsibility for the decisions taken. well, this really gets very difficult the more time that goes on, the bigger the edges decisions might be. and dominic raab has really got licence at the moment to act within the envelope that the prime minister has laid out, so, carrying out the strategy that has been laid down. but it poses the question, what if bigger questions presented themselves? and what is the answer? well, i think the

cabinet would have to come to a decision, that is not necessarily dominic raab's decision, the cabinet would have to agree, for example, if there was something about military action, or, easier to there was something about military action, or, easierto foresee, a big decision about the emergency itself, what to do about lockdown and so on. so, the cabinet would have to together. if there were decisions divisions within the cabinet, and we have seen in the context of brexit that that can happen, nick rob has the kind of authority to say, look, iam going the kind of authority to say, look, i am going to say that we go this way, not that way. —— dominic raab. but i think it would be helpful to know a bit more formally, if you like, who has delegated powers from the prime minister and what those powers are. this is not a trivial question and it is one that parliament would want to debate because this would be a departure for the because this would be a departure forthe uk, to because this would be a departure for the uk, to spell out those rules. dominic raab has said in the daily news briefings that he's got a

clear strategy from the prime minister, he's carrying on with the work, they're all collectively determined, and yet, he had not spoken to him since saturday. and mr robson may have to make life—changing judgment calls over the next few weeks, i wonder if there is an argument, if mr johnson's absence is prolonged, for giving dominic raab the full authority of a prime minister? well, it is very hard because the prime minister is the prime minister, and remains that until someone else's appointed prime minister. i think, if there is one unfortunate thing in this unfortunate episode, it is that some of the big decisions have been taken some of the big decisions have been ta ken about the some of the big decisions have been taken about the lockdown and the emergency bailout, so, at the moment dominic raabjust emergency bailout, so, at the moment dominic raab just has to carry out the strategy. but when we come into the strategy. but when we come into the next big question is, for example, easing the lockdown, he is going to have to work with the cabinet if the prime minister is not well enough to discuss these things, he is going to have to come to a decision with the cabinet and then

present it to the country like that. the decisions will get bigger and bigger, the more time goes on. thank you very much, bronwen maddox, institute for government. take—up of the uk government's job retention scheme is far larger than initial estimates suggested, and is likely to cost £30 to £40 billion pounds over three months, over three times initial estimates. that's according to analysis by the resolution foundation of the latest figures from the british chambers of commerce. 0ur economics correspondent andy verity reports. thejob retention scheme is meant to help firms hit by the shutdown stay in business and still pay staff. companies like those who are working on this construction site near battersea power station in south london will keep staff on even if they're not working, putting them on furlough, meaning leave of absence, and the government's promised to reimburse 80% of their wages. the furlough scheme has been brilliant because what it's enabled us to do is keep the capacity within our business and capability, so that when we come through this,

we can then redeploy our people immediately so we can go back to work. the latest figures released today by the british chambers of commerce find 37% of small— and medium—sized companies are furloughing at least three—quarters of their staff, and a fifth will furlough their entire workforce. if that pattern is repeated across the economy, the resolution foundation estimates at least a third of all private sector workers will be paid through the scheme at a cost to government of £30 billion to £40 billion. businesses leaders say firms need money fast. if they don't receive some of the funding by the end of this month, many of them are going to have to take drastic steps. i'm afraid that we would see an increase in the rate of business failures and we'd see a lot of otherwise viable companies going to the wall. but there are holes in this giant safety net. sajan devshi changed jobs just after the cut—off date at the end of february, so his new employer can't help him. this arbitrary date that the chancellor has put in 20 days before the lockdown even occurred, we don't qualify

for furlough pay and, effectively, we don't qualify for any state support either. there's tens of thousands of people in this position like myself. whatever the scheme's flaws, though, companies agree without it, this economic emergency would be even worse. andy verity, bbc news. we've just got the figures in from spain, which give us the latest numbers of people who have died from coronavirus in the country. and so death toll has risen to 14,555 today, wednesday, from 13,798 yesterday. those are the figures from the health ministry. so, in spain, 14,500 people have died from coronavirus. very distressing figures, extraordinary figures. we've also got this news in from ethiopian. the prime minister there has just declared a state of

emergency in the country to help curb the spread of coronavirus. this is his office tweeting this. it says... considering the gravity of covid—19, the government of ethiopian has enacted a state of emergency. paramedics across the uk are putting their lives at risk by working without the right protective equipment, according to the gmb union. millions of items of kit have been sent to nhs front line staff, but union members say there isn't enough and ambulance workers are at breaking point. 0ur health correspondent lauren moss reports. the apron that we're asked to wear is nothing more than a disposable flimsy apron. personal protective equipment is the barrier against the coronavirus. and then we've got to put on the sleeve protection that is provided, again, only goes so far up. paul turner is a union rep who has returned to paramedic duties in the north—west. last week, public health england

released new guidance advising any clinician working within two metres of a patient with suspected covid—19 to wear an apron, gloves, surgical mask and eye protection. but paul says there still isn't enough kit, leaving staff concerned for their own safety. i am seeing some of the strongest characters in the ambulance service at the moment at breaking point. and i mean some of the strongest characters. these people have done 20, 30 years in the service. i think the main concern for them is they are scared of the ppe. the ppe, as you've seen in the video i sent you, does not protect us or our uniform. many ambulance staff didn't want to go on camera but wrote about feeling scared and unprotected, saying theyjoined the service to save lives, not lose theirs and risk their families. and it's notjust the lack of equipment that putting of equipment that's putting a strain on the service. according to figures released by the gmb union in london, one in five staff are currently off

with covid—related sickness. more than half, 679, are front line workers and over 100 are call handlers. the pressure and the demand on the service has only increased, with sickness levels and issues, having to self—isolate, and becoming ill themselves, it'sjust added more pressure. there's going to be a huge issue with mental health after this with the stress and the strain that they're being put under. a mental health hotline for nhs staff to call or text has launched today. and the department of health says hundreds of millions of personal protective items have been delivered around the country. but it is still a race against time to keep those at the forefront of the outbreak safe from the enemy they cannot see. lauren moss, bbc news. an unprecedented truce has broken out in the notorious, gang—infested townships around cape town, as rival gang leaders

stop their endless turf wars and use their drug delivery networks to bring food to poor households instead. south africa is currently in the middle of a lockdown to try to control the spread of coronavirus. and many people in poor communities are struggling to buy the goods that they need. 0ur africa correspondent andrew harding has this report. these are some of the most dangerous streets in south africa and the world. poor communities fought over relentlessly by rival drug gangs. but, today, a virus with a nationwide lockdown may have achieved what the police, even the army, have failed to do here. this is the "american" gang's turf. most of these men have been injail and some are killers but, today, instead of selling drugs and robbing people, they are bagging up food

supplies for hungry families. i got a phone call from two different gang leaders, saying that they are starving and i thought if they are going through that and they are at the top of the food chain, then the rest of the community will be in serious, serious strife. to help, the gangs are drawing on their own particular skill set. the best distributors in the country, they know how to distribute things! they're used to distributing other white powders! they are distributing things and they know everybody. so what do those that community make of the criminals‘ sudden change of focus? there is relief for sure that a ceasefire has taken hold during the lockdown. we live to help each other, even if it's gangsters. there is no such thing as gangsterism. in these times, all of us stand together. but it is hard to tell what people here really think about the men who have terrorised their neighbourhoods for decades. the authorities are sceptical.

i don't think it exonerates you when you've done so much evil. one good deed does not wipe it all away. maybe they can commit to slightly more long—time good, putting down their firearms permanently and stop intimidating and robbing residents, then we're good. because of the lockdown we are unable to film. the cameraman and producer are in cape town. i am injohannesburg, not cape town, but two gang leaders have agreed to talk over the phone. do you think south africa and your community will be changed by this experience? yes, maybe peace for a while. is that what has happened now? yes. do you think this will last? maybe, maybe not. do you think the fighting will start again when the virus is over? maybe it will start again. i trust in god. god will make a way. so, a temporary ceasefire

and a temporary lockdown and just the sliver of a chance that the virus will bring lasting change to some of the most dangerous streets in the world. the us surgeon general has indicated that black americans are disproportionately affected by coronavirus. he says this could be due to health inequalities. in his latest news briefing, president trump also acknowledged that african americans seem to be more affected. data released by the louisiana department of health this week showed that black people account for more than 70% of coronavirus deaths, despite making upjust a third of the state's population. public health experts point to a similar effect in other states and cities in the us. dr ashwin vasan, assistant professor at columbia university medical center, explains why the outbreak may impact on certain communities differently. communities that are more likely to get infected are folks who cannot

shelter in a place, who don't have the luxury of working online, but are actually a part of our essential services like healthcare and pharmacies and grocery stores and the like and have to take the subway every day, have to go out of their homes every day, putting themselves at risk, putting their household at risk. and so it's no surprise that we're seeing those folks infected at higher rates. and as well, we have underlying health inequalities, and thatis underlying health inequalities, and that is true both here and i know that is true both here and i know that in the uk, theyjust published a report about these disparities in severe covid—19 illness. it's the same in the us. we have communities of colour, of structural disadvantage, that have higher rates of underlying chronic illnesses like respiratory illness, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, all of which put people at higher risk of having a more severe outcome and people at higher risk of having a more severe outcome and death as a result of covid—19 infection. so,

the sad truth is that the data is alarming. it is not entirely surprising. 0ne alarming. it is not entirely surprising. one who studies this, and what we need to do is to call attention to it, we need to call on all the authorities to be releasing disaggregated data by race, another is to ethnicity and other demographics, but we also need to be designing outreach strategies, including protesting, education and access to care to the communities that are hit the hardest. the president of belarus, alexander lu kashenko, has resisted calls for a nationwide lockdown there, calling fears of a coronavirus epidemic a "psychosis" and suggesting vodka or a sauna would help. so, as football leagues across europe have shut down for safety, teams in belarus are playing on. the country's little—known league is now surging in popularity worldwide as match—hungry football fans tune in for live coverage. but with almost 900 coronavirus

cases already confirmed, local supporters are increasingly abandoning stadiums, worried for their health. we've been speaking to players and fans. maybe for instance decided that it is better to pretend that nothing is going on.

just over two weeks ago, schools in britain closed their doors to most children. pupils were sent home with school

work and activities to do. many parents began with strict timetables and ambitious targets. frankie mccamley went to find out how parents are getting on. hello, everybody, it is mrs sock here! we're board! we're going crazy! this morning i have been called a donut, a loser. what is for two ? called a donut, a loser. what is for two? they are just basically rampaging around the house. mr edwards has taken leave of his senses. has topped this isolation is driving me crazy... sound familiar? when schools across the uk closed their doors, homes became the new classrooms. how do you spell it correctly? parents became the new teachers. do you think i can draw you a fraction? learning from home,

the new norm. some are having more fun than others. trying to work from home, and homeschool, is, iwould say, nearly impossible. i'm not convinced that we're really very much. children came home with textbooks and links to online learning. others brought back practice papers for exams. parents, though, are finding each schools approach is different. one came back from school with a complete itinerary of what his school day is, from english, maths, science, minute by minute, it was fantastic. the other child tried to convince us that they had done four hours of pe every day. with holidays cancelled and stay applications on the cards, pa rents a re and stay applications on the cards, parents are being more imaginative. a field trip. are you having fun,

boys? to the garden. a pe lesson and a music class. the advice is to do what you can and have fun. ten squared —2 squared. what you can and have fun. ten squared -2 squared. like this family, posting videos on the line when the parents get it wrong. which means it is ten, you times that by... you time's... so... a tropical cyclone slammed into fiji on wednesday. the winds were up to 240km/h. the cyclone passed over southern fiji around midday, flattening homes and cutting communication links. there have been no immediate reports of deaths.

we may not be allowed out much at the moment, but some of you may have spotted this when you looked out of your window last night — a pink supermoon. despite its name, there isn't a noticeable colour difference to the full moon. the lunar light show is first seen across north america as spring begins. thank you for your messages, for those of you who have had covid—19 symptoms, i was asking you how long it takes to actually recover from them, whether you have been admitted to hospital or not. this is from ashley, who is in newcastle upon tyne. i am three weeks off 70, i am female, no underlying conditions, perfect bmi, i have had mild symptoms, a headache, sore throat, fever, unusual severe gut painful four days, which worsened on day five with drenching sweat and palpitations for another three days.

iamon palpitations for another three days. i am on day 11 now and feeling much better, though still tired. that is probably from lack of proper exercise. that is good to hear. victoria e—mails... exercise. that is good to hear. victoria e—mails. .. regarding british journalists who keep asking questions about when borisjohnson will be back and how much power dominic raab has... i can't understand why journalists keep repeating the same questions over and over again regarding boris johnson being in hospital and who is running the country. the country will run fine, and if dominic raab has to make decisions together with the rest of the cabinet, i'm sure they are more than capable of doing it. i mean, as faras i am aware, they are all educated people and have done well so far. leave the prime minister to deal with what he has to deal with without constant pressure from the media. yesterday's daily news briefing i turned off, says victoria, because it was the same question coming out of different mouths. for those of you who have e—mailed to say, am i

wearing a coronavirus dress? i am not, i think these are daisies, but i take your point, they do look a bit like the coronavirus symbol that we use on screen. bit like the coronavirus symbol that we use on screen. thanks for your company today, you're watching bbc news. so now we can bring you the weather. hello again. pollen levels are going to be hyatt across england and wales again today. so if you are going outside for the permitted period of time, bear that outside for the permitted period of time, bearthat in outside for the permitted period of time, bear that in mind. outside for the permitted period of time, bearthat in mind. in outside for the permitted period of time, bear that in mind. in the sunshine, it will feel quite warm. the exception to that is across parts of northern ireland and we have a weather front which is producing more cloud, but increasingly through the day, the rain in it will turn lighter and more patchy. as it starts to sink southwards, it will brighten up behind it across the north highlands. for england and wales, there is some cloud around but equally there's a lot of sunshine, too. the cloud will be thick enough here and therefore the odd sharp

shower. but by no means will we all see a shower. through this evening and overnight, the weatherfront continues to sink southwards, taking its cloud and some spots of rain with it. clear skies behind it means there will be some frost in the highlands, and ahead of it, we will see some mist and fog forming, particularly across the midlands and east anglia. but it is not going to bea east anglia. but it is not going to be a cold night across england and wales. tomorrow, the mist and fog will lift, leaving another dry day with a fair bit of sunshine. however, we could see the odd sharp shower again in some southern areas. but they will be the exception. the weather front pushing northwards out of northern ireland through scotland and clinging on to the north—east of england. along the north sea coast, it will feel cool tomorrow with the breeze. we still have high pressure

with us but on good friday, a weather front from the west is going to bring some rain, albeit slower than we thought this time yesterday. it will be slowly coming in and introducing cloud and rain to northern ireland and western scotland. but in the sunshine further south and east, we could see temperatures getting up as high as 24 celsius. 0n temperatures getting up as high as 24 celsius. on saturday, we still have the weather front moving across, introducing some fairly light rain. still, the south—east hanging on to the brightest conditions for the longest.

this is bbc news. the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world... the second night in intensive care for borisjohnson as he continues to receive treatment for coronavirus. he is comfortable, he is stable and in good spirits. while he has had oxygen, he has not been on a ventilator. we hope to get an update on the prime minister pass condition in the next few hours. but meanwhile the government does not work goes on. the death toll in spain rises to 14,500. but that world health organization says the outbreak is slowing down. paris introduces tougher lockdown measures

including no exercise outside is more than