this is bbc world news. the headlines... the british government says its working around the clock to get protective equipment to frontline health workers. it's facing sharp criticism over its dwindling supplies. parts of europe are starting to open up with lockdown restrictions relaxed in several nations including germany. and the number of people currently confirmed to have the coronavirus in italy has fallen for the first time. the price of american oil has plunged spectacularly to a record low — turning negative for the first time ever — as demand collapses because of the coronavirus. that's despite a landmark deal to cut production and boost the value. and the airline virgin australia has appointed administrators — another business victim of the pandemic. it's been refused a government bailout and has debts of more than $3 billion us.

you are watching bbc news — now let's recap on today's downing street briefing, led by the chancellor rishi sunak. he was joined by angela maclean, the government's deputy chief scientic adviser — and yvonne doyle who's the medical director of public health england. the chancellor spoke about the government scheme that began today to keep staff on the payroll, even if the pandemic means they can't work and he took questions both on business measures and on the continuing concerns surrounding the supply of personal protective equipment for front line medical workers. good evening from downing street where i am joined by professor let me start by addressing the issue uppermost in peoples minds. personal protective equipment, ppe. this is an international challenge, that many other countries are experiencing. alongside the efforts of british businesses, and our embassies around the world, we are working hard to get the ppe our front line nhs and social care staff need. we have appointed paul deighton,

formerly chief executive of the london 2012 olympics, to lead on our domestic efforts to make and increase the supply of ppe. and we are receiving shipments of ppe regularly from suppliers in the uk and abroad. we are working to resolve the turkish settlement as soon as possible following unexpected delays at the weekend. today we have unloaded a shipment of 140,000 gowns from myanmar. and we are of course continuing to pursue every possible option for ppe procurement. let me now turn to the economic situation. exactly one month ago today, i stood at this lectin and said we would step in and help to pay peoples wages. we promised the support would be available by the end of april. today we deliver our promise. hmrc opened at the coronavirus job retention scheme at 8am this

morning. as of 4pm this afternoon, over 140,000 firms have applied. and the grants they will receive will help pay the wages of more than a million people. 1 million people who come if they hadn't been furloughed, would have been at risk of losing theirjob. firms applying today should receive their cash in six working days. hmrc will continue to provide updates on the number of people furloughed. and let me put on record my thanks to the thousands of staff at hmrc and hmt, who have made this happen. people have come out of retirement put aside their normal duties and worked around the clock from their kitchen tables and spare rooms to get this new system up and running. this remarkable story of public service reminds us how many different people are playing a role in this crisis.

and i am very grateful to all of them for everything they have done. it is important to be clear why we have introduced the c] are schemes we have put in place to support the self—employed and businesses. we have never seen an economic crisis like this one. times like this demand that we put aside ideology and orthodoxy. times like this demand that the state returns to its most immediate purpose, the protection and support of its people. the goal of the new schemes we have developed is to maintain as many people as possible in their existing jobs. to support a viable business is to stay afloat, and to protect the incomes of the self—employed to allow them to trade again. to maintain in other words our economies productive capacity so that we can bridge through this crisis. that is what we have done

and the office for budget responsibility said last week that the situation would have been much worse if it hadn't been for our actions. but in everything we have done, even in our defence against the immediate crisis, we have also been sowing the seeds of our ultimate recovery. as we look ahead and start to plan for our recovery, it is critical we don'tjust maintain companies and jobs that already exist, but that we also encourage the businesses, jobs and technologies of the future. innovation and entrepreneurship have powered growth in our country for centuries and it is what will drive our growth as we recover from this crisis. to that end, earlier today i launched two initiatives to support the most innovative firms in the country. worth £1.25 million. first, we are launching a new future fund worth £500 million to make sure that

high—growth companies across the uk can continue to access the investment they need during this crisis. launching in may, the future fund, it will provide uk—based ea rly—stage companies with convertible between £125,000 and £5 million. our future fund will match investments made by private investors in early—stage businesses. 0n terms that protect of the uk taxpayer. second, alongside the new future fund, the business secretary has worked closely with innovative uk our national innovation agency to provide £750 million of grant and loan funding for tens of thousands of highly innovative firms. in every sector, every region, and every nation of the uk. he, like i, believe strongly in the role of innovation and enterprise in recovering our economy.

as i said last week, right now, the most important thing we can do for the health of our economy is to protect the health of our people. we must continue to slow the spread of the virus. to make sure fewer people need hospital treatment at any one time and to protect the nhs‘s ability to cope. today, the government's ongoing monitoring and testing programme reports 501,379 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out. including 19,316 tests carried out yesterday. 124,743 people have tested positive and an increase of 6476 cases since yesterday. 17,971 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus in the uk. and, sadly, of those who have been hospitalised, 16,509 have now died. an increase of 449

fatalities since yesterday. our thoughts are with the families and friends of all those who have lost their lives. as we look forward, towards the next stage in our battle against this disease, there are encouraging signs ahead that we are making progress. but before we consider it safe to adjust any of the current social distancing measures, we must be satisfied that we have met the five tests set out last week by the first secretary. those tests mean that the nhs can continue to cope, that the daily death rate falls sustainably and consistently, that the rate of infection is decreasing, that the operational challenges have been met, and, most importantly, that there is no risk of a second peak. so i want to thank each and every person across the uk who was following the government advice to stay at home, protect the nhs, and ultimately save lives.

thank you. let me know handover to angela before taking questions from the media. thank you. the first piece of data we have to look at this afternoon is about that issue of how people are staying at home. so what we see here is a record of how many people have been using different kinds of transport since the middle of march. what that shows is how people have responded to this call that all of us do need to stay home and, in particular, what we see is for all kinds of public transport, used now, it's down to less than 20% of what it was during february. indeed, rail and tube use is down 95%. so, for all those people who have stayed at home in order to protect the nhs and save lives, i think we can look at this graph and say pretty much everybody else is doing it as well. if i could have the next slide, please.

and that is reflected in these data about new uk cases running from the 21st of march to the 20th of april and what we see blue there is what are called pillar one, people who have been tested positive, mostly people in hospital, and then the orange on top is swab testing for key workers and their households. and the relief you get when you look at that picture is it stopped rising and is now pretty much stable and flat. next slide, please. and that is reflected in these data about people who are in hospital with covid—19. across the whole country, that also remain stable. but here in london, this is now the seventh day in a row that those numbers have fallen. so that means that the balance between people going into hospital because they have fallen ill and people

going home because they are well again and now is in the opposite direction, so there are fewer people each day in hospital with covid—19. we are looking forward to seeing that pattern replicated across other regions of the country. next slide, please. finally, we get to the slide comparing how many people have died in the uk in comparison with other countries. we have two different ways of keeping track of that here. we have the up—to—date data which goes right to yesterday and that's the uk but only counts deaths occurred at sadly for people who are in hospital and those are deaths by the date of registration and then further back on that slide you can see data from the uk for all settings and that data takes longer to put together and present, so that is why, on this slide, that data is only a shorter way to run. with that, i will finish so we can turn to questions. thank you, angela.

can we turn to hugh pym from the bbc. yes, thank you, i want to pick up on ppe. we are hearing of continuing concerns amongst some health and care workers about ppe. are you ashamed as a government that there are some nhs staff going into work who say they are worried about their safety because they fear their hospitals might run out of ppe? thank you. absolutely, everybody working incredibly hard on the front line deserves to have the equipment they need to do theirjob safely and we are working round the clock to make sure that we can deliver on that. 0bviously, 1 billion pieces of ppe have been delivered, 12 million yesterday, as you heard from me, we are improving our sourcing internationally and domestically to make sure we can get the ppe we need but it's a very challenging

international context. but people on the front line can rest assured we are doing absolutely everything we can to get the equipment that they need. i don't know if you want to add anything. yes, it is of concern and we want people who are working on the front line with patients at high risk to have what they need, and over this weekend, i know for instance 12 million pieces have been delivered to 141 trusts, and, as has been said, there is incredible work going on internationally in a very high burn rate situation, but also working to ensure that people use the guidance that is there in the most precautionary way, to make the very best use in a safe way of what is available, so a difficult situation undoubtedly, working very hard to make it better, and trying to make sure we deliver to where it is most needed. thank you. does that answer your question? a quick follow up on a business

issue, chancellor. some small businesses say they are finding difficulty accessing loans. are you considering extending the scheme and raising the government guarantees? thank you, for the question, so i think on this question of the guarantees, i'm not persuaded that moving to 100% guarantee is the right thing to do. i think if you take a step back and look at the sum total of everything we have done to support business, we have done a lot of direct cash support in cash grants going to businesses, obviously cut business rates for a large number of businesses, 1 million different businesses are benefiting, paying statutory sick pay, and of course other fellow scheme to help businesses. some people have made comparisons with what's going on in other countries. i think when you look at the totality of what we are doing, it is more significant in scope and scale than most other countries. and indeed, where they have used loan guarantees that are different to ours, they have done it

partly because they are not doing some of the other things we are doing for example a fellow scheme or the direct cash grants. but if people are asking the question would that help speed up delivery of the loans i'm sympathetic to that andi also want to see that. i'm pleased to tell you now the latest data i have is that 12,000 loans have now gone out to small businesses, that's more than double where it was a week ago, double where it was one week before, i think 35,000 or so applications are being made, the acceptance rate seems to be running at— 90%, so i think there are signs of progress there which i'm watching closely and also working with a british business banks to see if there are any other elements in the process we can streamline, simplify or strip out a bureaucracy. there's a couple of operational tweaks i won't bore you with we have made just recently which will also help, but rest assured i'm watching it very carefully to ensure credit gas to business that do need it.

can we go next to robert peston from itv. the 0ns seem to indicate today with its data that your deaths in hospitals are under reporting the totality of deaths from covid—19 by as much as 40%. do you think that is right, do you think when we get to the end of this, see the death rate, 40% or more higher than the numbers you have reported so far from hospitals? the governor of the bank of england does think 100% guarantees would significantly increase the volume of loans to small businesses, why do you disagree with him, chancellor? finally, the prime minister appears to be signalling from his convalescence we will be living with something close to the kind of lockdown we have got at the moment for many weeks and months, so can you confirm that? thanks, robert, let me

address those last two questions. what the governor of the bank of england was saying it is important to get credit flowing to companies, and there are different ways to do that. there is of course things we can do to make sure the speed of the loan programme is improved and that is what we have put in place. there is direct cash support we have done for businesses. what he also said whilst there is a fiscal cost to all of these things and it is important to be mindful of that. i think the scale of the intervention we have done fiscally, as i said, is more significant than any other developed country andi think we have done it in a targeted and effective way which will be most benefit to businesses. to your second question, we have been very clear, at this stage of the crisis we are absolutely focused on sticking to the guidance. we set out five tests last week to think about moving to the next stage.

we are not there yet. we should follow the guidance, stay at home to protect the nhs and anything else people might be speculating on is wrong. we are crystal clear on that message. 0n the data, would that be for you to handle? robert, undoubtedly the hospital data do not tell the whole story of total deaths. this week, as for last week, we will have a comprehensive view of that later in the week from the ons. i don't think a 40% is a correct figure, i cannot say that, but we do expect more. in looking at the pattern, nine out of ten deaths do occur in hospital. but i feel the burden of mortality outside hospital isn't evenly distributed around the country. it will mirror where there are more care homes and hospices. we will see an uneven pattern of that but we will know for sure later this week but the comprehensive number is.

thank you, robert. can we turn to beth rigby from sky? a question for professor doyle. some of the bodies representing medics are deeply concerned that public health england have downgraded ppe guidelines on friday based on the availability of equipment, rather than safety standards. do you acknowledge that nhs staff are potentially risking their own safety to look after patients? and just to the chancellor, you have put the furlough scheme in place untiljune, you now have some idea of take—up, can you give us an estimate of the cost and will you extend it further if necessary? thank you. we don't have an estimate of take—up yet, it is just the first day the scheme is open and i expect those numbers to increase over the coming days and i will provide regular updates.

the 0br set out costs last week and we did extend it last week, given where we are in the crisis and given where we are on the state of the economy, i thought it was the right decision to provide some long—term certainty for businesses and security for their employees. i cannot tell you now what the future will look like, we keep these things are under constant review and it will depend on the evolution how we move through this crisis and onto the next phase. on your specific question on ppe, i think in all cases we have taken advice and guidance that is in line with the who, the cdc and public health england. absolutely, chancellor. the guidance remains exactly the same. what has happened over the weekend is to cover people and give them some security in exceptional circumstances. advice has been produced,

jointly with the nhs on how to be safe in certain circumstances where supplies may be at risk. that is a precautionary set of advice, it is quite the opposite to putting people at risk because they are not enough supplies, it is trying to ensure people are well secured and safe when there may not be enough supplies. it stresses how important it is not to take risks and when it is not right to do certain things in practice with the ppe. it is important people understand what that that is actually saying and it is advice, the guidance has not been downgraded. is that clear, beth? yes, just a follow—up... medics have told me they feel the guidelines are based on availability of equipment, not on safety standards and they feel nervous. can you understand why some nhs nervous may feel, they go to work and haven't got the equipment, they cannot stay in that environment? i understand people's

anxieties on the front line. where they are in a very uncertain situation. but i stress again the advice has been put out precisely to give them some information in those kind of circumstances, what is the right and what is not the right thing to do. it is built entirely on the guidance that exist and it is consistent with what the who and the cdc say should be done in the circumstances. can we go to andy bell from channel five? just to follow up on that, if a worker in a care home or a doctor ora nurse in the nhs says, i am not prepared to go into my work because i am not satisfied i have the correct ppe that is appropriate, would you support their decision not to go in? in the circumstances, it is very difficult to give local advice ina local circumstances. but what we are clear with the guidance is, the

guidance tells you what to do and what is safe. it is very much based on people'sjudgment, the risk assessment is used in the situation they are in. people have to make a decision on whether they are in a risky situation or not. it is difficult to legislate for all of that from a distance here, but just to say the guidance is clear on what is safe and what is not safe to do. i have a follow—up. can i ask you, chancellor, as a representative of the government to answer the question as well. it is not necessarily the local advice, it is the principle. if somebody feels as though they have been put in that position, is it ok and would you support that? they should talk to their local managers who would be better to advise than i am the local circumstances. we have put in place, a hotline anyone can call to alert us to issues with ppe,

which has been well publicised and everyone on the front line should be aware of that. as i reiterated before, we are determined to do everything we can to support the nhs and social ca re workers on the front line to make sure they feel safe in doing the vitaljob they are doing. and we are doing absolutely everything we can to get them the equipment they need and they can rest assured we will work at night and day to do exactly that. thank you, andy bell. can we go to richard partington, the guardian? good evening and thank you very much. i want to ask about the economy here, chancellor. tony blair says he is terrified about the long—term economic consequences of the lockdown measures. do you share that concern? and reports over the weekend suggested the treasury analysis shows there will be more permanent damage to the economy than the 0br might.

do you think there will be a u—shaped recession if lock dao goes on longer than three weeks and what would you like to see with lot down being lifted? let me answer all three of those together. in terms of what do we need to see for the lockdown to be lifted, that has been clear and it is the five tests and i reiterated those. the most important one is the last one, we cannot have the risk of a second peak. it wouldn'tjust be bad for health outcomes, it would be bad for the economy. we have clearly not passed those tests yet. so we need to stick with the existing rules around social distancing. the 0br themselves said we are in a very uncertain place is to know exactly what will happen here. he would expect any responsible chancellor to make sure we have plans in place for a range of different scenarios. that is what we do and that is what i am doing.

what i am saying is, the important thing now is to put in place interventions that will help bridge through this difficult period to make sure the recovery, when it comes, is as strong as it possibly can be. an intervention like the following scheme on the job retention scheme, that is a million people otherwise might have been laid off, but are still attached to their employer ready to go back to work when we get through this. those are the kinds of things we are doing that will make a real difference and ensure our recovery is a strong as it possibly can be. hello there the highest temperatures we re hello there the highest temperatures were all and shelter away from the cool easterly wind so southern western wales and northwest england did well. they had temperatures in the warmest spots around 18 or 19 degrees, with these clear blue sunny skies with us pretty much nationwide as the extent of the day because ‘s sunshine. we had cloud affecting

northwest france bringing rain to parts of britney. as we go through the evening there is a chance we could see an odd shower creeping into the channel islands but otherwise it is a dry night and stays quite breezily so not desperately cold. temptress polity said overnight and some frost in the scottish valleys. cloud moves pretty quickly and some sunshine from dawn till dusk for the majority of us but again with the eastern winds travelling across the eastern sea. it is the eastern side of scotland in eastern england though not feeling bad and the sunshine. warmest letter will be further west again where we should see temperatures pushing into the low 20s with hotspots again across southern wells southwest midlands and northwest england and northern ireland. into wednesday high

pressure is still with us but we getting a little bit and pressure gradient is opening out and the winds will be blowing a little less strongly. it should be a warmer day for many of us and temperatures in western scotland reaching 18 or 19 celsius but in a number of areas in england and wales temperatures pushing on into the low 20s. it will feel warm and the sunshine and warm 01’ feel warm and the sunshine and warm or get in the lighter winds stop thursday looks like it is the warmest day of the week ahead and began a lot of sunshine and perhaps a few isolated nests or fog patches though not lasting very long at all. pushing 23 or 24 celsius and the wife's areas. heading into the weekend, generally things will cool offa weekend, generally things will cool off a little bit and an outside chance of a few showers moving in for some. that is the latest weather.

this is 0utside source on bbc news for viewers in the uk and around the world. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. signs of normality as a number of european countries, including germany, start opening up for business. the british government is forced on to the backfoot over concerns about the supply of protective equipment for hospital workers. we work in the nhs because we want to help patients, we want to treat patients. and we never expected we'd be putting our own health at risk by doing that. and in the us — oil prices have slumped to levels not seen since the mid—1980s.

welcome to outside source.