second half of the go through the second half of the easter weekend, temperatures will drop for all with an added wind—chill across eastern coasts. hello, you're watching bbc news. our headlines. the uk government issues an easter message, urging people to remain at home this weekend as governments across the world ask people to stay indoors to stop the spread of covid—19. prime minister's spending a sixth day in hospital after leaving intensive care. his father urges him to rest. eu finance ministers agreed a 500 billion euros rescue package to help countries worst affected by the pandemic. new york starts to bury some of its dead in mass graves, with nearly 160,000 people infected with covid—19 across the state. the bbc investigation reveals british businesses have lost

nearly £2 million in coronavirus —related fraud by buying non—existent medical equipment online. another of britten‘s nude nightingale hospitals will be operational today. it is being built at the national exhibition centre near birmingham, having a 500 bed capacity which could be scaled up to 4000 if needed. philip mackie reports that it has taken... it can provide 500 extra beds, even more if needed. the army was brought in to help build it. the most unusual thing which we are just doing is designing for oxygen capacity, so kilometres worth of copper piping that needs to go on all the subways and piping ducks along here to make sure every single bed space has the capacity.

the midlands has seen the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths from coronavirus outside london, but while this has been built, they've also increased intensive care capacity at all the region's hospitals. it's providing an enormous comfort blanket to staff and patients across the region that, as i say, we will not be reduced to the scenes we had in northern italy and spain where patients are lying on corridors because there was nowhere for them to be nursed properly. we know that, because this facility provides us that backdrop. but, you know, would it be a disaster if we didn't use it? no, it would be quite a good thing, actually. whether it's used or not, england's second nightingale hospital is ready and could take patients, if needed, later today. phil mackie, bbc news, birmingham. let us get some of the day's other news for stop south africa is extending its lockdown until the end of april, the president saying there was clear evidence that the

restrictions is already limiting the spread of covid—19. the us state of georgia has postponed primary elections for a second time due to the pandemic. they are now scheduled to be held injune and not may, and a statement says the decision prioritises the health and safety of voters. at least 15 other states have also postponed their primaries. let us go to a news briefing from scotland's first minister. usual media conference to update on the situation with covid—19, and i am joined today by the chief constable and by the national clinical director who will both say a few words shortly, but i want to start with an update on some of the key statistics in relation to covid—19 in scotland. as of nine o'clock this morning, i can report that there have now been 5275 positive cases confirmed, which is an increase of

318 from the figures reported yesterday, and as i always am at this stage, let me be clear that these numbers are an underestimate. a total of 1832 patients are currently in hospital with confirmed 01’ currently in hospital with confirmed or suspected covid—19. that is an increase of 51 from yesterday. a total of 207 people last night where in intensive care, with confirmed or suspected covid—19. that is actually a decrease of five from yesterday, though i would caution against reading too much into that at this stage. it is with great sadness that i must report an additional 48 deaths of patients who had tested positive for covid—19, taking the total number of deaths of individuals who had tested positive in scotland to 495. as usual, i want to reflect on the fact that as i report statistics, each and every

one of these statistics represents a human being sama dull mix—up —— a human being sama dull mix—up —— a human being, someone who was loved, andi human being, someone who was loved, and i have to extend my deepest condolences to people who have lost someone condolences to people who have lost someone to this virus. i also want to thank again from the bottom of my heart all of those working in the health and care sector. at eight o'clock last night, people across scotla nd o'clock last night, people across scotland yet again demonstrated our appreciation for the incredible work that you are doing. all of us or you are an enormous debt of gratitude. there are a few things i want to briefly update on today. firstly, an update on the meeting of cobra that took place yesterday. following that meeting, the position and the advice from all four governments across the uk is unchanged. scotland, like the rest of the uk, will remain in lockdown through the easter weekend and into next week. at the moment,

we simply do not have enough evidence on the impact of the restrictions are to have confidence yet about when we could start to come out of them. as that evidence becomes available, we will be able to review the situation, but for now the message remains exactly the same as it has been. people need to stay at home. i know how difficult that is, andi at home. i know how difficult that is, and i know how difficult that will be particularly over this easter weekend. 0rdinarily, that is a time to see friends and family, a time to get out and about or even ta ke time to get out and about or even take a short break. none of that will be possible this year, and so for all of us, i know that this weekend will be especially tough. however, i am confident, very confident that the vast majority of people across scotland will continue to comply with these rules. as i said at the outset, i am joined by the chief constable today who will say a little bit more shortly on how these measures are being enforced, and his presence here today also gives me the opportunity to thank

and pay tribute to our police officers for the difficult job and pay tribute to our police officers for the difficultjob that they are doing extremely well right 110w. they are doing extremely well right now. but from the data, we know that travel in scotland has now been reduced. almost entirely, to that which is essential, so i would like to ta ke which is essential, so i would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your patience and compliance. and for the sacrifices that i know all of you are making. i think it is important, as we head into this weekend, to reiterate what the rules are. other than for a few very specific reasons, people should not be going out. you should not be meeting up with people from other households. you should observe social distancing measures. when it is essential for you to go out, that is. if anyone in your household is showing symptoms of covid—19, like a fever or persistent cough, you should be isolated completely. for this weekend especially, it is worth stressing that nobody should be travelling for holidays in rural or island communities. these areas may

be less populous, that they are also especially vulnerable to the impact of this epidemic. now, none of us, including me, once these restrictions to be in place for a single moment longer than they need to be, but i want to stress very clearly today what we cannot do. we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent against this virus. we cannot enter these measures prematurely. if we did that, we would read sskk risk undoing all the work we —— risk undoing all the work we have done so far, and we could risk seeing the virus move out of control very quickly, and we know that would cost more lives, so we must all continue to comply with the rules because that gives us the best chance of slowing the spread of the virus, protecting our national health service and, of course, saving lives. now i have three other brief items i want to update on today. the first concerns the expansion of nhs capacity. later

today, i will visit the nhs louise atjordan hospital at the sec in glasgow to see for myself the preparations that are under way, and to thank those working hard to make that new facility possible, and obviously i want to stress during that visit, social distancing measures will be observed at all times. 0ver measures will be observed at all times. over the past week, more than 20,000 square metres of flooring have been laid at the new facility. partitions between beds have been erected, and 8000 pieces of medical equipment have been ordered. as a result, it is on track to be operational by mid april. the site will initially create capacity for 300 extra hospital beds, with the ability to expand to over 1000 if required, but again let me be clear, oui’ required, but again let me be clear, our current hope and expectation is that this hospital will not need to be used, but it is important that we prepare now so it is available if necessary. the second point i want

to touch on is the economic impact of covid—19. this morning, as i do every friday morning, i chaired the cabinet subcommittee on the economy. we know how severe the economic impact of this crisis is, and it is going to be. in turn, we know that an economic crisis occasioned by a health crisis can lead to poverty, inequality and poor health. so i wa nt to inequality and poor health. so i want to stress that the economic impact felt by many businesses across our country right now is and will be vital to our thinking as we plan our way forward in a way that protects human health as our key priority. the third and final update concerns at the relaunch of a campaign to tackle domestic abuse. we know that anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, but we know that women and children in particular are vulnerable to it, and they will feel even more vulnerable during this crisis. that is why we have allocated additional funding to

organisations like scottish women's aid and rate crisis scotland, and the relaunch of this campaign is another important step. among other things, it will highlight the help and support available to victims, and support available to victims, and an important example of that is? domestic abuse and forced marriage help line. i want to be clear that it remains fully operational at all hours of the day, 24 hours during this pandemic. people can e—mail or a web chat through the website or can call them on oh 8000271234. —— 08 00271234. we know people do not wa nt to 08 00271234. we know people do not want to bother the emergency services at this time, but this campaign will make clear that they are open and willing to help, so do not hesitate to use them if you need them. i also want to stress that our national health service is there to help you as well. 0ther

national health service is there to help you as well. other illnesses have not gone away because of covid—19. so if you have chest pain, unusual bleeding, it is important you seek help. contact your gp or if it is out of hours, contact nhs 24. the nhs is open, and you should not hesitate to use its services. let me close by richard creator writing my main message for today, and that is about the importance of staying at home. —— reiterating my main message was upi home. —— reiterating my main message was up i know it is tempting this weekend to think that after almost three weeks of complying with these really tough restrictions, we can allow ourselves one little slip, to see friends or visit a grandparent on easter sunday. but the risks of that would be enormous, and they are not risk worth taking. the one time you ignore this guidance could be the time you get infected with the virus, or it could be the time that you pass it a loved one without knowing about it, so please do not

throw away all of the good work of the past three weeks and please do not put yourself or loved ones at risk. all of us must continue to do the right thing and follow the rules. every day that we do that does bring us a day closer to the ability to return to normality, so let me end by thanking everybody in advance for doing the right thing over this weekend. i hope you all stay safe and stay well, and i hope that in these most unusual of circumstances, you all have the best possible easter weekend. let me now hand over to the chief constable to add a few words. thank you. good afternoon. i am add a few words. thank you. good afternoon. lam pleased add a few words. thank you. good afternoon. i am pleased to report that the vast majority of people in scotland are in fact continuing to do the right thing during this acute health emergency, and i thank them for that. the social distancing legal requirement to stay home is the best way to protect the nhs and the best way to protect the nhs and the best way to protect the nhs and the best way to save lives. of course, community policing across scotland is a vital role to play as

we all make the daily changes and personal sacrifices needed to combat the spread of coronavirus. with the continued support and cooperation of our fellow citizens, police scotland will explain the legal instructions, encourage compliance and, when needed, enforce the law. since emergency powers came into effect two we e ks emergency powers came into effect two weeks ago, we have been required to take enforcement action in limited situations thus far across the whole country, and we have issued over 500 fixed penalty notices. this is to go bloody during incidents where people do not comply with these instructions, —— this is typically during incidences when they do not comply with instructions like house parties and gatherings in public where people do not disperse. however, overall compliance has been very high in scotland, and i think the public for their overwhelming cooperation and commitment. 0ur office rs cooperation and commitment. 0ur officers and staff are in communities right across scotland 24 hours of the day, at times putting

themselves in harms way, and i pay tribute to them and thank them. social distancing, staying at home are the key interventions to curtail the spread of coronavirus. policing in scotland will always seek to be fair, reasonable and proportionate. that is why i have invited a leading human rights lawyer to review our use of the emergency powers. i ask all of our fellow citizens to continue their support and cooperation as demonstrated in re ce nt cooperation as demonstrated in recent weeks. please, stay home, stay safe and follow the guidance. i underline the comments of the first minister. do not make personal exemptions this book to your own circumstances will stop if you are out and about, officers may ask you why. i would ask you to engage with officers, explain your skirt circumstances, and listen to and act upon any advice given. as the first minister outlined, of course we recognised that this is an difficult time, particularly during the easter

holiday period, where in normal circumstances we would all be expecting to be out and about, enjoying the good weather and seeing and friends. but i ask that everyone except the changes to daily lives and the personal sacrifices required, because ultimately it will be to the benefit of us all. if we all do the right thing to maintain social distancing, stay home and keep safe, we will protect the nhs. if you need help and support from the police service, please contact us. we are there to help you. please, please, stick with it, obey the law, continue to play your part and lives will be saved. thank you. i will hand over to professorjason leech, who many of you will have become used to seeing on television answering questions and helping everybody to understand the situation. jason is our national clinical director, and i will hand over to him to say a few words.

clinical director, and i will hand over to him to say a few wordslj clinical director, and i will hand over to him to say a few words. i am going to simply emphasise to messages which you and the chief constable have already given. message number one is stay the course, and stay—at—home. you can leave home for the four reasons that you now know well. can i emphasise that exercise is exercise, not recreation, not your hobby. it is not the time to go mountain biking. you need tojust use it for 30—60 minutes from your home to exercise to stay healthy and then stay at home. please do that, because every time you do it, it literally lives are saved. my second message is similarto are saved. my second message is similar to the chief constable. the national health service is open and available, available from community pharmacy all the way up and including intensive care. your gp practices are open today and monday, and usually during this easter weekend, as are your community pharmacies. social workers are open and working, so the national health

service is therefore non—coronavirus disease and coronavirus disease. you already know, i think, to call 111 if you have deteriorating symptoms or you are struggling after seven days of coronavirus symptoms. your gp is available for other disease. 0ther gp is available for other disease. other things that you are worried about, perhaps for you or your children, sol about, perhaps for you or your children, so i really want to emphasise, particularly over easter, stay—at—home, please emphasise, particularly over easter, stay—at— home, please stay emphasise, particularly over easter, stay—at—home, please stay at home, and the nhs is still there for you and the nhs is still there for you and ready to help. thank you for that. i want to take questions from the media. i will begin with the stb. -- stv. chief constable, could you give us more concrete examples of the issues your officers are facing on the ground? you mentioned house parties, is also cases of an essential travel for example? the nature of people's lives are such

that there are many different circumstances that the police service has needed to make an intervention. we always start with a level of engagement, try to educate people to comply with the guidance, but one specific example i could share is a house on the scottish borders where a group of people had gone to spend some time. the police service went there in the late morning, told them they should not have been there, gathering in clear breach of the guidance, and we left. however, they did not comply. we we re however, they did not comply. we were required to intern a number of hours later. a number of the five we re hours later. a number of the five were arrested and a number were issued with fixed penalties, and it made it quite clear that we will always seek to engage and educate, but if people continue to wilfully refuse to obey the law, wilfully refused to play their part in combating the coronavirus, we will ta ke combating the coronavirus, we will take action and enforce the law.

that underlines this point here. these powers the police have of enforcement right now are not powered any of us would have envisaged a few weeks ago, but they are there for your protection. they are there for your protection. they are there for the protection of each and every one of us, and that is why we are asking people to obey these rules, but it's also why it is important that we have the ability to enforce them if people do not obey them, because by not obeying them, you are potentially putting people at risk. next, joe from sky. good afternoon. a question for each of you, if i may stop starting with the chief constable. will police scotland petrol supermarket aisles to monitor what people are buying, as some english forces have suggested? to professor leach, someone from public health england has talked today about possible partial measures to end the lockdown was up do you believe you have the

power to lift these restrictions unilaterally, separate from the rest of the uk, and first minister, you're a cmo resigned after visiting her second home. should community secretary resigned after making a series of trips between london and one of his home is 150 miles away in herefordshire? on that last question for me, i haven't had the opportunity to look at the detail of that, so i am not going to comment without having done so. what i would say and the incident you referred to here in scotland in the weekend, it is an example of this. these rules apply to all of us, and we all have to comply with them, and obviously people who are in keyjobs doing essential work have to be at work, but even then, complying with these rules on social distancing is about the protection of all of us, so i would say that pretty clearly, even though i do not know the detail of the circumstances of the ministry

you refer to. iam the circumstances of the ministry you refer to. i am going to hand over to jason next, but can i say on the powers issue, because it is probably more one for me. for me as first minister, i have to take action that i think is best and appropriate for the protection of public health in scotland. that is the scottish government's task, health is a devolved matter, but we are seeking, as we have been going into these lockdown measures, as we come out of them, we are seeking to have a uk wide approach, and ideally we would come out at the same time, but that will be driven by the science. we have got to act in a way that allows us to do what is right for different populations, and i will not hesitate on that if i think there is particular action required for scotland, but the four nations' discussions have been helpful, and i think we all want to see that four nations approach continue forced up jason, do you want to say something more generally about the importance of those lockdown measures not being lifted prematurely?”

of those lockdown measures not being lifted prematurely? i was going to say that i have not got the power to decide, but i have the power to advise, and all of the uk wide advisers are saying the same thing. we are saying it is too early to decide. it is hard, it is really difficult, particularly over the easter weekend, but we are not in our position to lift the lockdown, and it happened in the cobra meeting yesterday that we cannot relax the measures yet, and when it is appropriate we will, and the decisions will be made by the senior politicians. there is certainly not any decision yet about what that will look like regionally, and that will look like regionally, and that will be the process for the prime ministerand will be the process for the prime minister and the ministers sums quickly. the police in scotland is very much founded on a close relationship with the communities that we serve, right from the outset, even before the regulations we re outset, even before the regulations were in force, i made it clear that

i expected the people in police scotland to use common sense. to work with the communities that they are part of, to work with the communities that they serve. i would not expect a patrolling of supermarket aisles and i would expect us to be invisible —— visible, engage with those where ever we happen to be, but i would not expect such action. for bbc scotland. thank you. i would like to ask again about the breaches of the lockdown rules. when we hear that police are still having to break up house parties, are you concerned that some people may already be tiring of these rules? chief constable, you have said officers have now handed out more than 500 vines across scotland. for that reason, can you clarify why the chief officer was not fined? are you enforcing these rules in a fair and uniform way? i will hand over the

chief constable to answer the question, but can i say that my strong belief is that the vast majority of people in scotland are understanding why these rules are in place and are complying with these rules. where people are making mistakes, then they are rectifying that and that is appropriate. there will always be a minority of people that do not comply, that is why u nfortu nately we that do not comply, that is why unfortunately we need to have enforcement measures in place, but while i understand there will be a focus on the number that you co nsta ble focus on the number that you constable has just given about fixed penalty notices, let us not forget thatis penalty notices, let us not forget that is a tiny naughty when you compare that to the rest of the scottish population that are doing the right thing for the right reasons, and i would give a heartfelt thank you because i know how difficult it is. of course, i worry about people tiring of this. i think we all find it more difficult to comply with these rules with every day that passes, and as i have

said several times standing at this podium, that even in scotland, with scottish weather, will get more difficult as we go into spring and the weather gets better and the nights get lighter. nobody is under any illusion about that, but that is why it remains important for me as first minister... that is the first minister nicola sturgeon, updating the media there. the clear message out of that news conference is that it is very important to continue to observe the rules of staying at home and acknowledgement there that it will not be easy this easter weekend, but it is important. the one o'clock news coming up in a few moments with the latest headlines for you, but right now for a weather update. hello, our weather for you, but right now for a weather update. hello, ourweather is looking much cooler by the time we get to monday. that change happening, splash of rain, and not so much today, and when we we can ta ke so much today, and when we we can take advantage of the fine fat what weather is get it to dry. there will

bea weather is get it to dry. there will be a change in cooler air into monday. today, edging and workload, a chance of a bit of rain towards the western side of northern ireland, northern scotland and it may just be isolated, ireland, northern scotland and it mayjust be isolated, but potentially thundery showers across north wales and north west england. tented pictures wildly in the high teens —— temperatures. still a chance of a heavy shower in northern england, much of england and wales going to be dry overnight, clear but apart from a few mist and fog patches. we are seeing are thrust into the morning. there will be a damp weather in scotland, but hazy sunshine developing back to the western isles later, and ahead of it for the rest of england and wales, getting some hazy sunshine, but the chance of an isolated and possibly thundery showers developing. still one for many of us, but temperatures for some towards the mid 20s,

especially in south—east england. the weather front bringing ranged a pa rt the weather front bringing ranged a part of scotland and northern ireland on sunday, sinking south with heavy and thundery showers breaking out in england and wales, with some hazy sunshine and on sunday, turning colder from with some hazy sunshine and on sunday, turning colderfrom the north, and may be a frost for some of us on sunday night. across the northern half of the uk. as high pressure built into the north, the flow of air around that coming in from the east, northeast, that is a colder direction. the change will be enhanced by a stronger wind, particularly across that southern part. very different temperatures by the time we get to monday, although still a lot of dry weather out there, and weather fronts clearing away. high pressure is building in. quite a lot of cloud coming into the east side of the uk, and these are the average wind speeds, some guests at the south of 40 or 50 mph. —— costs. change will be noticeable where this week has been so very

warm.

people urged to keep observing the distancing guidelines, at the start of the long easter weekend. we've been out with one police force which says... scotland's first minister urges people to comply. we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent against this virus. 0r end these measures prematurely. we will have more about the lockdown from correspondence around the country and we will talk to our health editor also this lunchtime... mass graves are dug in new york state, to cope with the number of deaths from the virus. concerns postal workers are not being fully protected from covid—19.

nearly £2 million