the government announces it's exceeded its target of 100,000 daily tests for coronavirus. its aim, to hit that number across the uk by yesterday. the health secretary said testing was crucial to tackling the outbreak. it helps remove the worry, it helps keep people safe, and it will help us to unlock the lockdown. but thousands of those tests have been delivered to people in their own homes this week. also this evening: the risk of death from coronavirus is twice as likely if you're from a poorer urban area, say new official figures. why are children apparently so much less affected by covid—19, and might they still spread the disease?

it's covid positive. a day in the life of a paramedic — the first responder to any seriously ill coronavirus patient. the uk's new land army — the britons stepping in to pick crops as coronavirus cuts off the usual european workforce. and yet another empty stadium — but rugby league is to receive a multi—million pound loan from government to help it through the crisis. and coming up on bbc news, premier league clubs hold a meeting to discuss possible steps towards resuming the season when it is safe to do so.

good evening. the health secretary has announced that the government has reached its goal of carrying out 100,000 tests per day for coronavirus — a target that it set itself for the end of april. matt hancock said that yesterday 122,347 tests were conducted — that figure does include home test kits which were dispatched to people this week. mr hancock said the government would now move to increase contact tracing — that's tracking everyone who comes into contact with a person who tests positive, so that they can self—isolate. some front line medical staff have said they are still struggling to get access to tests, prompting questions over whether testing should be more targeted. critics have described the testing target as a distraction. 739 people have died in the uk in the past 2a hours — that's those who have tested positive for coronavirus and died in hospitals, care homes and the community. the total number of uk deaths is now 27,510.

our health editor hugh pym reports. a very quiet stansted airport, especially for a friday, but there was activity in a car park, with virus testing continuing. 0ne was activity in a car park, with virus testing continuing. one of the drive—through centres set up in the last month to greatly expand capacity, with an overall target of 100,000 tests per day by this week. how do you intend to further develop and expand the testing network as pa rt and expand the testing network as part of moves to combat the virus? by part of moves to combat the virus? by testing, you can help to treat patients better. we have always been testing patients. it will help get people back to work, and there has been a big expansion of the eligibility to get a test to get back to work. and also for surveys, and very soon we should get the first results of the surveys that are out in the field at the moment. the scottish government says testing capacity, which is included in the overall total announced today, is

set to rise from just over 8000 to 12,000 per day in a few weeks‘ time. this mobile unit in elgin, staffed by military personnel, opened today. the daily uk total includes home testing kits sent to people who book them online but not actually completed. government sources argue it is the only way they can be counted as it is harder to track them when swabs are sent back to the labs. there is confusion about some aspects of of the new system. the owner of this care home in cumbria said he letter telling him only to book home testing kits the labs. there is confusion about some aspects of the new system. the owner of this care home in cumbria said he was sent a letter telling him only to book home testing residents and staff had symptoms, where as days before the government had said tests could be booked online regardless of whether they were symptomatic. it's terrible really have are being treated as throwaway, they are no longer productive, it‘s an awful shame. one nurse told they are not

that important. it‘s an awful shame. 0ne nurse told us there centre. after two hours sitting waiting, nhs priority system, and she was stuck ina long priority system, and she was stuck in a long queue at the drive—in centre. after two hours sitting waiting, came and centre had run out of tests and we should go home and try again tomorrow. i think, for me, the frustrating thing was that i had access to the test that the centre had run out of tests and we should go home and try again tomorrow.|j think, for me, the frustrating thing was that i had accessed the test as phone or e—mail people whom the patient has met recently. the government said it is recruiting 18,000 staff to do this. an app will also be used to do this, alerting someone also be used to do this, alerting someone if someone they have been with has tested positive. they are then told to self—isolate and report any symptoms. make sure we involve local public health and local authorities in doing this, not with an app but using people to contact

people in order to put that system into place. that will be utterly crucial in trying to control the virus going forward. there were more thanks to the nhs today. in edinburgh, they painted the postboxes blew as a key worker. testing is one thing, but slowing any future spread of the virus will depend on tracing recent contact of anyone who has tested positive. public health officials will phone or e—mail people whom the patient has met recently. the government said it is recruiting 18,000 staff to do this. an app will also be used to do this. an app will also be used to do this. an app will also be used to do this, alerting someone if someone to do this, alerting someone if someone they have been with has tested positive. they are then told to self—isolate and report any symptoms. make sure we involve local public health and local authorities in doing this, not with an app but using people to contact people in order to put that system into place. that will be utterly crucial in trying to control the virus going forward. there were more thanks to the nhs today. in edinburgh, they painted the postboxes blue people postboxes blue living in more deprived areas of england and wales are more than twice as likely to die if they become infected with coronavirus than those living in more affluent areas. that‘s according to the office for national statistics. 0ur social affairs correspondent michael buchanan is with me now. delete my corner of the work done by front line staff. hugh pym, we went into this pandemic with falling life expectancy in some of the poorer

areas .this graph shows that on the right—hand side, that is the poorer areas, and they have had the most deaths, with the richer areas on the left. if we now add in deaths that are covid—19 related, you can see the difference. people in poorer communities are dying disproportionately. we think of london, it has seen the highest levels of death but the city has not suffered equally. all deaths in an area like tower hamlets, which is quite poor, are about 1.5 times higher than they are in a richer area like bromley. if you add in covid related deaths, they are 2.5 times higher, which gives an indication of what is going on. public health officials will want to examine the data closely but they will be looking at certain things such as underlying health conditions — cardiovascular disease and obesity, which i was in poorer areas. they will look at how close together people are living, levels of overcrowding. and they will look

to see if people in poorer areas find it harder to work from home. it seems we went into this crisis unequally and we will exit it on equally as well. michael, many thanks. —— unequal. the victims of covid—19 have overwhelmingly been people who are elderly. so far, it seems that children are generally spared the worst effects of the disease. scientists are trying to work out why this is, and whether children can spread the virus even if they don‘t have any symptoms. 0ur science editor david shukman has more. a mystery about the virus is the role of children. a small number suffer, some have lost their lives, but the vast majority aren‘t affected. so, how easily can they spread it to others? to try to find out, 3500 children are being tested ina out, 3500 children are being tested in a project led by the university of oxford. we know not many children are being admitted to hospital are becoming unwell with this illness,

which is fantastic, but it‘s important to understand how many children are getting the infection, albeit in a mild form, because they may potentially be transmitting it to others and be a source of spread within the community. so far, there‘s been very little research into this. one of the largest studies, of 2000 infected children in china, found 51% had mild symptoms. 39% were moderate, and just over 4% had no symptoms at all. in iceland, a different kind of study found that, of 8118 children under the age of ten, none of them had any sign of infection. so, what does this confusing research mean for schools? in denmark, where they have reopened, the children are kept apart in classes. but once outside, they of course crowd together. the risk to them might be low, but it is greater for the teachers. when we

think about opening schools and having large gatherings of kids, although we don‘t know how well and how fast this virus might spread in the group, we do know that the adults working with these kids, the teachers, administrators, are more susceptible to this severe covid—19. when it comes to reopening schools, there are no easy options. hours can perhaps be staggered, class size is kept smaller, but the central question remains, how easily do children spread the disease, especially if they are not showing any symptoms? and scientist, for the moment, do not have the answer. time and again, you will hear our political leadership saying we are guided by best evidence. there has to be an understanding that sometimes that evidence, even though it is the best, is pretty thin. despite that, switzerland reckons it is safe for under tens to hug their

grandparents. many scientists disagree, warning that with this new virus, there is still so much we don‘t know. david sugarman, bbc news. fertility clinics can apply to reopen from the 11th of may if they ensure the safety and protection of all staff and patients. there‘ve been tributes paid to two members of the yorkshire ambulance service who‘ve died after contracting coronavirus. the role of paramedics has become increasingly dangerous in recent months — they‘re the first point of contact for patients that have become seriously ill with the disease. 0ur correspondent emma vardy has spent a day with paramedics in northern ireland, where many are now living in hotels to keep their families safe. covid positive. in the battle against the virus, these are the emergency responders when symptoms become too much.

they never know quite what they are heading towards and saving lives now carries its own risk. the first call is to a care home. it is a rush to put on protective equipment when every second counts. we know it is a 93—year—old male who has taken unwell. he is covid positive. that is really, unfortunately, all we know right now until we go in. every day, paramedics have to make difficult decisions about who they take to hospital. this time, the patient remains at the home. he is nine days positive. with dementia, it is hard, as well. because they don‘t understand. what is covid to a 93—year—old? paramedics now carry a heavier burden than ever. because of the pandemic, they are often the last people families see when loved ones are taken away. a sad situation. no matter what you go into hospital with, you are going in on your own. it may be covid, it may be

a heart attack, a stroke, may be an accident. you are going in on your own. in northern ireland alone, the ambulance service is receiving up to 300 covid related calls each day. your chest and your breathing. yes. your heart might be going a wee bit faster. than normal. a lady with covid symptoms, managing at home. just felt this morning may be a wee bit short of breath. while our health services attempt to weather the storm of coronavirus, other hazards in life continue. we are going to a 25—year—old rtc down a ditch. it makes it a wee bit different. you are actually happy to see a different type of call, compared to... bear with me, we are around here somewhere. here we go, we are right on it.

wow. i was slamming on the horn and shouting and nobody can hear me. darling, you are very lucky to have got out. she somehow managed to crawl out through the front windscreen and got herself to the verge. she is very settled, honestly she is. normally, family would travel in the ambulance. but, despite the ordeal, they must go home. unfortunately, you cannot go to the hospital. it is hard. i appreciate it is hard. 0k? listen, take care, all right? her phone is in that car, so even she is anxious. she is down here on her own. being strapped up, it gets scary. the virus is an ever present fear. 27 front line ambulance staff

in northern ireland have tested positive for coronavirus and hundreds more of work with suspected cases across the uk. i think they are absolutely amazing. i do not know how they do it. especially now more than ever, putting their own health at risk and theirfamily‘s putting their own health at risk and their family‘s health at risk. for today, the paramedics‘ work is over. it is draining, a 12—hour shift. what is striking is the personal sacrifices many are making to keep going. to protect her family, tina has moved into a hotel. i miss my daughter. and i miss my parents who live across the street. i miss home. yeah. the government has scrapped vat on purchases of personal protective equipment for the next three months in a bid to help care homes, charities and businesses which rely on it.

but buying and sourcing ppe still remains a huge challenge, with some companies paying thousands of pounds for orders that never arrive. 0ur north of england correspondent judith moritz has more. we go and we do all personal care, meal preparation, medication. we go in to everybody and treat everybody as an individual. every day, vulnerable people depend on tracy and home carers like her. their visits are vital, giving care in the community, but the risk of covid—19 is high, so she has to wear ppe. us going in protecting ourselves is one thing, but we need to protect our clients. it‘s their lives we are protecting, so we need to be geared up and prepared to protect them. but this is where tracy gets her ppe, and the stocks are running perilously low. the agency which employs her has almost run out. these are the surgical masks, so we've got 300 left in stock for this branch. how long will that last you?

they will last us half a day. the agency‘s normal supplier can‘t get hold of stock, so they‘ve had to look elsewhere, and that‘s meant buying from the internet. it's like the wild west. we are in a situation where we don't know who we are dealing with. and you had yourfingers burned? yeah, absolutely. we've put orders in for 100,000 masks. we had to pay upfront, as we are required with all suppliers at the moment, and the stock's never come. and this isn‘t small change. no. £60,000. do you think you will run out? and what happens then? will you have to withdraw care? withdrawing care, for us, is the very, very, very last resort, and we hope we don't get to that situation. websites like this have sprung up in response to the demand for ppe, but they are not responsible for the deals which are listed on them.

separately, there has also been a boom in spam e—mails offering ppe. i probably get between ten and 20 e—mails every single day offering all sorts of ppe that actually i know isn‘t available. nhs managers are being offered stock at exorbitant prices. even from reputable suppliers, what are the sorts of price hikes you are seeing? i was recently approached by a company that we‘ve previously used offering coveralls for £16.50. because we‘ve used them before, i was able to look at their previous catalogue, and in january, they were selling them for £2. now, there‘s no amount of supply chain issues or demand and supply that could demand that sort of pay rise, and this, to me, is blatant profiteering. completely unacceptable. i'm just going to pop the hood on now. but back at the home care company, staff are still being fitted for ppe while stocks last. all the way round the edges. but they worry that when lockdown eventually eases, the demand for face masks will surge,

making them even harder to get hold of. judith moritz, bbc news, crewe. social care workers in wales will be given a one—off payment of £500 in recognition for their work. it will be available to nearly 65,000 care home workers and home—care assistants across the country. the first minister of wales, mark drakeford, said the payment was to recognise the greater degree of risk these workers were exposed to. ryanair says up to three thousand jobs could be lost because of the pandemic and passengers may have to wait six months for refunds to cancelled flights. the airline‘s announcements came as heathrow airport in london, normally the busiest in europe, said it expected passenger numbers to be down 97% in april. the airline industry overall is estimated to lose up to £250 billion this year. our business editor simon jack is here. this has been a grim week for this industry. i think this is the week

the grim reality came home to roost foran the grim reality came home to roost for an industry arguably the most vulnerable of any in the world to this particular virus. ryanair, 3000 jobs and this afternoon aer lingus said they were consulting on 900 job losses and they are part of ba, who said earlier this week 12,000 jobs would go. they would say it is inevitable, a 97% fall in traffic. unions would disagree and say these are not companies financially challenged and they could have stuck it out longer. that depends on how long you think things will take to get back to normal. ryanair says two yea rs, ba get back to normal. ryanair says two years, ba for years. get back to normal. ryanair says two years, ba foryears. ultimately get back to normal. ryanair says two years, ba for years. ultimately the judge of who is right will be asked, when do we feel comfortable about getting back on a plane? some airlines are getting back into opening but it will be up to us, when do we feel comfortable getting back on an aeroplane? simon jack.

an appeal for seasonal workers to help pick crops has seen a boost in domestic workers applying for thejobs. britons who‘ve found themselves out of work are responding to industry appeals as coronavirus continues to cut off the usual flow of european labour. the sector says there‘s a shortage of 70,000 workers needed to deliver this season‘s harvest. 0ur consumer affairs correspondent sarah corker reports. they answered the call from farmers for a modern—day land army. laid—off and furloughed staff up at dawn picking vegetables near thirsk in north yorkshire. in this group, there is a cleaner, a landscape gardener, an outdoor sports teacher, and nathan, a ski instructor, all out of work. it is physical, it hurts your back. i think you get used to it the more you do it. i mean, i definitely recommend it to anyone that sitting i mean, i definitely recommend it to anyone sitting at home watching netflix. this is nathanjust six weeks ago in the alps. when the ski resorts closed, his income disappeared. he was forced to swap

his skis for this. if someone had told you that you‘d be in a field in yorkshire picking asparagus, what would you have said to them? iwould have said, no, thanks. he laughs. but no, honestly, it‘s fine. it‘s probably one of the best things going right now. coronavirus restrictions have almost cut off the supply of workers from eastern europe, and most brits haven‘t previously wanted to do this tough work. but, for sixth—former charles, this is his firstjob. it's a huge difference — to go just from having easy school life, straight into this sort of work. it's definitely a lot more difficult. i prefer this to working in a shop or something, because it's more active, obviously. across the uk, there is an acute shortage of more than 70,000 foreign shortage of more than 70,000 farm workers, and some of those who are packing asparagus here in north yorkshire responded

to a post on social media. i quite enjoy it, coming out of the house to a different place, a different environment that is not with my brothers and sisters and just at home fighting. so far, recruiters say the appeal for workers has only resulted in hundreds of jobs rather than the thousands needed later in the season. many more must sign up to stop the crops rotting in the field. sarah corker, bbc news, north yorkshire. the duchess of sussex has lost her first round in her high court battle with the mail on sunday over the publication of a letter she wrote to her father. in a preliminary hearing, mrjustice warby struck out parts of meghan markle‘s claim that associated newspapers deliberately stirred up issues between her and thomas markle. her lawyers said the ruling did not change "the core elements of this case". we will soon be entering our seventh week of lockdown, in the greatest restriction on daily life since world war ii. the vast majority of people

in the uk are obeying the lockdown rules and new research suggests many would be uncomfortable leaving home, even if the government ordered an easing of restrictions in a month‘s time. our home editor mark easton reports. has anyone had any symptoms yet? in a warehouse in north london, a group of 20 young people have been documenting their lives in lockdown. this whole crisis right now is quite stressful. surveys show younger people are struggling with the restriction much more than older people. just been trying to self—isolate. 42% of 18—24—year—olds say they are not coping — more than twice the proportion of the over 65s. younger people are less likely to have secure employment or accommodation. many have been furloughed or made unemployed. busy social lives put on hold. they have just cancelled glastonbury. that is in june. i don‘t have any money. the warehouse community tell me they feel lucky to have each other, but there is still a sense of lost opportunities. i am, like, 23.

and trying to like plan my next steps. feeling for a moment that it was like 0k, i could literally choose anything, there are so many different paths you can take. and then those all sort of being closed in. i'm worried about what happens once the furlough stops. we have assembled a cross—section of 18—24 year olds from around britain to get a sense of how younger people are coping. me and my partner have isolated separately, because we are both still living at home. itjust puts a massive strain on just your mental wellbeing. it sounds horrible, but we have kind of run out of things to talk about. without a routine, i do not have that drive to do things that other people do and that is what i am finding quite hard, just having something to get up for every day. how hard has it been having been furloughed or lost your jobs, just thinking about money and indeed your careers? the pay i get now is like nothing compared to what i‘ve been getting. i don‘t like being stuck at home. you don't know if you are going to get a job. are going to be able to afford your accommodation. so, at the moment, i'vejust

got really bad anxiety. can i ask, have any of you being tempted to break the rules, to think, oh, to hell with this? quite a few of you. sometimes, when they say don't go and meet your friends, i stilljust go. because sometimes when you are stuck in your house, you feel like, not necessarily trapped, but you want to go and do certain stuff. across the wider population, many people will be uncomfortable leaving home, even if the restrictions ended in the next month. more than 60% say they would be nervous about going to bars or restaurants, or using public transport. over 40% would be uncomfortable about going shopping, or sending children to school. and more than 30% will be worried about going to work or meeting friends. coming out of lockdown will bring its own pressures, especially if partial relaxation undermines the sense of collective effort. the next weeks and months will be a test of our nation‘s character and resolve. mark easton, bbc news, north london.

rugby league is to receive an emergency loan of £16 million from the government because of the coronavirus outbreak. ministers say they‘re intervening to protect an entire sport, and the communities who play it. meanwhile, options for restarting the football season are being discussed today by premier league clubs, as our sports editor dan roan reports. how to return to action swiftly but safely? that was the dilemma confronting senior sports medics when they held initial talks today. the government must decide and says it‘s cautiously stepping up planning, the premier league hopeful of matches next month. but one former club doctor issued this warning. close contact of footballers during the game, during meal times, during the training, and the proximity between fixtures, all of that makes footballers much more prone to developing infection. it only takes one case for this to blow up. amid talk of facemasks at training and a spitting ban, premier league clubs were told today that 40,000 tests and ten neutral stadia could be used if the season resumes.

there‘d be no fans. so what do they think of project restart? play the season, that is what i would like to happen. obviously, it‘s got to be done in a safe manner and a different way. some sort of, like, world cup format would be quite cool, i think, with a couple matches a day every day to get it finished. i think it would give the country a big morale boost. with all sports suspended since march, clubs and leagues face a mounting financial crisis. today, the government handing rugby league a £16 million emergency cash injection. no matches have been played here at champions st helens for almost two months, and the owner told me the bailout is a huge relief. the sport was in real and genuine danger of going out of existence. and what we have here is a bridge loan for the sport to put us into a position where we can really rationalise, reorganise ourselves and save ourselves. the government views rugby league as a special case

because of a home world cup next year and the social value that clubs bring to northern communities like this and which have taken on new political importance since the general election. but elsewhere, other sports are having to find their own way through this crisis. not a ball‘s been bowled this season here at emirates old trafford, home of lancashire county cricket club, where they‘ve spent years developing a successful hotel and conferencing business. our biggest strength became our biggest weakness overnight because, literally, the phones stopped ringing, you‘ve still got all of the costs, the heavy payroll, but you‘ve no revenue. we are in genuinely uncharted waters. if fans needed hope that support will be back, in germany this afternoon, an exhibition tennis match took place — with facemasks, no contact and robotic cameras. a glimpse perhaps into sport‘s unfamiliar future. dan roan, bbc news. over the past month, we‘ve heard from many people who‘ve pulled through after contracting covid—19. this week, stephen parker, a former member of the armed forces, left critical care at poole hospital

to a round of applause from staff after 35 days with coronavirus. he‘s been speaking to duncan kennedy about his ordeal. we clap for them, but they also clap for us. hard not to, when it is this man, steve parker, who has just come out of intensive care after five weeks. there cannot be many people who survived 35 days in intensive care and in a coma? i don‘t know. people were probably happy i was asleep! when steve finally woke up, he had no idea where he was. i actually thought i was in new zealand, when i woke up. one of the nurses came in. i said, what time did the boat arrive? she said, you are in poole harbour. he fought in the first gulf war and knows his is a remarkable story of recovery. apparently, i died three times.