at the moment all the indications are that it will be extended but that decision is going to be made with dominic rob in charge. the united states has become the first country in the world to record more than 2,000 deaths associated with coronavirus in a single day. there have now been over 20,000 deaths there and more than half a million confirmed infections. 0ur north america correspondent, nick bryant reports from new york. easter weekend in new york city. a date in the calendar that donald trump spoke of only a few weeks ago as the moment to reopen the american economy. but the restrictions will remain in place at least until the end of the month, and there were signs today that coronavirus spring could become coronavirus summer. new york announced its schools

would remain shut, at least until september. good friday ended up being the most deadly day since the virus reached these shores. more than 2000 people lost their lives. and america has now surpassed italy as the country with the most coronavirus deaths. 783 people, 777, 799. these are just incredible numbers. depicting incredible loss, and pain. for america, this has been by far the worst week of the coronavirus crisis, but there are signs of hope. the hospitalisation rate in new york is down, they believe they are flattening the curve. and evoking a famous quote from winston churchill, the governor here spoke of reaching the end of the beginning. this isn't an easter ritual but

now a nightly one in new york. part of the same wave of applause that has gone around the world, the sound of thanks, the sound of admiration for medical workers. the sound that momentarily drowns out the sirens. nick bryant, bbc news, new york. well, in the us, the danger from covid—19 seems to be highest for america's minority communities, who've been disproportionately affected. and the government here has admitted that there's emerging evidence of the same trend in the uk. the majority of front line doctors who've died in the nhs have been of black, asian or minority ethnic heritage — and new research has also found patients from these backgrounds are being disproportionately admitted to critical care units across the uk. our community affairs correspondent, rianna croxford, reports. when you can't even hug your mother, two hours after your father passes away, that pain really does affect you, it hurts you so much. this is amer awan.

his father nazir died on wednesday. this is his message. if you love your loved ones, you love your parents and you love your family and friends, please stay at home. the grandfather of six was described by his family as a legend. the backbone of his community, a man who loved his city and gave so much back to it. we said, you're going to get through this and you're going to fight this. and he lost his battle, he lost his battle within two days. he is one of thousands of people who have lost their lives to coronavirus. early research is suggesting that people of black, asian and minority ethnic heritage are being disproportionately affected. 0nly14% of people in england and wales are from these backgrounds, yet they currently make up 34% of patients in critical care units. i do have colleagues who have taken to buying their own goggles and visors... thisjunior doctor works at ealing hospital in london, one of the worst hit areas in the country. she said there could be many

factors behind the figures. whether there is a genetic component, we don't know, but we have seen certain underlying comorbidities like diabetes, high blood pressure etc can impact the way you experience this disease. places of worship can be a huge source of spread because there are so many people in such a small space. there is clear evidence to show that coming from a lower socioeconomic background, if you can't speak english, and particularly in this current environment when you cannot bring a family member in with you, because of our concerns with corona, that can have a huge impact, simply being able to say, "i'm in pain, i'm short of breath." labour has called on the government to urgently investigate the data and said it was deeply disturbed by the number of ethnic minority doctors who have died. drjohn chinegwundoh is working on the front line at kingston hospital. is working on the front line he has recently lost his father and colleagues to the virus and says more data is needed. i think it's really important we look at why people have

died, look at the patterns so if there are any lessons we can learn for the future, i think it would be very important. i'm hoping the department of health and public health england are collecting that data so we can help support communities in the future. the department for health says its current data on coronavirus did not track ethnicity, but these families hope this won't lead to them being overlooked. rianna croxford, bbc news. here, more than 1,000 people have been fined for failing to stick to the rules on social distancing across england and wales. meanwhile the uk home secretary announced more funding for support groups which help the victims of domestic abuse. tom symonds reports. day after day, the same demand of the british people. some experts are surprised at how rigorously we have stuck to the new rules of life in lockdown. but technically, that's not allowed. and even this sort of exercise is likely to prompt questions. the police have been told

to engage, explain, encourage, and if necessary, in force. 108a people have been fined in 37 forces so far. but it does seem to be working. —— enforce. there are some grey areas. but for the most part, you know, i think definitely there has been a decrease in people that are out and about. the first police officer to attend the daily briefing said this was a new world for the public but also the police. they have new responsibilities, they are tackling new risks. streets are empty, businesses are closed as we all adapt to a new way of life but much does remain the same. officers are still out in their communities fighting crime, protecting victims and tackling anti—social behaviour. of course, enforcing this is not the only thing the police have to do, even now. lockdown has changed everything including crime.

and today we heard that the number of offences reported to police has fallen by 21%, compared to the same time last year. but there is now a big worry that crime has moved into our homes. it's a prison without the luxuries of prison. after the bbc broadcast this report about domestic violence during the lockdown, a national hotline reported eight 120% increase in calls. the government spending £2 million on improving services for victims. but it's also an area police will have to prioritise, along with patrolling the parks. tom symonds, bbc news. this is bbc news, the latest headlines. the number of deaths from the coronavirus in the uk exceeds 900 for the second day running — as doctors warn that many medics are unable to access the personal protective equipment they need to keep themselves safe. british prime minister boris johnson is recovering from the virus, and tells friends he owes his life

to the doctors and nurses at st thomas‘ hospital who have been treating him for covid—19. the queen has sought to reassure the country that "coronavirus will not overcome us" — in what is thought to be her first easter message to the nation. in a special broadcast on the royal family's social media channels, she talks about the easter message of hope, and said that while celebrations would be different for many this year, the country needed them as much as ever. 0ur royal correspondent nicholas witchell reports. this is believed to be the first time the queen has delivered an easter message. coming less than a week after her televised broadcast from windsor, it underlines the gravity of which the current situation is regarded by the monarch. the theme of the audio message is light overcoming darkness symbolised on the royal social media channels by the image of an easter candle. we know that coronavirus will not overcome us. as dark as death can be,

particularly for those suffering with grief, light and life are greater. may the living flame of the easter hope be a steady guide as we face the future. the queen stressed the importance of the lockdown by keeping apart, she said we keep others safe. nicholas witchell, bbc news. in india, fake videos and hate messages are being shared on social media alleging that the muslim community is responsible for the spread of coronavirus. this is after thousands of suspected cases across the country were traced back to a muslim religious congregation in delhi. bbc‘s divya arya reports on the threats of attacks and economic boycott the muslim community is now facing in india. this piece contains language that viewers may find offensive and distressing. this muscleman was filmed while

being attacked by a group of hindu men. —— this muslim man. they accuse him of spreading the coronavirus. three men have now been arrested but this is not an isolated case. this man tested negative for covid—i9 but took his life after facing hostility from villagers. his family told us he killed himself because of the stigma. translation: people were accusing him of spreading coronavirus, he could not take it any more and went into depression. it weighed so heavyin into depression. it weighed so heavy in his heart that he had no choice but to take this extreme step. this targeting of the muslim community began after thousands of suspected cases of the coronavirus were traced back to a big congregation of the muslim missionary movement in the capital of delhi. and misinformation about them infecting others deliberately was spread. there has been a

spurt of hate messages being circulated by social media m essa 9 es circulated by social media messages like whatsapp, many have come into my phone as well including this one which has been shot in this area is softwa re been shot in this area is software muslim vendors are being sought from selling fruits and vegetables because of the fear that they will spread the coronavirus. translation: it is because of the muslims. we are scared of them, who knows where the come from and what kind of vegetables they are selling. it is spreading because our people are keeping safe. the world health organization has said that it is very important to not profile covid—i9 cases along racial, religious, or ethnic lines. but some media have been accused of doing just that. the government has issued an advisory against divisive m essa 9 es advisory against divisive messages but that may not be enough. it is a critical

situation, the prime minister must go on national television. we cannot emanate 200 million citizens of this country who happened to be muslims and we must look for a post corona world where we will be cooperative standing shoulder to shoulder. just over a month back, broke riots in the country's capital delhi claimed more than 50 lives. in an already polarised atmosphere, this scapegoating of muslims has raised fears of heightening tensions. divya arya, bbc news, delhi. let's get some of the day's other news. spain has recorded its lowest number of daily deaths for nearly three weeks. the total number of people who've died in the country now stands at more than 16,000. the government plans to ease some lockdown restrictions next week. italy has extended the country's strict lockdown for a further three weeks.

a limited number of businesses will be allowed to re—open, but most have been told they will have to remain closed until early may, prompting warnings of an economic catastrophe. and sweden's prime minister, stiefen leerveyan, has admitted his country was not properly prepared for the pandemic. sweden has allowed restaurants and pubs to stay open, as long as customers have enough space to observe hygiene precautions. he warned that they would be shut down if they didn't comply with social distancing measures. now, you might have noticed "brandon" or "happy birthday brandon" trending in the uk and around the world. well that's because of this tweet. jody smith took to social media to help give his geography—loving son brandon a special 12th birthday because he couldn't have a party. he asked for people to comment where they live so brandon could mark it on his map and the results have been huge — over 62,000 replies.

a little earlier i spoke to jody about that phenominal response. we arejust we are just overwhelmed. it turned out from a kind of sceptical birthday and turned into a pretty fantastic one for him. how many responses honestly did you think you might get when you sent out that tweet? honestly i thought maybe 50 or 100 people might reply and maybe i would get mostly the united states, canada and maybe some over there in the uk was about what i expected. and you got 62,000 at the last count? i had to turn off my notifications on my phone because it was going so crazy. he has been meticulously writing down the dots as best as he can. when i was 12 years old i knew almost every capital of every country around the world almost every city, i have forgotten almost all of that. but does brandon have an interest and skill? 0h,

but does brandon have an interest and skill? oh, yeah, it is something that is inherent in him. he has a real finite amount of time that he likes to concentrate and care about things but maps angiography have been one thing that has been and has really resonated with them. —— maps and geography. and most these dots i would tell him who replied and he knows where they are without having to verify on the map. that just are without having to verify on the map. thatjust goes to show how his little brain works. that's fantastic, does he mark them on a computer, does he have a giant map that he sticks pins and, how is he falling at all? he does have a giant map on his wall about one metre wide and he has pushpins i go in and that it's for places here in the us that he has travelled to. but now with this whole idea, we may have to get a world map and buy several hundred... you have to buy thousands of pins somehow! maybe when all of this gets ove rco m e we maybe when all of this gets overcome we can and should get them shipped to us and we can go that route. has he told you

which of the favourite places you've heard from in the day that he is so excited to have heard from? yeah, tasmania surprised him and probably ascension island and that is in the middle of the atlantic between africa and south america so he was pretty surprised to see that come up. there we are, i can see the map of ascension island, always that dot between latin america and africa. are there any places left which haven't contacted you? what about antarctica? no, i have not seen antarctica? no, i have not seen antarctica come up yet? so if there are any scientists watching down there, fires of a tweet and will be happy to put that up there for him. jodi smith and brandon there. zoo keepers are working to keep gorillas and other animals safe during the coronavirus pandemic — as it remains unclear whether endangered species are at risk of contracting the virus from humans. there are fears an outbreak could have catastrophic implications for conservation — as reged ahmad reports this gorilla and her newborn baby hanging out at a german zoo.

they are members of endangered species. and zoos have worked hard to increase the numbers in captivity. through breeding programmes like this one. should it be found that covid—19 can affect great apes our closest living relatives then the outcome could be catastrophic. so, zookeepers have been taking every precaution. translation: we have now reduced our team to a specific core team. this means that anyone that doesn't have anything to do with great apes must now do other work. and it is notjust gorillas. zoo caretakers around the world are on high alert for each of their animals, many endangered watching nervously for any signs of the virus. for animals we are looking for signs of a respiratory issue, looking for things like coughing, potentially sneezing, nasal discharge,

animals being lethargic is a very good keep that they may not be feeling 0k. fears were heightened when this tiger at new york's bronx zoo tested positive after developing respiratory symptoms. it is hoped the new york case is an isolated incident but conservationists don't want to take any chances. in africa great apes have already been put on lockdown with gorilla tourism suspended in an effort to protect the animals. back at the zoo in germany, she is pregnant too. gorillas have been known to catch human illnesses so the focus now will be to protect as much as possible our primate cousins from covid—19. reged ahmed, bbc news. what are you up to? how are you getting through this very unusual time? do let me know. you can reach me on twitter —

i'm @jamesbbcnews. please do stay with bbc news. the weather is set to change that the second half of this easter weekend. after a couple of very warm days, things are going to be turning cooler initially in northern areas through easter sunday and then all of us much cooler by easter monday. they will be a few showers along the way as well. this is the weather set up, quite complex high—pressure to the west, low pressure up to the west, low pressure up to the north—east, low—pressure developing just about here but all you really need to know is that this weather set up is going to bring us a northerly wind or the next couple of days. and that will bring this cold air southwards across all parts of the uk particularly by easter monday but as far as the data had goes, we will start off with cloud and some patchy rain through southern scotland

and southern island... that sinking southeastward and southern island... that sinking southeastwa rd and and southern island... that sinking southeastward and the northern half are selling some brightness but more quiet and patchy rain returning here and with a brisk northerly wind that will start to feel really chilly. for the south crossing and ann wells, sunshine but into the afternoon a scattering of really heavy and possibly thundery downpours partly due to another day of fourth. 25 degrees in london but for the north, 11 for aberdeen with that cold there making its presence felt. we will see a hefty and possibly thundery downpours across england and wales. but more and more of a start feeling the effect of that northerly wind and while monday morning will be a mild affair across the south the pigman in south wales further north a chilly start to this day and that sets us up for what will be a cold feeling day across the british isles. cloud feeding into north and eastern parts of scotland and eastern england, the best of the sunshine found further west through prince of wales. south—west, north—west of england, south—west scotland

and northern ireland. a no super win for eastern and southern coast. the channel islands could see gusts up to 50 mph and look at these temperatures away down where they have been, 7 degrees in newcastle, cardiff and plymouth 14 newcastle, cardiff and plymouth 1a degrees at best. as high pressure builds strongly across the british isles through monday night into tuesday morning, you can see this blue shade on the chart, a widespread frost, one to bear in mind if you spent the weekend gardening. a cold feeling day on tuesday but a lot of trite weather coming through the week and it turns warmer once again. “— through the week and it turns warmer once again. —— a lot of dry weather.

the governor of the worst