this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the number of people who have died with coronavirus in the uk is set to pass 10,000, as tributes are paid to nhs staff who have lost their lives. the us overtakes italy to have the highest death toll from coronavirus in the world. pope francis urges people not to yield to fear over the coronavirus, calling on them to be messengers of life in a time of death. this is the scene live in saint peter's square, where crowds would usually be gathering to hear the pope deliver a sermon. gathering to hear the pope deliver a sermon. british doctors say some key drugs used in intensive care are in

relatively short supply as wards struggled to cope with the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic. the prime minister, borisjohnson, says he owes his life to the nhs staff who have been treating him. the billionaire philanthropist, bill gates, warns there will be a trade—off in the search for a vaccine, with speed coming at the expense of safety testing. hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. the uk prime minister borisjohnson has said he owes his life to the nhs staff treating him for coronavirus. it comes as uk deaths are expected to pass 10,000 today. we will find out the figures later this afternoon. the latest uk figures recorded 917 new coronavirus deaths, taking the total to 9,871.

elsewhere, the us death toll overtakes italy as the world's highest, with data showing more than 20,000 people to have died. tributes to the latest nhs workers to die after contracting coronavirus. nurse gareth roberts described as "a kind and helpful person" by the cardiff and vale health board. sara trollope, seen here with the prime minister, a nurse said to have a total determination to get things right for her patients at hillingdon hospital. the health secretary matt hancock said yesterday that 19 nhs workers had lost their lives, and now another chief executive has had to break bad news to his staff. i had to share the news of the sudden death of one of our own. a much—loved member of our nursing team, julie 0mar. i also know that this news will have a profound impact on many of you, not least because it brings the tragic consequences of this outbreak even closer to home than it already was. the government says it's looking into how nhs staff had become infected, but it's facing growing pressure

to ensure that front line workers have all the personal protective equipment they need. i'm sorry if people feel that there have been failings — i'll be very, very clear about that — but at the same time, we are in an unprecedented global health pandemic right now. it is inevitable that the demand and the pressures on ppe and the demand for ppe are going to be exponential, they're going to be incredibly high and, of course, we are trying to address that as a government. the ultimate goal is to find a vaccine against coronavirus. the tech billionaire bill gates has promised large sums to fight the infection. but in an interview with breakfast, he warns a vaccine may be up to 18 months away. the thing that'll get us back to the world that we had before coronavirus is the vaccine and getting that out to all seven billion people. this is the whole world working on probably the most urgent tool ever needed.

facing his own challenge, the prime minister. recovering at st thomas' hospital in london, he's paid tribute to nhs medics for pulling him through, saying "i cannot thank them enough. i owe them my life." simon jones, bbc news. jessica parkerjoins us now. jessica, there have been questions raised, where is the british parliament in all of this? yes, well actually it is now in easter recess. interestingly, sir keir starmer, the new leader of the labour party, has written to the leader of the house of commons saying parliament must resume in one form or another. i don't think you will find many people who think mps from across the country should come back to westminster, where parliament is crowded into the house of commons chamber, and start hosting pmqs

micro. at what we understand is the leader of the house of commons, jacob rees—mogg, has said parliament will return on the 21st of april, when it was due to, but they are looking at technological solutions. what we could see potentially are some kind of virtual parliament, something we have never seen before. they have been something —— doing something quite similar in the welsh assembly, holding virtual sessions, where you see people and video conferencing calls. as for the prime minister, boris johnson, he is still in hospital, like likely to be returning to work imminently? i think that's right. we had the news on thursday evening that he had been taken out of intensive care. the prime minister had tested positive for coronavirus. his condition deteriorated after he showed persistent symptoms for over a week. he was admitted to hospital, then into intensive care, then started to recover. as we understand it he is on the mend but won't be returning to work for a couple of

weeks, forcing on recuperation. doctors and his friends have been telling him he needs to focus on that. we understand he has told friends he owes his life to staff at st thomas' hospital. for now it looks like he will focus on recuperation and dominic raab, the foreign secretary, will continue to lead the government for now. he is deputising for the prime minister. a key decision is due this week on whether the lockdown measures in the uk should be continued for a while. all the indications are that they will be. one of the reason is in fa ct will be. one of the reason is in fact that sir keir starmer says parliament needs to come back is he thinks there needs to be real scrutiny of the government to ‘s handling of coronavirus, whether there are calls for it to be more transparent about its exit strategy, 01’ transparent about its exit strategy, or these issues we have been reporting in recent days about personal protective equipment, their availability to front line nhs and social care workers. thank you very much. jessica parker.

the united states has now overtaken italy to have the highest death toll from coronavirus in the world. more than 20,000 people in the country have now died with the virus, overtaking italy. new york state has accounted for around half of deaths in the country — despite accounting forjust 6% of its total population. but the state's governor said that the state's death toll appeared to be stabilising. he said the state was reaching the end of the beginning. the curve of the increase is continuing to flatten. the number of hospitalisations appears to have hit an apex and the apex appears to be a plateau, which is what many of the models predicted, that it wasn't going to be a straight up and straight down, it was going to be a straight down, it was going to be a straight up, you hit the top number and your plateau for a period of time. that looks like what we are doing. andrew cuomo. the country's most

senior disease expert says federal social distancing methods are slowing the virus must not be lifted prematurely. 0n slowing the virus must not be lifted prematurely. on friday donald trump said he wanted to get the economy moving again after it was revealed that 16 million americans have lost theirjobs in recent weeks. mr trump announced a new council of advisers to help and decide when to relax social distancing measures. to help and decide when to relax social distancing measuresi to help and decide when to relax social distancing measures. i don't think i've had a bigger decision than that, when you think, right? somebody said it is totally up to the president. and it is. i don't know that i have had a bigger decision. but i am going to surround myself with the greatest minds, not only the greatest minds but the greatest minds in numerous different businesses, including in the businesses, including in the business of politics and reason, and we are going to make a decision and hopefully it is going to be the right decision. i will say this. i wa nt to right decision. i will say this. i want to get it opened as soon as we can. we have to get our country open, jeff. christians are seller on easter

unlike any other before. in italy we re unlike any other before. in italy were locked restrictions have been extended until may, pope francis will give his easter address in an empty st peter's square. more than 19,000 people have now died in the country as a result of coronavirus. mark lowen reports. the silence of anguished devotion. in a country ravaged by the virus, faith is being tested. the church of the blessed redeemer in bergamo, the worst hit province, has lost more than 150 of its parishioners to the outbreak. in the easter services, streamed online, reverence mixed with heartbreak. this was the scene here a fortnight ago from the overflowing cemetery. where the pews were once packed with life, now no space for the dead. the silence of anguished devotion. we reached the priest at the end of the service. how to be the voice of solace to explain the inexplicable.

translation: the sadness of this community shows. you see it when you meet people. you feel it when they phone you. there is a sense of emptiness with this calamity that seems to be endless. a nurse called to pass on a message from a dying man. he wanted me to tell his wife that he loved her. these are people who have lived their lives simply and with love. this is the most important time of the year here at the vatican and st peter's square would usually be packed with tens of thousands of people right now from across the world. now look at it. while the worshippers must stay away, the church is trying to come to them through services and charity, knowing that for many their faith will help them get through this. at the soup kitchen of the catholic charity sant‘egidio, demand is high. the lockdown is pushing people into poverty. the virus is forcing them apart. and at easter, when italians celebrate food and company, for some there are no other places to turn.

being in a country which is in lockdown and there are no restaurants, all bars are closed, those people living on the street they face, particularly, issues in finding food and finding someone who can help them. and that's why we have decided to keep the soup kitchen open to provide a space where to celebrate easter, where to find friends, where to look for people, and where to show love. this used to cater mainly to migrants, now most are italians and a health crisis that's become a social and economic one means that more will rely on it. translation: this is really difficult for all italians, notjust me. coronavirus is ruining the world. i don't meet my friends any more. they're all shut inside. translation: if we don't work and can't go out, how can we find something to eat? if nobody helps us what can we do? this easter, a tired nation will only celebrate when the outbreak is crushed.

what is needed now is a resurrection of hope. mark lowen, bbc news, rome. the queen has delivered an easter message, speaking about the importance of hope at a difficult time, and how light overcomes the darkness. it's believed to be the first easter address she has made and was recorded in isolation in windsor castle. she talks about the easter message of hope. she said the country needed the celebrations more than ever. our royal correspondent, nicolas witchell, has more. 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 with 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. 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 to 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. how close are we to finding a coronavirus vaccine? that is one of the most urgent questions being asked on a daily basis. scientists around the world are racing to find around the world are racing to find a cure fora around the world are racing to find a cure for a covid—19. bbc breakfast has been speaking exclusively to microsoft founder bill gates, who has pledged to fund factories searching vaccines. in 2015 you gave one of those ted talks. if people listen to it now, it was a —— extraordinarily close to what is happening now. you are talking about the real risk of a pandemic across the world. did you feel like you are listened to then? no. the investments that could have

been done so that diagnostics would have been essentially immediately available, drugs in less than half the time the vaccine, in less than half the time, most of those investments were not made. now we are scrambling and it's taking us much longer to get these pieces together, even though scientists are going,... unlike the defence budget that prepares us for awards, where we simulate the problem and make sure we are good at it, this risk, which i viewed as even greater and the risk of war, there was very, very little preparation, very few of these germ games where you see how you build up the icu capacity, can you build up the icu capacity, can you make ventilators? how do you prioritise the diagnostics? that we are figuring out as we go. we definitely need to fund the research and the manufacturing and the

distribution. the distribution piece for developing countries will be derby, where the uk has owes been super generous. the research, we will need to fund about ten of the most promising constructs. we won't know in advance which ones will prove to be safe and effective. and being effective for older people's immune system is a huge challenge if you amp up the vaccine to do that, you amp up the vaccine to do that, you can run into safety issues. so we are going to have to take something that usually takes five to six years and get it done in 18 months. we want to get back to the life we had before coronavirus. people are seeing the economic destruction, the psychological stress. this is such an unprecedented, very tough thing to deal with. people like myself and anthony fauci are saying 18 months. everything went perfectly we could do slightly better than that. there

will be a trade—off. we will have less safety testing than we typically would have. so governments would have to decide, do they indemnify the companies and really say, let's go out with this, when we just don't have the time to do what we normally do? so 18 months is about what we would expect. i do think now, because this has been so dramatic, we weren't ready for this pandemic but i do think we will be ready for the next pandemic. and using the new tools of science that is very doable. bill gates. nationwide lockdown measures, in place now for almost three weeks, are presenting a range of challenges in all sorts of circumstances. it's been especially difficult though, for those who've recently left the care system, often estranged from relatives and without support networks. ashleyjohn—baptiste has more. it is very empty, very deserted.

i have not seen anyone for a couple of days and i am back up to my room. daily life for diana, a 20—year—old care leaver, estranged from her parents and stuck in student accommodation. most people have been picked up by their parents. i am pretty much stuck here now. i am finding things quite challenging at the moment. since the covid—19lockdown, a lot of students have gone home and i am still living in halls. that's because i do not have a home to go back to, and the whole ofcampus is shut and it does feel quite isolating. as someone who grew up in care, i am aware of the unique challenges that care leavers face so, when the uk went into lockdown, i wanted to find out how they were coping. this dedsit is where 20—year—old casey lives. struggling to afford food, she relies on universal credit. you can see my kitchen, that's over there — that tiny bit there. and in there, i've got

a tiny little bathroom. so that is your whole living space? yes, that is my living room, my bedroom. a lot of care leavers are estranged from their family and that is people's main point of support, their main point of contact. i am self isolating but i've got no—one to help me with that, no—one can go out and do my shopping for me, no—one can help me if i get ill, and it's just... you are so alone in it, basically. there's not really any support there at all. according to recent figures, almost half of all care leaver struggle with their mental health in normal times, and one in four will have a mental health crisis. experts predict that these figures will get worse. 17—year—old freya lives in supported accommodation. she has had it particularly tough. a couple of days after the government announced a lockdown, my local authority moved me from one support lodging to another, with two hours notice. which is obviously, like, a strange situation to be in. so i'd been working the weekend before that with the public

so i could have had the virus and not known, and then i moving into a house with total strangers, who i've met, like, once. a leading charity is calling on councils to do more. we now that councils are under real pressure at the moment. we would like to see councils making a real effort to reach out to care leavers, we would like to see emergency funding from government to help them with that important work, and also make emergency cash available for those care leavers who are struggling and really need it. councils are working hard to make sure ca re leavers councils are working hard to make sure care leavers get the support they need, according to the local got that association. as tough as things are, these care leavers, like so many others across the nation, are remaining resilient. i feels like everything that could go wrong is going wrong at the minute but i;ve just got to keep moving on with it, i suppose. ashleyjohn—baptiste, bbc news.

the french government has called for an army of workers to help in the fields in the weeks ahead to meet labour shortages caused by the coronavirus. around a third of a million seasonal farmers come to france each year, mainly from eastern and southern europe and north africa, but because of travel restrictions there are fears cops may go on pick. hugh schofield reports. all of france is under lockdown. that means notjust the cities but also in the countryside, in small towns and villages, it's the same dead quiet. but for farmers, life goes on. crops can't wait to be sown or planted or picked, the nation still has to be fed. the question is, in the time of coronavirus, who's going to do all that work? some growers have seen business boom. this organic nursery has suddenly found scores of new customers who want to produce delivered to their doors during the quarantine. more staff are needed badly. translation: we have the good fortune to have a website

and as a result, our online sales have shot up. demand is 40% more than usual and that means a lot of extra work on the sales side which means we need to take on people on the production side. but the seasonal workers from abroad who normally help with the harvests, like the asparagus harvest right now getting under way, because of the virus, they're not coming. and so the french government's teamed up with a farming website to launch an appeal. people from the towns temporarily out of work are urged to come to the fields to help. already 200,000 have signed up. translation: quite honestly, if no—one comes to work in the farms, then in the weeks ahead, we'll be facing real supply problems for certain produce. it's already what's happened in italy which is a few weeks ahead of us. there won't be zero production but definitely shortages. one man who's answered the call is maxime beuret, a computer worker in alsace. he was put in touch with a grower of hops

who needs labour because of the absence of his regular migrant staff from eastern europe. translation: i don't see myself as a soldier, more as someone who really wants to help in these terribly difficult times. i think farming is another profession so if there's a lack of manpower, i want to play my part. spring has come to france now and the growing season is under way. very soon, the need for farm labour will be intense. if the migrant workers continue to stay away, france may have no other option but its army of city pickers. hugh schofield, bbc news, in central france. just a reminder that you can contact me on social media, and twitter. don't forget, much more on the coronavirus pandemic and how various countries around the world have been

responding to it. one of the stories here is that of the united states has now overtaken italy to have the highest death toll from coronavirus in the world. more than 2000 people died ina in the world. more than 2000 people died in a single day. time for a look at the weather with sarah. hello. a mixed picture weather—wise for easter sunday. in the south another one day. things are turning colder from the north. another one day. things are turning colderfrom the north. expect another one day. things are turning colder from the north. expect to see a few heavy, possibly thundery showers later. quite a lot of dry settled weather in the south. we have high pressure that has been in charge for several days. it is slipping away into the near continent. low pressure dominating across scandinavia. that means we are drawing in these cold winds. a change in air mass through the day. more especially into tomorrow, easter monday, where the colder air will spill south across the map. a

different feel to the weather tomorrow across the board. today, the colder air working and across northern scotland, a few showers. sunny spells in scotland and for the bulk of england and wales. northern ireland stays cloudy with outbreaks of rain. in the sunshine towards the south—east, temperatures once again getting up to 2a, possibly 25 degrees. as the heat builds across england and wales, look at the showers. they will be hit and miss. you could hear a rumble of thunder across central part of england and wales through the course of this evening and overnight. the showers fade away through the early hours of easter monday, pushing towards the south. as sky is clear, we could see a touch of frost first thing on monday morning. through the day tomorrow another largely dry day with summer sunshine. it would be cool and cloudy around the eastern side of scotland and down the east coast of england. the cold wind coming in off the north sea. blustery winds through the english

channel. gusts reaching 50 mph for the channel isles, for example. less windy and sunny for wales into the south west of scotland, northern ireland. temperatures in the warmer spots, around cardiff, getting up to 14 spots, around cardiff, getting up to 1a degrees. down the east coast, six to nine celsius. much colder than recently. high pressure builds once again through monday night into tuesday. with the light winds and clear skies, tuesday morning likely to dawn on a chilly note with a touch of frost. a cold start to this week. things were warm up later in the week and stay largely dry. but regardless of the weather, do stay—at—home whenever you can. bye— bye.

this is bbc world news. the headlines: parliament remains on course to return on the 21st of april, a date agreed by british mps before the easter recess, as the number of people who have died from the coronavirus in the uk is expected to reach more than 10,000 when the latest figures are announced later today. the us overtakes italy to have the highest death toll from coronavirus in the world. more than 20,000

people have now died. pope francis has urged people not to yield to fear over coronavirus, calling on them to be messengers of life in a time of death. doctors in the united kingdom say that some key drugs that are used in intensive care are in relatively short supply, as hospital wards struggled to cope with the pressures of the coronavirus pandemic. the british prime minister says he owes his life to the nhs staff who had been treating him. sir keir starmer welcomes the news that parliament will be back on the zist. that parliament will be back on the let. it that parliament will be back on the 21st. it is very important in a crisis like this that parliament is sitting so decisions can be properly scrutinised, so that the concerns of constituents can be put to relevant

ministers. that is why i am