it's been revealed the deaths of more than 12,500 care home residents in england between march and may, involved coronavirus. the family of one victim, thomas port, who was 101 and lived through dunkirk, say they feel, let down. they were more concerned in making sure the nhs could cope rather than saving lives in nursing homes. as the infection rate rises, thought to be driven by care homes, how might the government's easing of the lockdown in england, be affected 7 also tonight: as ministers say some primary school children in england will be back in class in two weeks‘ time, unions still have major concerns. with a sunny weekend forecast, what can you do outdoors under lockdown? well, it depends where

you live, in the uk. relief for german football fans, as the beautiful game is back, but behind closed doors. and one family's heartfelt tribute to a wife and grandmother, that's inspired others, affected by coronavirus. and coming up on bbc news: league two clubs agree to end their season due to the coronavirus pandemic. but league one and the premier league are still to reach a decision. good evening. there are more revelations of the scale of the deadly effects of coronavirus in care homes. latest figures show that more than a quarter of deaths of care home residents in england and wales — including some who died in hospitals between march and may — involved coronavirus, that's more than 12,500 people. of those, nine out of ten victims had at least one

pre—existing condition, most commonly dementia and alzheimer's disease. the government today has been giving details of its next steps on helping care homes in england during the pandemic. meanwhile, 384 deaths involving coronavirus have been reported in the past 24—hour period in hospitals and the wider community, as well as care homes, and that means the overall number of those who've died in the uk, is 33,998. 0ur social affairs correspondent, alison holt has more. thomas port was 101. he was ex—navy — frail but still determined, even in a pandemic. his reaction was, "i spent time on the beaches of dunkirk, on the beaches at dunkirk, i picked up survivors on the atlantic convoys, i survived all that, so i'm going to survive this." but in april, he became one of the nearly 116,000 care home residents who've died from all causes over two months.

his son peter believes coronavirus arrived in his father's nursing home with a patient discharged from hospital. 0verall, he says residents needed more protection. i believe that there was a fundamental error made at the beginning, that care homes either weren't going to suffer the coronavirus because of their enclosed environment or, alternatively, they didn't really care about it or even think about it. unfortunately, in this country, social care seems to be the poor relation to the nhs. is it all right to put your eye drops in, lovey? this care home in sheffield managed to keep the virus out by having staff move in. it's worked, but now they've unlocked again. like the majority of care homes, this is a small, family—run business and the strain on them is huge. i mean, staff are tired. it's long hours, long days, long weeks. you know, it's not a measure you can

put in place for six, nine months. it's physically, emotionally and mentally not possible to do for that long without constantly changing your staff. today, the health and care secretary gave details of infection control plans, including a named clinician for each care home. right from the start, we've tried to throw a protective ring around our care homes. we set out our first advice in february, and, as the virus grew, we strengthened it throughout. the measures you've introduced today, aren't they too little, too late? well, what i set out today are the things that we've been doing throughout this crisis to support people in care homes. but, worried by the number of deaths in care homes, some families are moving their relatives out. typically, it's not a long—term plan. it's more that they've heard the care home that

they're in has coronavirus, and they're worried, so they bring out their parents, and they're looking more at what's happening in the next month or two. so we're not seeing people book long term, but just to ensure that their parents are safe. hi, mum. hello, darling! rosa, who has dementia, was having respite care in a home, but when other residents developed covid—19, her son, who'd already had the virus, moved her out. they've been self—isolating together. she's been a great mum, and the last thing we wanted to do is put her in harm's way. but maybe a stroke of luck that i picked up the virus and was recovering, and it gave us the option of taking her out... we've had a bit of luck on our side. she's not shown any signs. and at such a time, knowing that our families are safe, whether they're with us or in a home, couldn't be more important. give me a kiss. alison holt, bbc news. the rate at which coronavirus can be spread across the uk has gone up, and is close to the point

where infections may rise again. the reproduction, or r number, needs to stay below one to control the spread, but rates vary across the uk, and could result in stricter lockdown measures in some areas. here's our science editor, david shukman. some areas are hit harder by the virus than others. the north east of england seems to have one of the highest rates of infection. it's thought that one factor could be deprivation. but whatever the cause, the council in gateshead wants to move more cautiously than national government. we don't have same powers as scotland and wales and northern ireland. if i had those powers, if we had those powers here in gateshead, i'm absolutely certain that we would be imposing the same restrictions as in scotland and in wales and northern ireland. so, our social media message from the local authority has stayed exactly the same — it's "stay at home". where possible, stay at home. that pressure for different approaches across the uk is driven by different estimates for rates

of infection, what's called the r number. one new study says london now has the lowest rate. at one point, it was suffering the worst of the outbreak. then the midlands. anything below one means the virus is declining, but the south east, east, south west and north west are all closer to that threshold of one. with the north east and yorkshire having the highest rate of all regions in england. scotland is thought to be in the range of 0.7 to 1, and wales and northern ireland 0.8 to 0.9. there is a geographical march of it really, a spread of it geographically from london and the cities outwards. so, the north east isjust perhaps later than other regions in acquiring the virus and then having the epidemic. but there may be other factors. and we do know that disadvantage has certainly, in hospitalisation and in admissions with severe disease, disadvantage and in certain populations,

it seems to have a severe effect. the scottish government was the first to declare that its restrictions would stay in place for the time being. and like everywhere, there's a struggle to work out exactly how fast the virus is spreading. there may well be differences between urban and rural, but the further we go into small geographic areas, the greater the uncertainty that there is in making those assessments. but at the moment, the advice i have is that the most reliable way of reporting the r number is in the range we report it and at a scotland—wide level. the uk government says restrictions may be relaxed at different rates. but that could be difficult to manage if some people are free to move around and others are still in lockdown. david shukman, bbc news. well, as we've just been hearing, the north east of england now has more confirmed cases of covid—19, than any other region in england. charities and health experts say

the government must solve the long term health and financial problems of many across the country, that can leave them vulnerable to the virus. problems the british medical association says are a disgrace. fiona trott reports from middlesbrough. i think we should be noticed. 0ur voices should be heard, rather than being made to feel invisible and not important enough. i definitely don't think the government understands. the odds, health—wise, were stacked against areas like middlesbrough. covid—19 has really shone a light on that. coronavirus is finding the poorest communities. everyone that suffers are still the ones at the bottom of the food chain. in a town with some of the country's highest child poverty rates, mums like gemma need help. hello. your dress is lovely. her eldest daughter is shielding away from home. shall we go and have a sit down? her family is divided. and when i can't be there for her, ifeel like i'm letting her down, you know? and she's in agony and i can't take the pain away.

that's when it... i couldn't give her a cuddle because we were kept apart. she'll be sat the step while i'm sat on the grass. but then, walking away... covid is taking an emotional toll, and a financial one. the cost of living has gone up, but your money hasn't. i mean, little hand sanitisers, they used to be 69p, and now they are £3.99. no matter which way you look at it, you can try going around each way and saying, well, we'll give you a £10 voucher, but what is £10 going to get you when your prices are going up to £3.69? charity worker pat is responding to this crisis. they used to deliver donated food at christmas. now, it's every week. usually, when we respond to people in a crisis, they recover from the crisis and they come back to support us. but that's not going to happen this time. food poverty, fuel poverty, housing poverty. inequality here has existed for years, but it's never been more keenly felt.

what we've got in middlesbrough has been previously chemical industry. up here in the north east, people know about coal to newcastle and shipbuilding and so forth, all those industries, combined with the housing, the education, the poverty which can go with it has had a detrimental effect upon patients and people's health. those people had a higher infection rate and, very, very sadly, indeed tragically, a higher death rate than more comparable, more affluent areas in england. now, it's unfair, it is unjust, it's really something which is preventable. if you want to have a memory for this lockdown? let it be a good one. let's see if they can do it as a nation where they've got the poorest first and they made us matter and they made us count. that would be nice. fiona trott reporting. our health editor hugh pym joins me. the r rate is a big part of the debate over when and how to ease

lockdowns. now overall is going up. yes, clive, the range where the experts think the letter number six, they thought it was between 0.5 and 0.9 and they think it is now between 0.7 and one and you don't want to be above one because that's just the epidemic is accelerating. it is important to note this doesn't reflect changes in the england easing of restrictions since the weekend. it reflects previous infections a couple of weeks ago. it's also the case that looking at where the infections are at they are rather more in care homes and hospitals than they thought and that may have pushed the r up. the wider community, it's possible the r hasn't changed at all. it's also possible on the way up infections tend to accelerate, they are rather slower coming back down the other side. ministers are saying that at least the r is not back up above one

110w least the r is not back up above one now but the margin for error is extremely tight if further lockdown easing is to happen. ministers will have to watch this very closely. they have made it clear they could begin to tighten again if it goes much above one. the public will be able to follow this very closely along with the government because the r number is going to be published, the range, each week. hugh pym, many thanks. teachers‘ unions say the government's scientific advisers, haven't fully answered their concerns about whether it's safe to allow more children to return to schools in england next month. some teachers argue social distancing will be difficult, particularly for younger pupils. however the government says its issued guidance and offered support for a phased return, from june the 1st. here's our education editor, branwen jeffreys. at the heart of a village, trusted by its families, a school working out how to reopen. this is our early years environment. and for the youngest, all would change. the rugs, the soft chairs, the soft cuddly toys are things we're probably going to have

to probably get rid of. the head says this can't be made safe byjune. does it smite your heart a bit that this is all going to have to go? notjust a bit. we're asking them not to interact with each other, not to play together. is it child care or are we still continuing to develop those children? this is our corridor which takes us through to key stage two. she'll try to open for years one and six. not even two metres‘ width. that‘s going to be one way, surely. you‘d think, but how do we manage that? almost every day, new government advice. parents have to leave by a new exit. more changes to be put in place byjune the 1st. i‘m worried about how close that is. there are still very high rates of new cases. high rates of deaths across the country. i feel that it has all been very rushed. each school is trying to work out what it can manage in a couple of weeks‘ time. and in many cases, that could be less than the government‘s suggesting.

and then it‘s up to parents whether they choose to send their children to school. jenny‘s boys have been in school. she‘s a key worker. some of isaac‘s year six friends will return. overall, it's been a positive experience for them. there is some real value, ithink, for a child's mental health to be out of their home environment for some time. but heather doesn‘t want isabel in nursery. she thinks her girls are safer at home. the risks are just too high. she's too little to understand about the social distancing measures that are out there. and i think it's more important that she stays at home where she's safe and she's happy. the risk is linked to the number of cases in the community. the doctors union says it is too high to open schools. but a government medical expert says cases will fall byjune.

in an average school, the likelihood of anyone having this disease is very small, and diminishing with time. so we need to keep that in perspective. many teachers say they wa nt perspective. many teachers say they want pupils back when the science shows it is safe. a meeting between unions and experts today described as just the first step. unions and experts today described asjust the first step. it's not unreasonable to ask that we engage with government to understand how safe it is, why they say it is safe and we can build on that scientific basis. schools are changing in preparation, not knowing how many pupils might turn up. the rest of the uk watching. england, alone, in plans to reopen schools so soon. branwen jeffreys, bbc news. the congestion charge in central london, which was suspended because of the lockdown, will return from monday. the mayor of london says it‘ll help prevent a build up of traffic, after the government‘s easing

of restrictions included advice that people going back to work should avoid public transport. a refund system for nhs workers is being extended to care home workers. police in england and wales have issued more than 111,000 fines for alleged breaches of lockdown laws. the met police in london handed out the most fixed penalty notices, 906. but it‘s also been revealed that 56 people across the uk, have been wrongly charged with offences relating to the pandemic. wales‘ first minister has promised a cautious route out of lockdown, that he says puts people‘s health first. mark dra keford outlined what he called a traffic light system, but warned he couldn‘t give a clear timetable for when restrictions would be lifted. 0ur wales correspondent hywel griffith reports. what would a second wave of the pandemic bring to a place like aberystwyth? largely sheltered from the first, in this county, they‘ve had the lowest infection rate in wales.

the national lockdown arrived just in time to save us. at the local hospital, they feel they‘ve been spared for now. the lockdown slowed the spread of the virus from east to west, but lifting it could mean they would be hit much harder. it would not take a large number of cases to take up all our resources. so, we certainly survive on a limited bed base. we also have a limited number of physicians. we‘re not close to other hospitals to bring people, staff, physicians, nursing staff from elsewhere if there was to be a major outbreak amongst the staff. the plan set out for wales today means aberyst prom will remain empty for now. it‘s a road map with destinations, but no dates attached. only when the scientists say it‘s safe will wales move from the current red phase to amber, allowing some pupils back to school and people to meet in small groups. the green light for unrestricted

travel seems very far away. the journey has begun. but for all of us, that journey needs to be a journey taken carefully, ta ken cautiously, with a limited number of steps to suppress the circulation of coronavirus and to keep us all safe. that slow, almost static pace is frustrating for some. this caravan park has had a flurry of calls this week from people desperate for a holiday this year, but they still don‘t know when or even if they‘ll be able to open. to close all tourism businesses for the entire season would be devastating not just for ourselves, but for people who rely on the business that we bring. pretty much all businesses in town and across the county. this spring shutdown may well spread into the summer, with lives and livelihoods here both still in the balance. hywell griffith, bbc news, aberystwyth.

this weekend is the first since lockdown restrictions were eased in england, allowing unlimited exercise, and travel, in order to enjoy the open air. but the rules vary depending on where you live in the uk. so while you can take longer journeys in england to facilities like tennis courts and golf courses, in northern ireland, you can drive somewhere to exercise but you can‘t stray too far from home, while in scotland and wales, you have to stay in your local area. and you can‘t meet up with members of different households, a rule that also applies in northern ireland. whereas in england, you can meet one other person outside, adhering to social distancing rules. well the easing of england‘s guidelines has been welcomed by some, but others in tourist areas worry about a possible big influx of people — as sian lloyd reports. these residents of stratford have been a fixture for generations, but, for the past eight weeks, their surroundings have been significantly quieter than usual.

the historic town is a magnet for tourists from far and wide, and the economic impact of the lockdown has been felt here. but after the government advice was changed for people living in england, visitors are beginning to return. this couple have travelled some 50 miles from their home in leicestershire. because boris said we can go further afield, we‘ve made the most of it. this is our normal life. we like to get out and about. so, we're just going to have a walk around the river and we brought our own flask of coffee, and we're going to have that and then we'll have a steady ride home. we are sensible, but i think these two just needed to blow off a little steam and have a little bit of a change of scenery really. this family live within the same county, now able to visit one of their favourite places. set up a picnic. a little picnic and feed the ducks, and it'sjust been nice to just get out. especially since lockdown‘s been a bit eased a little bit more. as long as sticking

to the guidelines. the countryside in england is beginning to reopen. the national trust will unlock the gate to this car park tomorrow morning. but people are already parking here to walk, and the charity says it expects a huge influx over the weekend. they‘re urging people not to travel long distances to their favourite destinations and to visit places closer to home for the time being. you have to understand, i think, as a visitor that obviously local communities near places you like to visit are rightly concerned about huge volumes of people arriving, so we ask you to be extra thoughtful and respectful about their concerns. and obviously if a footpath goes past a house, make sure you're really mindful of that. many restrictions are still in place, and fines are imposed when rules are broken. authorities here are welcoming people to the town, but warn it‘s not business as usual. sian lloyd, bbc news, stratford—upon—avon. you can read more about what you are

and are not allowed to do across the country on the bbc news app or go to our website at bbc.co.uk/news and just click on who am i allowed to meet now? at the beginning of this year more than a hundred people were gathered together, to create a citizen‘s assembly, hoping to find ways of reducing carbon emissions to virtually zero in the uk by 2050. but with the coronavirus lockdown prohibiting in—person sessions, the group has been meeting online, and the last session is this weekend to finalise recommendations to the government. 0ur science correspondent rebecca morelle has that story. i don‘t think climate change was something that i was very concerned about. i was a little bit concerned about it but it definitely wasn‘t something i thought about every day. leah could have a big impact on the way we live our lives. she spends most of her time looking after horses, but, since the start of the year, she‘s been taking part in the uk‘s first climate assembly.

we need something that will work, notjust a pipe dream. there are 110 assembly members, chosen from randomly selected people to represent all walks of life from across the uk. they are being asked to work out how the uk can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, looking at everything from how we generate electricity to choices about transport. there's a lot of different opinions of how we should go about getting to net zero, and we don't always agree. you could be in london and public transport could be all electric, and you could be in a rural area where there may be no public transport, so you have no choice but to have a car. so, what personal choices would these assembly members make to cut emissions? i would probably look to eating less meat and probably get better cuts. i was looking at electric cars. but, living in a flat, there is no charging places. go with quality over quantity. i would buy clothes that were more

expensive and last longer. there is no financial benefit of improving your house more environmentally. it doesn't add value to your house. turning the heating downjust by a couple of degrees and making the kids put theirjumper on. the climate assembly was supposed to have concluded back in march, but then the coronavirus pandemic struck, so, like meetings up and down the country, the assembly has moved to video conferencing. how has the coronavirus changed the way you think? it has proved that a lot of people can work from home if need be. we all know if you stop flying and driving cars, the air is going to get greener, but i think at some point the money will run out. so, will a green recovery be possible? the key fear is that the climate change policies or... would all be pushed to the background. this is a brilliant opportunity tojust restart in an entirely different way, focusing on more green jobs, retraining people with the assembly nearly complete, a report will soon be

submitted to mps. leah hopes it will make a difference. if we get a chance to influence how government policies are made, it‘s really important that the government hears the voice of the people. english football clubs in league two have agreed to end the season early, because of the coronavirus pandemic. they‘ve agreed a finish to the season under a "framework" that includes tables being decided on points per game, with the play—offs remaining as planned. any move still needs to be ratified by the english football league and the football association. league one sides face further talks, afterfailing to come to an agreement over their season. the german football league resumes tomorrow, with matches behind closed doors. the top flight players will be the first of any european country back on the pitch during the coronavirus pandemic. to curb the risk of infections there‘ll be regular testing, and all the clubs have just ended a week in quarantine.

jenny hill reports from dortmund. they‘d love to pack the stands to welcome football home. instead, these fans will be watching at a distance. "the thrill is gone," 0liver tells us. "football without spectators isn‘t football for me." dortmund‘s team in training — and in quarantine — before their match. players and staff at other clubs haven‘t tested positive in recent weeks. there‘s still no guarantee the season won‘t be called off again. dortmund‘s amateur pitches are still out of bounds, but at this children‘s club, we met one of the few people allowed into the bundesliga match to work this weekend. translation: it's great that it‘s restarting. people need entertainment, and professional athletes are like modern gladiators. they can help distract people from corona or money worries. this country‘s taking tentative steps towards a new normality. but surveys suggest a majority of germans think it is too early

for football, and there is still no live ballet, opera, or theatre. for a dancer, i think this should also be the same measures as for football. and it doesn‘t matter whether it‘s football or ballet, it should be treated the same way. germany‘s top—flight players, spreading the public health message. many fear their fans won‘t listen this weekend. translation: there's a big risk of trouble. we don‘t think all fans will stay at home. there could be violence. it is a health risk for my colleagues. no victory cheers, no groans of defeat in these, the so—called ghost games. germany appears to have brought its corona outbreak under control, for now. it‘s hugely symbolic that this footballing nation should now send its players back to the pitch. it‘s also, as far as many here are concerned, a bit of a gamble. jenny hill, bbc news, dortmund.

communities across the uk have found different ways to come together during the pandemic. from the clap for carers to teddy—bears and rainbows in windows. now one family hit by coronavirus, has come up with a poignant way of remembering many who‘ve died, as jon kay reports. sheila died with coronavirus last month. she was 83. she was a kind and open person and she loved being in the mountains and forests. i think becky is somewhere as well. her husband david and granddaughter becky told me they wanted sheila to be remembered for who she was — not just as another statistic. she was always smiling, laughing, right to the end. she definitely had a lot of giggling fits. i think that isjust credit to her beautiful

personality, really. unable to have the funeral they wanted, the family put this yellow heart in the window in sheila‘s memory and then shared a picture of it on social media. within hours, hundreds of other grieving families across the uk were doing the same for their loved ones — every heart representing a victim of coronavirus. we‘ve hit a nerve. as people walked around their neighbourhood they could see the extent of the suffering throughout the general population. soon the family‘s facebook page was receiving not only photographs of hearts but pictures of those who have died. it‘s become an online shrine — a place where the grieving can gather, share and support. everybody that met them always said how lovely they were. it's just been devastating.