no timeframe for schools in england to reopen as the government says it's too early to set a date. key tests need to be met first — including avoiding a second infection peak — and children are told there are no plans to keep them in school over the summer. i know that you will be missing yourfriends, your teachers, your lessons, and i want you to know that you are such an important part of this fight too. it comes as the uk hospital death toll passes 16,000, and as healthcare staff call for more equipment to protect them against coronavirus. also tonight... how blood from covid—19 survivors could be used in a new treatment for those infected. helping hands amid the lockdown — the essex community where many elderly residents have

no family nearby. # to get my fair share of abuse... and from the homes of the stars, the concert in celebration of healthcare workers everywhere. good evening. the education secretary, gavin williamson, has declined to give a date for reopening schools in england, denying reports that the government hoped to send children back to class within a few weeks. he insisted the government's tests would need to be met before pupils could return to school as part of any easing of coronavirus restrictions. the latest official figures for the uk show there were 596 deaths reported in hospitals in the last 24—hour

period. that takes the overall number who've died in hospitals to 16,060. today the government was again under pressure over the supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare staff — particularly the gowns used in intensive care. a delivery from turkey that was due to arrive here today is now expected tomorrow. here's our health editor hugh pym. a vital consignment of masks and other personal protective equipment arrives from china at prestwick airport near glasgow this weekend. it's ready for distribution to health and care workers around scotland, at a time when the kit known as ppe is in short supply in different parts of the uk. some hospitals in england have warned they're down to their last few days of supplies of the gowns used in intensive care. a plane—load of equipment due in from turkey did not arrive as expected today. shortages of ppe have been reported by frontline staff for several weeks now.

i raised the issue at the downing street media briefing. can you comment on reports today that stocks of ppe were allowed to run down in the couple of years before the pandemic, and why was more not done to get hold of more ppe in march and early february, including using british companies? it is important to remember that, although there may be elements of distribution problems across the uk at different times and in different places, this is a huge pull on services which we have never seen before. and we have managed, actually, despite signalling many potential shortfalls, to continue to supply, going forward. ministers said they were doing everything they could to bring in ppe from across the globe, but labour said more should be done to find supplies in the uk. every mp's inbox, certainly mine, is awash with small firms across the country saying they have

tried to help the government with ppe, they have tried to tell the government they can manufacture ppe, and they've hit a brick wall — they don't get anything back from them whatsoever. stephen was a community mental health nurse who had worked for the nhs for 30 years. he died with coronavirus last weekend. other members of the family were infected. his daughter made this plea to the public. please stay at home while you can. my dad couldn't, and he lost his life. so, if you can, i know it's horrible, no one wants to be stuck at home 24 hours nearly every day, but it is what we need to do right now, and if it saves one life by staying in the house, then it's absolutely worth it. with social distancing in force and empty streets, speculation and debate about when the lockdown will be eased intensifies. there have been reports today that some schools might reopen in the middle of may.

i want nothing more than to see schools back. get them back to normal, make sure that children are sat around, learning and experiencing the joy of being at school. but i can't give you a date. and, at the new, temporary nightingale hospital in london's docklands, their first patient to be successfully treated for covid—i9 was moved to another hospital to continue his recovery. there was applause from the staff, who volunteered to move to work there. hugh pym, bbc news. in normal times children would be about to go back to school at the end of the easter holidays, but now the emphasis is on online content and trying to make sure of provision for disadvantaged children — and those without access to technology. 0ur education editor, bra nwen jeffreys, reports from staffordshire. the streets in stoke are empty, the schools in england are closed, but for how much longer?

carl ward runs four schools and a college. he doesn't expect to reopen them soon. and when they do, it won't be back to normal. i think we are going to be part—time. there is certainly not going to be a moment where all children come back to school together. we are going to have to take into account the health and safety of staff. that's going to be really important. as we look after children. social distancing will have to be considered. there will have to be plans going into that, as schools have done so far with quite a few less students than they have been used to. ministers know parents have to be convinced their children will be safe coming back to school. and teachers confident that they wouldn't be risking their lives by coming to work. that's going to take weeks and weeks of planning, to come up with a strategy that everyone can trust. for parents, it is challenging, with the worry kids

are missing out on learning. i think we've got to put the safety of the students and the safety of the teachers and other staff that are working in schools first. it will be very difficult to space the children out. i mean, children don't space themselves out, they are together, really. yeah. teachers also say it's important for everyone schools are safe. we aren'tjust worried about teachers and other staff in school. we are worried about the children and their families. children will be going home from schools to households with vulnerable adults and other vulnerable children in them. if you select on it and open up the document... weeks ago, schools got ready to move online. some are lending laptops to poorer pupils. now the government is promising to do the same. it's a little bit funny, isn't it? it's the beginning of the summerterm... a new online school is launching, backed by some big academy schools in england. but this new digital world

of learning risks leaving some of the poorest kids falling even further behind. bra nwen jeffreys, bbc news, staffordshire. 0ur health editor hugh pym joins me now. we had another milestone pass today in terms of the number of people who have died with covid—i9 in hospitals. what do you make of the latest figures? michelle, shocking though it may seem, the latest daily reported death toll was below 600. if you think it was nearly 1000 ten days ago then things seem to have moved in a different direction and the downing street media briefing said today it was a relatively positive trend. these are of course hospital deaths and they don't include deaths in the community which are published in separate figures. in terms of patients in hospital with covid—19, there were more figures published today at the briefing and we can have a look now

at the way things look on that particular chart. you can see that in london the numbers have come down quite sharply. london was where the caseload first started to pick up a few weeks back. but in the north west case numbers have spiked up. in scotla nd west case numbers have spiked up. in scotland and wales they are relatively flat, plateauing, and that was the word used in the briefing. it is worth remembering as well that we were told a few weeks back that the peak in terms of demand on the nhs was expected in this particular week. there has been some spare capacity and the nhs has coped reasonably well, although under a lot of pressure. that said, the deputy chief medical officer for england, jenny harries, made clear that if social distancing is not properly observed there could be a second peak, which they want to avoid. hugh pym, thank you very much. 0n avoid. hugh pym, thank you very much. on that note on the politics and policy of all of this we can join vicki young in westminster. how are ministers dealing with the

question of heck when and how restrictions can be eased to? there has been speculation, particularly with schools, but there was no a nswer with schools, but there was no answer as to when schools might be reopened. minister sticking to the script that it is still too early to talk about this. they are sticking to the stay at home message and they wa nt to the stay at home message and they want more scientific data. it was fascinating listening to michael gove today who said the uk was taking a deliberately cautious approach. while other countries are starting to move, it sounds like ministers here will watch and see what the impact is. there is real concern, including from the prime minister, about a second wave of infections and of course a second peak of deaths. an extra review into the lockdown measures is not until may seven and we may not hear much detail before then, even though some cabinet ministers are pushing for more to be said in public to explain to people what might come next. i think when the time does come we should expect really gradual modifications of the rules in some

areas rather than an overnight return to life as normal. vicki young, chief political correspondent, thank you. elderly people and those with existing health conditions are among those most vulnerable to the coronavirus — and some are isolating without having relatives nearby to help out. in holland—on—sea, in north—east essex, michael buchanan's been to see how one community is coping. they're neighbours and friends. they're healthy and active. but they're lonely. and they're bored. i know i'm 88, but, i mean, i can getaround. and i've got clubs and little bingos and i go out a lot, so i'm missing a lot, really. pauline greenhalgh hasn't ventured beyond her front door in the last three weeks. are you scared for yourself? iam, because, you know, i don't feel i can even go to the doctors. i've got this pain in my ear and, i mean, i've had pneumonia twice in a year, so i think i might be a bit vulnerable.

the residents on this close, in all 18 houses, are elderly and self—isolating. like other pensioners in the area, many moved here from elsewhere, so, their families, children, grandchildren, even great grandchildren often live far away. well, i need a lot of help, because i'm on my own. and i lost my husband, so i've got no—one to help me. and i've got family, but they live in london. but i have got some friends around, but then they're in the same position as me. local charity tendring eldercare has become a lifeline to the close, and indeed the wider area. its day centre transformed into a food distribution point. this is my office and this is where i've been sleeping for the past couple of weeks. the chairman, 28—year—old edward bell, has taken to sleeping here, even spending his own money to ensure people receive help. very young guy involved in this. what's the motivation for you?

well, i've always absolutely adored the older generation. i had a lot of elderly great uncles and my grandparents meant the absolute world. and to see clients that we see, it brings it all back to me, because sadly they've all passed, so it's important that we help them, because they can't help themselves. this food parcel, the third the charity has delivered to the close in two days, is for 83—year—old ron kant. his bowls games have been cancelled. he doesn't use the internet, so he's trying to create his own entertainment. boring. boring, to be honest with you. i go into the garden and mess about in the garden and do two or three things to keep me occupied. and how can i say it, i've got a shoot, what i do, with guns and things like that, pellet guns, and i put the box outside in the garden and have a practice out there, so... he laughs.

practice with pellet guns? i've been in the army, so... the area is known locally as god's waiting ground. almost 40% of the population is over 65, one of the highest proportions in europe. many of the people on the close have lost their husbands or wives, but for one resident, the lockdown has led to her partner moving in. since this started, i said, "you can either stay in your home alone for a few months or you can stay here." and he stayed here. how are you getting on? lovely! you know, we help each other. we've got things in the garden he can do that i couldn't do — i can't lift. a kind word, a friendly wave, and a gracious gesture are all helping the close to cope. but like us all, the residents want their freedom back. just because you've lived your life doesn't mean you don't have a life to live. michael buchanan, bbc news, holland—on—sea in essex. businesses can apply from tomorrow for a grant to help

pay the wages of workers who are being furloughed — or placed on a temporary leave of absence. the government will fund 80% of wages, up to £2,500 a month, to help prevent people being laid off, and the money is expected to be received within a week. but businesses say the scheme, likely to cost tens of billions of pounds, should go on as long as necessary to prevent future redundances. here's our business correspondent katy austin. this cafe in shrewsbury is closed for now. instead of being laid off, its employees have been put on furlough while they can't work. we just weren't sure if we would be coming back to a job, and then when that was announced, it obviously hopefully means that we can all get back to normality as soon as possible. livvy‘s boss owns three cafes in all. we employ 22 people. the chance to claim back his furloughed staff's wages from government can't come soon enough. we desperately need that money as soon as it can come through, because we've been paying out from our own savings,

that's taken us into the red, and obviously we need to try and recover that money. thejob retention scheme has been extended by a month until the end ofjune, but business—as—usual is still a long way off. key cutting and shoe repair chain timpson's first furlough claim will be for nearly £7 million. predicting low sales when the shutdown ends, its boss thinks tapered support should continue, so furlough doesn't turn into redundancies in a few months' time. i won't be opening up every shop on day one. a month after that, maybe it should go down — instead of the government paying 80%, it could be 50% and employers make up the rest, because if we don't have this runway of support, i really fear that businesses will lay off people in their millions. thejob retention scheme was announced on 20th march, and tomorrow is the first opportunity for firms to make their wage funding claims online. there will be anger from some who are not eligible to be furloughed, but feel they should be. however, take—up is expected to be huge, with the scheme costing

the government tens of billions of pounds in total. because one estimate says two thirds of uk firms will use it, including big employers like airlines and high street retailers. 0ne hr expert says firms should only claim taxpayer funds if they can't afford any other options. it's almost impossible to put in all the checks and balances — there aren't the resources, it would delay payments and other things — so we have to trust that businesses are doing the right thing. businesses have got to weigh up the financial, legal and ethical considerations. the chancellor has said he will keep reviewing the scheme so it supports the country's economic recovery. katy austin, bbc news. the virus has now touched nearly every part of the world — and there's particular concern about how countries with under—resourced health systems

and large populations will cope

tomorrow because of the economic distress that the shutdown is causing. doctors have told me they believe the measures have reduced the burden on hospitals to some extent but they also say they can't really assess the scale of the outbreak in the country because it's not testing enough, largely due to a shortage of testing kits. south africa has played a bit of a blinder so far, managing to hold down the rate of infection, just 54 deaths in total confirmed so far. like many other governments around the continent, people are trying to act early and aggressively against the virus but there is still a

feeling here that the moment of reckoning is coming soon, perhaps in the next few weeks, and there is a real concern that the fragile health systems in many poorer countries will be overwhelmed. i think the bigger concern right now is economic, the feeling that hundreds of millions of livelihoods are already being directly threatened. so there is a real fear here of hunger, hardship and possibly even of unrest. doctors in latin america warning that without widespread testing, the official figures could massively underestimate the true problem here. meanwhile, here in brazil, the worst affected country, president jair bolsonaro continues to downplay the severity of covid—19, and he has in the past called it the sniffles. last week he fired his health minister essentially because he disagreed over the importance of social distancing. he wants brazil to get back to work because of the economy but brazilians are increasingly angry with how he has

handled this crisis, a crisis that could see the collapse of the health system at the end of this month. katie watson, thank you. four of our correspondence, andrew harding in south africa, yogita limaye in india and rupert wingfield—hayes injapan. the bbc has learned of plans for a possible treatment for covid—19 that involves using the blood of those who have survived the illness. nhs blood and transplant has started approaching people who have recovered from the virus, asking them to donate blood for a trial of convalescent plasma therapy. the hope is that antibodies in that blood will help combat the virus in others. 0ur science correspondent rebecca morelle has more. it isa it is a race to save lives. in the hunt for new treatments, blood may hold the key. nhs blood and transplants have hold the key. nhs blood and tra nspla nts have started hold the key. nhs blood and transplants have started approaching people who have recovered from covid—19. their blood contains antibodies, which are produced by the immune system and destroy the virus.

the hope is to start a clinical trial to see if these antibodies can help patients who are currently ill. scientists have welcomed the move, but say the uk has been too slow. in terms of the uk, i think there are many aspects of this pandemic we will look back on and say, i wonder why we didn't move a little bit faster. my hope would be that, within two weeks, we would see the first patients in the uk treated with convalescent plasma, having jumped over the various hurdles that need to be jumped in order to clear the path to do this. the technology for this treatment is straightforward. someone who's had coronavirus needs to have fully recovered. their blood is then collected and the red blood cells are removed. what's left behind is called plasma, and this contains the antibodies they've built up while fighting the virus. this is then given to someone who has covid—19. the hope is that the donor's antibodies could help the patient

to attack the virus. 0ne person's plasma can be given to up to three other people. in the united states, doctors have been collecting plasma. in just three weeks, a nationwide project has been organised, involving 1,500 hospitals, and more than 600 patients have now been treated. it's very early days, but doctors say they are not seeing any safety issues, and some patients seem to be responding. we are going to learn more about what's in the plasma, the components, the antibody levels and other factors that are there as the weeks go on but sometimes, as a physician, you just have to try and take a shot on goal when you have a shot. plasma therapy isn't new. it was used more than 100 years ago to treat spanish flu, and more recently for ebola and sars, but it relies on people offering to donate. in new york though, which has been the epicentre of the pandemic in the states, there's no shortage of volunteers.

people have been amazingly keen, coming out in droves. we've had hundreds and hundreds of donors, and we've been able to collect over 1,000 units already. it's really heart—warming to see the people who have gone through the infection in various degrees and now their main concern is, how can i now help others? plasma therapy won't be a magic bullet, and scientists still need to assess how effective it is. but, with no current treatments for covid—19, this could help until a vaccine is found. rebecca morelle, bbc news. some of the biggest names in music have joined forces in a globally televised concert, to celebrate healthcare workers. lady gaga, sir paul mccartney and billie eilish were among those who performed from their homes, while the rolling stones managed to play from four separate locations. 0ur entertainment correspondent, colin paterson, was watching. # well, i saw her today at the reception # a glass of wine in her hand...#

one world: together at home has already been dubbed the living room live aid. the rolling stones filmed their parts individually on mobile phones. # was a footloose man # so i went down to the demonstration...# charlie watts clearly didn't have a proper drum kit to hand. # who finds the money... there was a beatle via broadband, sir paul mccartney. let's tell our leaders that we need them to strengthen the health systems all around the world so that a crisis like this never happens again. # i'm still standing better than i ever did. ..# and sir eltonjohn's piano had been wheeled into the garden. # smile though your heart is breaking # smile even though it's aching...#

the event was curated by lady gaga, who opened the show with a charlie chaplin classic. # you'll get by...# # i know delusion when i see it in the mirror...# while taylor swift showed off some very natty wallpaper. hello and welcome to the show. the uk version was shown on bbc one this evening. for an event encouraging people to stay at home, many on social media questioned the decision to have three presenters in the studio. # you've got to laugh a little # cry a little...# the extra british performers included sir tom jones. # your touch alone is enough to knock me off my feet...# and little mix, who chose a song with a title that no one should obey — touch. calling it the wi—fi woodstock may

be a bit of a stretch, but there won't be many more occasions when a beatle and the stones appear on the same bill. colin paterson, bbc news, his living room. there's more throughout the evening on the bbc news channel. now on bbc one it's time for the news where you are. hello, your sports news. in italy, players and coaching staff at as roma have agreed to go without their salary forfour months roma have agreed to go without their salary for four months to help the clu b salary for four months to help the club through the financial crisis caused by coronavirus. in a statement, roma said the players would forego their wages they were due to receive between march and the scheduled end of the season injune, and players will top up the wages of the club employees placed on the

italian government's social safety net scheme to ensure they receive their regular monthly income. there are fears over the long—term impact of covid—19 in women's football. the world players union, fifa, warns that investment in the women's game may install, but england and manchester city's jill scott has told us she believes there is still months to be positive about. she has been speaking to jane dougal about the sport and also showing off some unique talents. i decided i need to up my unique talents. i decided i need to up my game. planck carozza footballers have been entertaining and themselves while on lockdown jill scott's manchester city have not had a match since february but it's understood that, when saved, the fa is considering completing the women's super league system at st george's park over the course of just six weeks. if its a lot of games ina just six weeks. if its a lot of games in a week, i only need to days

rest now. if that's the right thing to do, first and foremost, everybody‘s safety, stopping this cruel disease is the main focus point. as long as it is safe and good to go, i am sure would welcome that. england were scheduled to host the women's euros with the final at wembley in 2021. with the postponed 0lympics expected to take place next summerand 0lympics expected to take place next summer and cements euros, that now seems unlikely. the world players union is concerned the postponement of leagues and major tournaments because of the pandemic that heavily impact on the women's game. custom, it's a worrying time for everybody and at the same time we have to try and at the same time we have to try and focus on the positives. we know the olympics is being moved and that could look like an exciting thing for the women's game. so hopefully we can get through it. we need to

pull together and we'll have to see what damage has been done. the midfield is developing new skills. her mother works at sunderland hospital, inspiringjill to her mother works at sunderland hospital, inspiring jill to write a poem about the crisis. nhs workers, give them the help they deserve. running on empty, nothing in reserve. they are our heroes and we should not wait to recognise their great work and really appreciate. should not wait to recognise their great work and really appreciatem perhaps a career to fall back on when she retires from football. next, to the us, were the only woman who is the head coach of a men's basketball college team is relishing her new role at virginia minnesota. she played in the wnba for seven different teams between 2002—2007, she's been telling us that her wealth of experience gives her a great chance to succeed. they know that i have been through all the steps that they want to go,