new symptoms to look for if you think you may have coronavirus — a loss of smell or taste. that's if you also have a high temperature or a cough — doctors say the new symptons should have been included weeks ago. in excess of 100,000, maybe 200,000 cases, would have been missed, would have been out there infecting other people. the government says anyone aged five and over can now have a coronavirus test, though there are complaints it's taking too long already to get the results. 21,000 contact tracers have been recruited, though the nhs coronavirus app won't be ready for a few weeks. also tonight... in northern ireland, groups of up to six people not in the same household will be able to meet outdoors from tomorrow.

mps debate new immigration restrictions — but will they shut out the kind of workers who have been on the covid frontline? italy tastes la dolce vita once more, as bars, restau ra nts a nd hairdressers begin to open. and the chelsea flower show, but not as you know it — instead, it's a virtual tour of designers‘ own back gardens. coming up on bbc news — celtic are declared scottish premiership champions for the ninth year in a row, as an agreement is reached to call time on the season. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. if you're one of those who have experienced a loss of taste or smell in the last few months,

you may have had coronavirus, as it has now been added to the official list of symptoms. until today, the list only included a high temperature and a new, continuous cough. the new guidance was set out by the chief medical 0fficers of england, scotland, wales and northern ireland, although some doctors say that new symptoms should have been added weeks ago, and hundreds of thousands of cases may have been missed and spread infection. the total number of people known to have died with coronavirus in the last 2a hours is 160. the number is usually lower following the weekend. it means the official number of people across the uk who are known to have died with the virus is 3a,796. 0ur medical correspondent fergus walsh reports. we would spray some pepper spray into this hood, and if we could smell it, then the mask will have fitted properly. this person realised he had lost his sense of smell when he was being fitted with

personal protective equipment. he kept on working and it was only days later when he had developed a fever that he was swabbed and found to have coronavirus. i couldn't smell it, after 20 or 25 sprays. clearly if you're walking around unaware that you are covid positive, then you are a potential source of spread of the virus. so, i could have infected colleagues, i could have infected colleagues, i could have infected patients without knowing it. until today, the infected patients without knowing it. untiltoday, the only coronavirus symptoms people in the uk were told to self—isolate with we re uk were told to self—isolate with were a high temperature or a new and continuous cough. now, loss of taste oi’ continuous cough. now, loss of taste or smell have been added, but that comes weeks after the world health organization included them as symptoms. the who also lists tiredness, aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, headache and skin rash as other possible warning signs. on the ist of april, this symptoms app from

king's college london found that six in ten users who had tested positive for covid—i9 had reported a loss of smell or taste. researchers say the nhs has been slow to act and so has missed a huge number of cases. we're talking in excess of 100,000, maybe 200,000 cases, would have been missed, would have been out there infecting other people, increasingly r value, and i think this hasjust made the problem worse, because problems in care homes and hospitals, that we will regret we didn't act earlier. loss of smell was added only after government scientists were sure it would help improve detection. how many cases of covid—19 do you think have been missed as a result of not including this earlier on? the important thing was to work out if this would add any sensitivity to the diagnostic

cluster we were using, and the a nswer cluster we were using, and the answer is, it makes a small, very small difference, and we have therefore decided to do it. this former love island star was another who is loss of taste and smell was her main symptom. a nurse, she later tested positive for covid—19. her main symptom. a nurse, she later tested positive for covid—19m her main symptom. a nurse, she later tested positive for covid-19. it was very difficult for me at the time because i didn't have anything to refer to, i because i didn't have anything to referto, ididn't because i didn't have anything to refer to, i didn't realise it was a symptom, and it was so severe, i could have literally drunk a cup of vinegar, the loss of taste and smell was so vinegar, the loss of taste and smell was so strong. adding loss of sense of smell as a key symptom should ensure fewer positive cases fall through the net — crucial if the epidemic is to be brought under control. fergus walsh, bbc news. anyone in the uk aged five and over with symptoms of the coronavirus can now apply to have a test. the government has made the pledge despite frequently failing to reach its current target of a 100,000 tests a day.

and as our health editor, hugh pym, reports, some key workers, already eligible, are facing long waits to get their results. getting tested for the virus — these key workers queueing today had booked online for swaps to be taken ata booked online for swaps to be taken at a drive—through centre and were told the results from labs should be sent to them within 48 hours. very easy. we logged on yesterday. we got the test today. there was hardly any cars there. very efficient. it was very easy to get an appointment, i didn't get much trouble to get that. i am a carer, that's why. just picked a convenient time and that was it, we drove straight here. but some, like michael, have had long waits for results, he has been told it will be at least five days. if you're going to make testing a central part of how we deal with this virus, you've got to get it right, no questions, it has to be efficient and right. and it may be just me and it has to be efficient and right. and it may bejust me and i don't wa nt to and it may bejust me and i don't want to be the one complaining, but from my point of view, it's been disappointing, and i still don't

know the results of. the health secretary, matt hancock, set a target of 100,000 tests a day by the end of april. since then, the number provided has dipped below that and has only been back above 100,000 on some days since. today, the health secretary said he wanted to go further with the number of tests. everyday we're creating more capacity, and that means more people can be tested and the virus has fewer places to hide. today, i can announce to the house that everyone aged five and over with symptoms is now eligible for a test. but labour said getting results back quickly was the priority. on tracing, i have long argued that the safe way to transition out of lockdown is by having a test, trace and isolation strategy in place, but it depends on quick turnaround of test results. slowing any future spread of the virus will depend both on testing and tracing recent contacts of anyone who tests positive. contact traces have been recruited to phone,

text or e—mail people who the patient says they have met recently. that's 21,000 new staff. a new app will also be alerting people if they've been with anyone with symptoms. they are then told to self—isolate. the app is being tried out on the isle of wight. it will be rolled out across the country soon. contact traces are ready to start work. ministers said the whole system would be up and running by the middle of this month, but it is still a work in progress. hugh pym joins me now. so, we know that contact tracing is critical and the app is being trialled in the isle of wight, but as you say, the middle of may was the deadline for those to be started, and that hasn't happened? that's absolutely right, but we should not forget that lab capacity for testing has gone up from 2000 in early february to more than 100,000 now, that is the ability of labs to do all of these tests. these contact

traces, 21,000, mentioned by matt hancock, originally the target was 18000 and people thought that was pretty ambitious. but the nhs app is still being trialled in the isle of wight, there are still some tweaks to be made, it will not be launched for at least another couple of weeks. as we have been hearing, the test results are still not coming back as quickly as they should do for some people, it should be 48 hours. in some cases it is many days beyond that. and all this is very, very important, to have the whole thing meshed together and up and running, because until a vaccine comes along, or drugs are developed, it is really all that there is doubt to try to suppress the virus, and professorjonathan to try to suppress the virus, and professor jonathan van tam, to try to suppress the virus, and professorjonathan van tam, the deputy chief medical officer for england, said at the briefing that until the vaccine arrives, we may have to live with this virus in the long term, certainly for many months, with autumn and winter this year being a particularly difficult time potentially for another spike. having continued with a stricter

lockdown than england, northern ireland has now decided to relax its lockdown more than any other part of the uk. from tomorrow, groups of up to six people not from the same houshold will be able to meet outdoors. drive—in church services and cinemas will also be allowed. our ireland correspondent emma vardy is in belfast. so, what's behind the change, emma? what is behind it? well, we knew some activities were restarting today. angling, for one, and there has been a number of people coming down here to this pretty spot keen to get back to that activity. but northern ireland's leaders have a lwa ys northern ireland's leaders have always said they will be driven by the scientific advice. today, they say that advice has changed, and thatis say that advice has changed, and that is why they can now allow other activities like those drive—through church services, drive—through cinemas and gatherings of up to six people outdoors. but the warning remains — we are not out of the woods yet. there is a nice fish. the first catch of the day, and the first of the lockdown

for billy, who wasted no time and arrived here at dawn. i got out today. it's better than a lottery win. it is a medicine that you can do without a prescription. it's fantastic. once, this might have looked bizarre, but today, for gardeners, it feels like a return to normality. fabulous. i love walking round garden centres and looking at the plants. and queues formed outside recycling centres. today, the northern ireland executive went further, allowing different households to meet outdoors, churches to open for prayer, and golf and tennis to restart. there can be outdoor gatherings of up to six people from outside the same household, providing that social distancing is properly maintained. then, test, trace and isolate, those are the three component parts that must be up and running, full throttle. northern ireland had been moving more slowly than england in lifting its restrictions. now, that is starting to change,

but it is still a balancing act. leaving things too long could mean an even greater effect on the economy, while political leaders here still worry that moving faster could see the transmission of the virus starting to rise again. across the border, the republic of ireland saw the return of construction workers, as well as golf and tennis. do you mind if i ask the purpose of your trip, please? but people are still not allowed to travel more than five kilometres from their home. well, the legislation allows people from northern ireland to make a day trip to the republic of ireland. if they decide to come down here, well, then they become subject to the legislation here in the republic of ireland. widespread testing is a key part of the republic's strategy. this is ireland's equivalent of wembley stadium. at croke park, now, hundreds of tests can be carried out each day, but the challenge has been to reduce the turnaround time for results from five days, to 48 hours. it could be better, and we are always trying to improve that, and to improve

those turnaround times. people both north and south of this island continue to be urged to use caution, although some small slices of life are being unlocked, the advice is still to remain home, as far as possible. emma vardy, bbc news. well, that's northern ireland and the republic, but scotland will have to wait longer for restrictions to be eased. our scotland editor, sarah smith, is in glasgow for us. no change in scotland until next week at the earliest? at the very earliest, yes, we've got a considerably longer wait in scotland. the scottish government announced today they will produce a roadmap which will outline how they will cautiously lift the lockdown restrictions, and they will publish that on thursday. but they are not actually going to change any of the rules until the 28th of may, at the very earliest. until then, rules until the 28th of may, at the very earliest. untilthen, in scotland, the instruction is still stay at home except for exercise and essential activities, and it won't be until the end of the month that

people can start possibly sitting in parks, playing golf, tennis, visiting garden centres, maybe even working outdoors on construction sites. now, throughout this, the scottish covenant have always said that they base their policy on expert advice and it has got nothing to do with politics, but it has been obvious how nicola sturgeon has embraced the opportunity to make her own different lockdown rules and not have to follow what is being done in england or the other uk nations. what is now a bit of a political gamble is waiting to see whether people will continue to support her taking a different path now that people in scotland are going to be living under more stringent restrictions than the rest of the uk. we shall see. sarah in glasgow, thank you. a new post—brexit immigration system for the uk moved a step closer today, as mps debated the government's controversial new bill. among the measures would be... an end to free movement of eu citizens, putting them on an equal footing with other nationalities. though full details won't be revealed until the autumn, it paves the way for a points—based system which would reward being able to speak english to a certain standard and having a job lined up

from an approved employer. but it could also require applicant to earn at least £25,600.s critics argue this will shut the door on the type of workers who have been key to getting the uk through the coronavirus crisis, such as carers and other health workers. our political editor, laura kuenssberg reports. my my name is carrie now, i came from paul in 12 years ago and i have been a care worker ever since. carolyn heading off for another day. like a care worker ever since. carolyn headi care f for another day. like came from her -m i 2:33“ 5 j

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