this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk, on pbs in america or around the globe. i'm simon pusey. our top stories: uk deaths from coronavirus exceed 900 for the second day running as doctors warn of a dangerous lack of protective clothing. the british prime minister, borisjohnson, says he owes his life to the doctors and nurses who treated him for covid—19. in the us, more than 500,000 confirmed infections, the number of dead above 20,000. spain's fatalities begin to decline, but with 16,500 people dead, authorities warn that the lockdown will remain. and the queen says in her first ever easter message — "coronavirus will not overcome us."

hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments nationally and globally. in the daily press briefing, the uk home secretary, priti patel, has said she was sorry if anyone felt there had been failings over the supply of personal protective equipment for health workers. it comes as the british medical association issued a stark warning that many medics are unable to access the ppe they need to keep themselves safe. priti patel also announced the government would be giving £2 million to domestic abuse services to combat an increase in cases since the start of the lockdown. meanwhile, the coronavirus outbreak in the united states has become the deadliest in the world, surpassing italy to record over 20,000 deaths in total. andrew cuomo, the governor

of the worst affected state, new york, has said the death rate there was stabilising, but at a horrific level. and spain has recorded its lowest number of daily deaths for nearly three weeks. officials say 510 people died, the third consecutive 2a hours in which the daily figure has fallen. more on that soon. but first, let's get the latest on the situation in the uk from our science editor, david shukman. a human cost on a scale unimaginable even a few short weeks ago. and the warning is that we are not through it yet. that more families like that of doreen hunt, who was buried last week, will suddenly find themselves in the grip of covid—i9. the risk is real. me and my mum were actually speaking about this three, four weeks ago. we didn't realise how hard it was going to hit our family, obviously. we all thought it would be somebody else, but we've been hit with it.

and people need to realise this is real and listen to what they've been asked to do, and put the measures in place, stay at home. among the casualties, a growing number of nhs staff dying after working on the front line, fuelling demands for more personal protective equipment, ppe. we spoke to a nursing practitioner in the west midlands who doesn't want us to use his name. we got a lot of ppe in the beginning but now, because we're running out, they've changed the policy and are sending us in with covid patients with just a surgical mask only. before, we used to wear a gown. now, they're asking us to go inside with just an apron. we're scared, we're seeing colleagues pass away every day. we're on the front line and we don't deserve it, we don't deserve it, we need more. and this emailfrom kingston hospital talks of a national shortage of gowns, saying:

reusable gowns will be issued and staff are asked to name and keep them, and wash them down. the government has said it is providing huge quantities of equipment. the health secretary, matt hancock, has suggested that staff might be wasting it. and he also questioned where the victims became infected. the work is going on to establish whether they caught coronavirus in the line of duty, whilst at work, or whether, like so many other people, in the rest of their lives, it's obviously quite difficult to work that out. but research by the british medical association shows more than half of doctors working in high—risk environments said they were short of face masks or had none available. around two—thirds said they didn't have eye protection. and more than half said they were being pressured into working in a high—risk area despite not having the adequate gear to protect them. doctors are also human beings, they don't want to become ill, they don't want

their lives to be at risk. and what is really worrying us is the numbers of health care workers who have tragically died. so doctors are naturally afraid, but the one thing that is important is to give them the protection, and that's something the government owes us. so at today's government briefing, ministers and officials were repeatedly pushed on when there would be enough personal protective equipment. it's absolutely critical that we get ppe out to all those working at the front line so that they not only are protected, but they feel safe. would it be possible to give a commitment to a date by when the right quantities will reach the right people? because every day we hear from certainly nhs frontline staff that they don't have the equipment that they need. there is a clear plan. we're working with notjust suppliers, but manufacturers to really bolster and boost the supply that we need

for ppe, which, quite frankly, is unprecedented during this crisis. this question is bound to keep coming up as long as health workers and many others feel they are not getting the support they need as the outbreak continues. david shukman, bbc news. the british prime minister, borisjohnson, was released from intensive care on friday, and is now said to be recovering well from coronavirus, but our political correspondent ben wright says it could be some time before the prime minister is back in downing street. borisjohnson was very seriously ill, he was in intensive care, and i'm told is now telling friends that his life was saved by the medical team at st thomas' hospital. the prime minister continues to get better, but it's clear that his convalescence is going to take some time. now, number ten are very reluctant to talk about a time frame here in terms of when he might leave hospital or be back at his desk, but i think it's unlikely he's going to be back at work within the next fortnight or so, and colleagues

and doctors are telling him he must take his time to recover properly. now, he remains the prime minister of course, but for the moment, it's the foreign secretary dominic raab who's in charge of the day—to—day running of the government. and of course, this is a critical moment as the government navigates its response to the coronavirus pandemic, and in the next few days, it needs to decide whether or not to extend the lockdown further. at the moment, all the indications are that that will be extended, but that decision is going to be made with dominic raab 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 500,000 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 the 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 2,000 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. earlier, i spoke to darren walker, president of the international socialjustice philanthropy, ford foundation. i asked him what it was like in new york city now. slightly disorienting because the city has been depopulated in the neighbourhoods are very quiet and there are very few ca i’s quiet and there are very few cars on the road. so it is absolutely not the typical new york day. and what other things you are most passionate about is talking about vulnerable

communities and no—one is more vulnerable than prisoners and people locked up in prison, especially at the moment. it is pretty impossible to practise social distancing in a prison. not only is it impossible to practise social distancing, manyjails practise social distancing, many jails and prisons practise social distancing, manyjails and prisons in this country, prisoners don't even have access to basic sanitation, to soap, hand sanitiser, which some prisoners made. they don't have access to it because it contains alcohol, which is a contraband. places like county jail in which is a contraband. places like countyjail in chicago have higher rates of infection than wuhan or emmaline on their worst days. and so we have to ta ke worst days. and so we have to take action to address the issues of prisoners —— milan. we also recognise that the larger challenge of covid—i9 in the communities across this country reflects the inequality. it is no surprise that the people who are dying at the highest rates are the

same people who have the highest rates of poverty, low levels of access to healthca re, live in the most unsanitary or poor quality housing, suffer from chronic disease. these are all the americans who are at much higher rates. the rates of death among african americans in this country is shocking. it is appalling. but it is consistent with other indicators of well—being. mortality. the levels of hiv and aids infection. all of this is consistent regrettably with what we are seeing with this virus, covid—i9 in some ways like a heatseeking virus that finds the mind vulnerable people in this country and kill them at much higher rates than it does. sectors of society that may otherwise be forgotten about. what is actually a you and your organisation therefore calling authorities to do?

first, we need to address inequality in our society. we need an economy that produces better jobs need an economy that produces betterjobs for more people. we need healthcare for all americans, and so we need to produce a system of healthcare that provides for everyone. and we need to address the issue immediately, urgently of people who are incarcerated. any governors in this country have started to release elderly and infirm prisons or accelerate the release of people who are within weeks and months of their release date. this is a humane approach stop if we are to get through this crisis, it will be because we extend to others compassion, grace, generosity and love. others compassion, grace, generosity and lovelj others compassion, grace, generosity and love. i would say that the criticism has been sort of divided. america in terms of the fed response. how it you say andrew cuomo has donein it you say andrew cuomo has done in terms of new york?|j think done in terms of new york?” think we new yorkers are very

proud that our governor has been a great advocate for this state, and continues i think on a daily basis to keep us well informed and educated about the status of our state and of new yorkers. and you, as yourself, area new yorkers. and you, as yourself, are a new yorker, how safe do you feel living there? i gather a lot of your friends have left but you have stayed.” a lot of your friends have left but you have stayed. i would not rather be anywhere in the world but new york city today. i feel safe, i feel secure, i am about to go out for a walk, andi am about to go out for a walk, and i love new york. i will never leave. and i love new york. i will never leave . darren and i love new york. i will never leave. darren walker speaking to me a little earlier. europe has so far shouldered the majority of all deaths and infections, though there's now hope the curve could be starting to flatten in some of the hardest—hit countries. freya cole reports. intensive care nurses in france push through the long and exhausting shifts. but with caution, there is a sense of hope. for a second day, the number of new admissions has dropped and the daily death toll

appears to be slowing. translation: a very high plateau for this epidemic appears to have been reached, but the epidemic remains very active. there are still many cases coming into the hospital. in spain, huge makeshift field hospitals are full. 16,500 people have so far died, making it europe's highest death toll. but day by day, the number of fatalities is also dropping. plans are in motion to start reopening some factories and construction sites. but authorities have warned that for a majority of people, the lockdown remains. translation: from monday, we spaniards are still in a state of confinement. the result of this is that lives have been saved and that we are getting closer to defeating the virus for good. but it is important, i insist,

to continue to enforce the measures. in scandinavia, sweden's relaxed approach to the pandemic has been controversial. now, even the prime minister has admitted that his country could be better prepared. translation: it's not been good enough and it is evident everyone in many different aspects. that is why we've adopted a national security strategy, and that includes everything from water supply to cybersecurity. behind every statistic is a personal story of love and loss, a test of our shared humanity in the words of the german president in a rare televised address. translation: we will be a different society after this crisis. we don't want to become an anxious or distrustful society, but a society with more trust, with more consideration and with more confidence.

in italy, these policemen and women are carefully screened before making a special delivery — 300 easter eggs to children in hospital. many were sick before this pandemic intruded into their country, but their struggles are not forgotten. it's the little moments like this which provide hope to carry on. freya cole, 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. the united states has overtaken italy with the highest number of deaths from the pandemic in the world. nearly 20,000 americans have been killed so far. here in the uk, 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've 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 , e nfo rce . 108a people have been fined in 37 forces so far. but it does seem to be working. there are some grey areas. but for the most part, you know, i think definitely there's 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. the 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 antisocial 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 a 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. 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. 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. zookeepers 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. gorilla yene and her newborn hanging out at a german zoo. they‘ re members of an endangered species. and zoos have worked hard to increase their 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's 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. so for animals we are looking for signs of a respiratory issue, we're looking for things like coughing, potentially sneezing, nasal discharge, animals being lethargic is a very good key 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's 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 rostock zoo in germany and zola 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. this week would have seen the 100th birthday of the indian musician ravi shankar, one of india's most celebrated artists who famously taught beatle george harrison to play the sitar. planned celebrations, including concerts at the london south bank centre and carnegie hall in new york, have been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak. but to mark the occasion, the shankar family have shared some of their private archive with the bbc. ravi shankar‘s daughter, anoushka shankar, also a renowned musician, spoke to bbc south asia

correspondent rajini vaidyanathan. sitar music. from the moment i started my first stroke on the instrument, i knew that we were connected. most people across cultures and generations seem to know the name shankar. there were definitely were decades where he was the household name that was putting india on the map, culturally, artistically. singing. he's my father, so i think people might be inclined to take this with a pinch of salt, but i really do think that he was one of the greatest musicians that ever lived. pa—pa pa—pa. like this. you know, one of those sort of iconic friendships, relationships he had, be it with, you know, george harrison, philip glass, john coltrane, he — people were drawn to this new music that they'd never heard before and he was the right kind of person

to want to teach it and share it. not so long. da—da—da. my father was known for being unbelievably deeply well—versed in the ragas. like his knowledge of the ragas and their details, their permutations, and melody forms was unmatched. and his ability to also balance that with interplay of rhythm was unmatched. like he was known for having the most intricate knowledge of rhythms and cross rhythms and polyrhythms and he could take all of that and do it in this instantly, like, improvised way. where i feel like everyone would assume so many of the things he improvised were composed, because they made so much sense. like he was able to, kind of, improvise in a way that things sounded composed because

theyjust came out with this beautiful story. so the seventh of april is my father's centenary. it would have been his 100th birthday. and we were going to be kicking off a whole series of gala premiers and concerts and events, and, of course, everything has had to be put on hold and postponed. and so ijust found myself wanting to seek out loads of other ways to mark the occasion, since i'm not getting to do it with a concert. so i've been reaching out to musician friends to make videos that we can post on his birthday, reaching out to loads of artists who knew and loved him to maybe share about him little tributes. basically trying to do digitally what we would have done in person and trying to create a bit of a celebratory feeling of remembrance about him and his music. sitar music.

i learned from him, and as a composer, my brain has been shaped by years of learning you can reach me on twitter. i'm @sipusey. hello there. the weather is set to change through 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. there'll be a few showers along the way as well. this is the weather set up. it's quite complex. high pressure to the west, low pressure up to the north—east. another area of low pressure developing just about here. but all you really need to know is that this whether set up is going to bring us a northerly wind over 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 day ahead goes, we're going to start off

with cloud and some patchy rain through southern scotland and northern ireland, that sinking very slowly south—eastwards. for the northern half of scotland, some brightness for a time, but more cloud and patchy rain remaining here. and with a brisk northerly wind it's going to start to feel really chilly. further south across england and wales, some spells of sunshine, but into the afternoon a scattering of really heavy and possibly thundery downpours, partly due to another day of warmth. 25 degrees there in london, but further north, 11 for aberdeen, that colder air making its presence felt. now, during sunday night we will continue to see some hefty and possibly thundery downpours across england and wales. but more and more of of us start to feel the effect

of that northerly wind. so while monday morning will be a mild affair across south england and south wales, further north a chilly start of the day. and that sets us up for what is going to be quite a cold feeling day across the british isles. a lot of cloud feeding into northern and eastern part of scotland and down the eastern side of england. the best of the sunshine to be found further west, so through parts of wales, south—west and north—west of england, south—west scotland, and northern ireland. a noticeable wind, particularly for eastern and southern coasts. the channel islands could see gusts of 50mph. and look at these temperatures — way, way down where they have been. seven degrees there in newcastle, cardiff, plymouth 1a degrees at best. ans as high pressure builds strongly across the british isles through tuesday morning, you can see this blue shade on the chart — a widespread frost.

this is bbc news. the headlines: the uk has recorded 917 new coronavirus deaths. it's the second day in a row that the number of victims was above 900. following criticism from doctors, the home secretary, priti patel, has said she is sorry if anyone felt there had been failings over the supply of personal protective equipment for medical staff. the british prime minister, borisjohnson, has thanked staff at st thomas' hospital in london, where he is being treated for coronavirus, for saving his life. he is recovering from the virus, but is expected to spend the coming weeks convalescing. the united states has overtaken italy for the highest number of deaths from pandemic in the world. —— of deaths from the pandemic in the world. nearly 20,000 americans have been killed so far. the governor of the worst affected state, new york, has said the death rate there is stabilising, but at a horrific level.