the government says we're not yet past the peak of the coronavirus emergency. the lockdown has held over the easter bank holiday, but deaths are expected to rise still further this week. this week, we're going to see a further increase. thereafter, we should see a plateau, as the effects of the social distancing come through. that plateau may last for some time and then begin to decrease. the death toll reported today stands at 717 — that doesn't include deaths in care homes or the community. one of the worst—hit countries in europe so far, spain, begins to gradually lift restrictions. how the lockdown here is hitting poorer communities the hardest. and how the current restrictions are proving good news for the natural world, at least.

and in sport on bbc news... tottenham reverse their decision to use the government's furlough scheme, and apologise for any concern caused during an anxious time. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the government says we're still not past the peak of the coronavirus emergency and the number of deaths is expected to increase further this week, before they may start to plateau. the government insists there are some positive signs form the latest data and the lockdown is working, but it's too soon to talk about when it may end, or how. 717 people are reported to have died across the uk from coronavirus

in hospital in the latest 24—hour period — a drop from yesterday — but that number doesn't include deaths in care homes or the community. it brings the total number of deaths in hospital to more than 11,000. the government has said it is reviewing whether people should generally wearface masks. the world health organization has acknowledged to the bbc the increasing concern in many countries that unless people wear masks more widely, they may be at greater risk from spreading the virus. our first report tonight is from our science editor, david shukman. the grief is personal, but the pain can touch millions. when anne mccook, from preston, died, her smiling face was shared around the world — a source of comfort to her daughter emma who, until the end, had been looking at research into her mother's chances. and on the left, it was how many

people had been admitted and at that point, she was on the left, she was in that figure, but then when she passed away on the tenth, she was on the right. she was one of the figures of death and... it's heartbreaking. because to everyone else, that's just a number, but that number was my mum. and... i don't think people are connecting numbers and graphs and figures to real living people, people that aren't going to come back from this. and emma is desperate, like so many who have lost loved ones, for people to follow the rules. over the holiday weekend, many usually popular spaces have been much quieter, but because of the impact of the lockdown on the economy, there are constant questions about when the measures will be relaxed. if we let up now, the virus will only take full advantage. it will spread faster and it will kill more people. if we refuse to give up to

it, if we keep up this incredible tea m it, if we keep up this incredible team effort, we will be this virus and we will come through this national test. in and we will come through this nationaltest. in spain, badly hit by the virus, there is a site relaxation of the rules. factories and construction sites are allowed to reopen. many worry it will lead to reopen. many worry it will lead toa to reopen. many worry it will lead to a resurgence of the disease. so to a resurgence of the disease. so to minimise the risk of the police are handing out masks. until now, the world health organization has not recommended this, but it is now recognising that wearing a masks is becoming more normal around the world. i think the who has become aware that in many countries, there is an increasing concern that unless people wear masks more widely, they may well be exposed to covid because of co nta ct may well be exposed to covid because of contact with people who don't know they have the disease. the british government view is that the best tennis massacre must be reserved for health workers on the front line —— the best masks. that

if everybody wants them, supplies will be even harder to find. but more and more countries, including the united states, believe that because people can have the virus without showing symptoms, they should cover their faces. without showing symptoms, they should cover theirfaces. is it possible that you would change your advice to the british public about wearing masks when they are out of doors? the evidence on masks is much more persuasive for masks stopping it giving it to somebody rather than preventing it catching it. we are continuing to look at new evidence as it emerges and if there is new evidence that looks like we should change our advice, we will do so. in thailand, even newborn babies are being given specially made face shields to protect them from the virus on the journey from the hospital to their homes. as the death toll rises here, there will be demands to assess every possible way of stopping more infections and more

grief. david shukman, bbc news. despite the government reassuring frontline health staff many times that there are sufficient stocks of personal protective equipment, there are still shortages. of personal protective equipment, the head of nhs providers in england has told the bbc the supply of gowns, for example, is hand—to—mouth at the moment. the government says it is straining every sinew to resolve the problem. hywel griffith reports. basic equipment that can save lives. millions of gowns, masks and gloves have been promised for use in this pandemic, but they still aren't getting to everyone who needs them. to put it politely, i think it's been a shambles. nick is a gp registrar at a hospital in the south—east of england, who says supplies regularly run out. you go onto a ward, you're about to see a coronavirus—positive patient, and then you end up not having... you know, if you have the mask, you don't have the goggles or the visor. if you have the visor,

you then don't have the gown. these are issues that, still, we continue to face, no matter how our government would like to believe and say otherwise. across the uk, frontline staff tell a similar story. at this hospital, near cardiff, one doctor reported nurses preparing for work with four visors between a0 of them. the local health board says they do now have enough ppe. doctors‘ leaders and health care unions have written to the welsh government to say their members fear for their safety. people need answers. we can't go on like this, as the death toll increases, as people see colleagues, friends of theirs, you know, loved ones dying, as a result of not having the appropriate type of armour that was needed for them to go out and fight this battle for us. the uk's four nations have agreed to work together on sourcing equipment. at this belfast hospital, they have ppe, but doctors in the city have threatened

to withdraw service because of a scarcity. in residential homes, there's real anxiety too. the head of scottish care says ppe makers have been prioritising orders from england, leaving their stocks low. i will never stand here during this outbreak and say these things are off the agenda because we've fixed them all. we will monitor that and keep on that on a day—to—day basis, such is the vital importance of it. daily deliveries of equipment have been pledged, as part of a round—the—clock effort. but some fear it may be too little, too late. hywel griffith, bbc news, cardiff. let's talk to our health, editor hugh pym. looking at the press conference and the graphs they were showing at last month was cited by the government is when we would hit the peak, but we are entering week four of the

lockdown, is this where we thought it would be? in some senses, yes, if you look at this graph of hospital patient numbers with covid—i9 around the uk. there is a flattening of the lines, london has flatten and the midlands, northeast and yorkshire and scotland and wales. we could be at the beginning of a peak which goes on for a little while, we really don't know how long. and it has to be said indications from the nhs are they are within capacity. they still have spare beds at this stage of the epidemic. the chief scientific adviser told us an hour ago we should prepare for an increase in the daily death toll this week. this grim tally of heartbreak. what should we prepare for? the daily total just above 700 rather understates the position because it is reported deaths, there may be delays with registration. sir patrick vallance said the number of deaths would carry on increasing

certainly this week so more bad news to come there, then he said those numbers were plateau for a little while before coming back down again. so all of this has to be assessed by ministers with their decisions on lockdown, and if it plateaus for a while, it may be difficult to do anything very quickly. and these are hospital figures, anything very quickly. and these are hospitalfigures, hospital deaths, they don't include deaths in the community and care homes are experiencing problems. we lent today 13.5% of care homes had had infections with coronavirus in recent weeks. thanks very much. in europe, the two worst—hit countries so far, spain and italy, are taking the first tentative steps towards easing lockdown restrictions. but the italian government has told the bbc some businesses will not be allowed to fully reopen until a vaccine is found. restaurants and bars face the most uncertainty. jean mackenzie is in rome. jean, many have already gone out of business since the lockdown began five weeks ago.

yes, and it has really been that uncertainty that has been unbearable for them. this was supposed to be the final day of the lockdown here but the government has extended it for another three weeks. only a very small number of shops are allowed to reopen. and when you look at the numbers, you can see why. the number of new infections today is down, but the number of daily debts is up, there were more than 500. so although things are still moving in the right direction, they are moving very slowly and the government doesn't want to take any risks. but that leaves some small businesses really with no way out of this. the tables are still set for meals that were never served. chiara built this place for the people of rome to meet, eat, and play music. crowd sings but it's been five weeks since every restaurant in italy was shut down and, as the lockdown drags on, she's preparing to close for good.

and this is the reality. when shops and businesses are reopened, it will be gradual, and the places where you can't keep your distance will be last. we can't have a concert, we can't have a cinema. what about bars and restaurants? now it's impossible to imagine that the restaurants can reopen. until the discovery of a vaccine, it's impossible to imagine that you can return to a normal life. in the meantime, the government is offering loans to keep them going. but these businesses are struggling to see their place in a socially distant future and fear that by the time they're allowed to reopen, the damage done will be so great,

it will be irreversible. this barge bar now resembles a ghost ship. another business on the edge. how busy does it get? it's good, the last year. yeah! now, nothing. and while this country waits to be reopened, its streets are silently being redrawn. the places which give it so much of its soul most at risk. jean mackenzie, bbc news. russia has reported its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases so far. the 2,500 new cases brings the total to 18,328.

in moscow, there are signs that the healthcare system is already under strain, with ambulances queuing outside hospitals over the weekend. and president putin has said the army may need to be called in to tackle the crisis. as the prime minister continues his recovery from coronavirus at his official country residence — chequers, in buckinghamshire — the parents of one of the nurses he singled out for particular praise have been speaking of their pride in their daughter. jenny mcgee is from new zealand. herfather her father said herfather said she had her father said she had treated the prime minister with the same care she would any patient. driven to the seclusion of his country residence, chequers, it's here that the prime minister will convalesce from coronavirus. borisjohnson says his illness could have gone either way and, in his first video statement since being discharged, said he owed his life to the nhs staff who had cared for him. i hope they won't mind if i mention in particular two nurses who stood by my bedside for 48 hours

when things could have gone either way. those nurses werejenny mcgee, who is originally from new zealand, and luis pitarma from portugal, who has lived in the uk for six years. miss mcgee's parents, who live on south island, said their daughter had described her experience as surreal. it makes us feel exceptionally proud, obviously, but she's told us these things over the years and it doesn't matter what patient she's looking after, this is what she does and ijust find it incredible. what jenny's doing is what our own nurses in new zealand are doing and nurses and doctors are doing around the world, they are doing their very very best for people who need their care and we just have to be so grateful for them. before leaving hospital, boris johnson testing negative for coronavirus, meaning he's cleared the infection, but what's not so clear is how long it's going to take him to fully recover. but it's probable that it's going to take him weeks, rather than days, before he's back

to work full—time. it's reported that mrjohnson‘s partner, carrie symonds, has joined him at chequers. she too had previously displayed symptoms of covid—19. the couple are expecting their first child in the next few weeks, meaning they may once again be thanking the nhs. sangita myska, bbc news. the lockdown has changed life for everyone. but the pandemic is having the harshest impact on the poorest communities. many people have lost theirjobs and are struggling to make ends meet — making life harder than ever. our social affairs correspondent michael buchanan reports from essex. clacton and the pier are synonymous. if clacton's doing well as a town, the pier is doing well. clacton pier sits eerie and desolate, a rare sight in its near 150—year history. it should be thriving, the easter weekend marking the start of the season. but almost every employee,

more than 80, has been furloughed. as many as 70 others probably won't get hired. a bitter blow to a fragile economy. for a lot of our staff that rely on, you know, easter and the summer months, you know, you get extra money, we are one of the most deprived areas of the country. and that is a very much a big challenge for us. it's notjust the pier, all tourist facilities in the area have been shut, further reducing employment opportunities. sean allen is grateful for any and all help. i'm going to go to go and get you some gas and electric and then i'll be back, 0k? ajob offer to work at a caravan park was withdrawn because of the pandemic. the single dad is struggling to care for his twin sons. one wasn't aware of how much electric they can use when they are home all the time. that's one of the things that's been disappearing very quick, ever since the tv in the living room has been on all day, every day. and that's why you need to top up? yeah, and not to mention the food parcels as well. like, just the one hot meal a day

they get at school is a big help. the salvation army says it seeing a record demand for help. in the last 11 days we've probably supplied food and utility top ups to about 100 or more households. so that's unprecedented for what we normally do, which is normally maybe four or five a week. ok, so this is a 15th floor studio apartment that i currently have been in temporary accommodation for two years in. there's me, my nine—month—old daughter and a seven—year—old. the reality of lockdown for a homeless family. trying to bake in there is a nightmare because if you've got the washing machine on and the cooker, itjust makes it twice as hot. hayley holmes lives in temporary accommodation in this converted office block with her two children. space in their bedsit is nonexistent and since the local park was closed, there is nowhere to roam

outside either. just to go for a wander round here, so everything is shut so you can't go past the ducks or anything. it is literally car parks or bus station. across the uk, an army of volunteers and charities have stepped up to help those most in need. but families are helping each other too. sometimes in surprising ways. this three—bed house was rented by natasha and her three children, just days before the lockdown mel and her two daughters moved in. bills and chores have been shared, friendships deepened. but when it's all over? we'll be glad. i will be so glad. yes. the thing is, i think as well in times like this is, our kids are so privileged nowadays that in times like this you have to show them the importance of the tiny little things in life. so the fact that we have the freedom to go and see ourfamilies and ourfriends, some people don't have that in the world. it's been a massive life lesson for me to try and teach my children about the importance of things in life. life is harder when life is limited.

this pandemic won't affect everyone equally. michael buchanan, bbc news, essex. the government has admitted that it was concerned that the warm weather this easter weekend would have tempted people out, breaking the current restrictions. but it looks as if the majority have stayed home as we enter week four of the lockdown. with an extension to it all but certain, how will people cope and how long can they keep it going? here's dan johnson. these are bank holiday postcards symbolic of a nation that largely stayed at home. our shared spaces were empty, our monuments stood silent. but closer to home, life goes on and the cupboards must be stocked. going home to do the washing up right now. in maidenhead, we met brian out this morning. how old are you, brian? iam 75. shouldn't you be at home? not necessarily, not if i've got shopping to get, which i have.

and my sister next door to me is 82, so i need to get shopping for her. i really miss having a hug with my family. as i live on my own and my family live a distance away, so not having that interaction. but thank goodness we've got social media, because it really helps. in the yorkshire dales, tourism relies on busy bank holidays but the message to keep away hasn't been entirely negative. normally, it's such a busy hotspot here, it's, you know, a very famous tourist destination is burnsall. so, yeah, it's nice to be quiet. things can look different though, stuck in a flat with three kids. after two months people have realised this is not romantic, spending time with family. it will become more serious. i'm very anxious for my children, how long will they not have proper learning? as much as you can do it at home

and as much as you try your best, this is not the same as going to school and being taught by professional teachers. easter traditionally marks the end of a period of forbearance and control, but not this year. were the measures imposed at the right time? that's one big question. but what people really want to know is how much longer will we be living like this? we find that almost half of british people are telling us that they are facing anxiety or depression as a result of the lockdown that we are currently in. and we also found that almost two in five of us are saying that we are sleeping less well. this was the meadows in edinburgh today. it will be some time, though, before we get back to how it looked a year ago. dan johnson, bbc news. 13 residents of a county durham care home have now died after displaying symptoms of coronavirus. managers at stanley park care home said they were "devastated" by the deaths. the first fatality was in late march

with the latest confirmed by the home operator care uk on monday. it has not been disclosed how many other residents at the 72—bed home are ill. the coronavirus pandemic has forced doctors to make difficult decisions about whether to continue treatment for some cancer patients. chemotherapy weakens the immune system potentially putting some more at risk from from covid—19. the clinical lead for cancer care in england admits there is a huge pressure on resources but says the nhs is finding new ways of delivering care for some. our health correspondent lauren moss reports. battling coronavirus is the biggest challenge the health service has ever faced. and while cases of covid—19 climb, routine care for many cancer patients has been affected. roisin has incurable breast cancer. but her chemotherapy has now been suspended for three months because it puts her more at risk

from the virus. it's terrifying, and then the fact that they've stopped the treatment that i know is what's keeping me alive, there's no doubt about that. to have that taken away from you is just, it's unbearable. how do we know it's only going to be 12 weeks? but for dan, treatment is continuing in an unusual way. he has a tumour in his stomach and his chemo pills are being sent through the post. you have one in the morning, one at night, very simple. so i don't have to brave it in the outside world. balancing the risk of continuing treatment or delaying it is a tough choice facing oncologists. i think it is difficult for the patients. especially those patients who have been well on treatment up to now. nobody knows how... whether we can continue to deliver treatments over this week, next week. the nhs advise that essential treatment should continue, whenever possible. cancer hubs have been set up

in manchester and london, matching patients with surgeons to carry out urgent procedures away from those with covid—19. that is our set goal, is to continue to offer urgent cancer surgery throughout this pandemic. and if we continue to operate in this way, keeping the hospital as a priority for cancer, then we should be able to achieve that. louise is one of the first to be operated on. she was having chemotherapy for breast cancer, but because of the coronavirus, doctors decided that in her case, surgery was safer. oh, i was relieved. because we were literallyjust waiting by the phone every day, hoping that someone would call to say that they could fit me in anywhere. just having something moving forward was... was important to me. for louise, dan and roisin, life is now on hold. they are among the most vulnerable and will spend months shielding at home to protect themselves. and while the nhs finds new ways of working to deliver care,

there is concern that others who may need support aren't seeking it. obviously, the coronavirus epidemic is putting huge pressure on nhs resources. we've certainly seen the numbers of referrals for suspected cancer for investigation go down quite sharply in the last few weeks. so if people are worried about themselves, they should still come forward. as the coronavirus pandemic tightens its grip on the uk, difficult decisions will continue to be made by doctors trying to make sure that no—one slips through the cracks. lauren moss, bbc news. severe storms and tornadoes in the southern united states have killed at least 19 people and caused widespread destruction. buildings were flattened and power lines brought down as the storms battered several states. millions live in areas with severe weather warnings, and emergency officials have told people to find safe shelter, while maintaining social distancing due to the coronavirus lockdown.

there are not many upsides to the current restrictions. but some of our native animals appear to be enjoying the quiet on the nation's roads. wildlife experts say that the dramatic drop in traffic as a result of the lockdown could help to pause the decline in species such as hedgehogs. our science correspondent victoria gill reports. while so many of us are stuck indoors, lockdown hasn't slowed down the flurry of springtime activity outside. and as urban areas fall quiet and more people put out food in their yards and gardens, wild animals are showing up in some very domestic settings. so could nature be making the most out of lockdown? it's a very strange time for all of us. it's a very strange time for all of us. how might different animals be adapting to it? places that were

quite noisy and busy and typically dominated by human activity, there is more space dominated by human activity, there is more space 110w dominated by human activity, there is more space now for animals and wildlife generally. so i think a lot of species will respond to that, particularly hedgehogs, we think. so it might be up to a fifth of the population killed annually on the roads. and if that is the case, if something like lockdown was much less traffic, it could have a real impact for hedgehogs. uk road traffic plummeted by almost three quarters in the first week of the stay—at—home order. while that might benefit some species, it could actually be bad news for scavengers like crows and buzzards. but conservationists point out that the other usually shy birds and mammals could be easier to spot. what sort of animals do you think people might see in urban environments? if you do go out exercising and you're on your own, then it's quite quiet which means you're likely to come across things you've not seen before.

if it is part of your daily exercise on that time that you are allowed to go out, that's great. i've had people reporting they've seen stoats for the very first time whilst they been out on runs because it's been very quiet. animals such as foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, animals that are usually quite sensitive to disturbance. things like deer, we might say. here's my little foxy loxy. many people are sharing wildlife encounters on social media and conservation organisations like the people's trust for endangered species and the rspb asking people to spend some of their lockdown time on surveys that could help them study native wildlife. so just a view out of a window could help us stay connected with the natural world at a time when our own worlds have become so much smaller. victoria gill, bbc news. that's all from the bbc news at six, so it's goodbye from me, and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc‘s

news teams where you are.