tonight at ten, the fears among doctors that, as the lockdown eases in england, there'll be a second peak of coronavirus cases. we talk to staff in one of the worst—affected hospitals in the uk, in one of the most densely—populated parts of london. are you expecting a second wave? yes. i have to say yes because i think once the lockdown is relaxed, people of course are going to have more contact with each other, so that's the way this is going to spread. we'll have the first of clive myrie‘s special reports from the royal london hospital. also tonight... mr cummings, were you telling the truth yesterday? the prime minister's top advisor facing yet more calls to resign after being accused of breaking the rules during lockdown.

a glimpse of the new coronavirus test that produces a result injust 20 minutes. as the lockdown is eased, shops are concerned about getting all the safety measures ready in time. and calls for access to england's beaches to be restricted, until there are lifeguards back on patrol. and in sport, world number one rory mcilroy says he believes the ryder cup, scheduled to take place in september, will be postponed until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. good evening. we start tonight with the growing fears among doctors of a second peak of coronavirus infections, as the lockdown restrictions are eased in england. we've been speaking to staff at one of the hospitals worst affected by the pandemic in the uk, the royal london,

in east london, which serves the densely—populated area of tower hamlets. hundreds of people have died there, with people from ethnic minority backgrounds particularly affected. medical staff say a rise in cases is now inevitable, as people have more and more contact with each other. and they've also spoken of the mental and physical burden of the past few months. the latest figures for the uk are that 134 deaths were recorded in the last 24—hour period, but there were none reported in northern ireland. that brings the total number of deaths across the uk to 37,048. my colleague clive myrie has spent a week at the royal london hospital. this is the first of his special reports. it's in times of crisis we find out who we really are. i've felt broken on many occasion. and i think a lot of my colleagues have. when souls are laid bare.

in this time of coronavirus, one hospital, and one community, reflect on these troubled times. coming upforair, to reveal their souls to us. we saw the fragility of life. this guy's not going to survive the night. better to call the family, i think. we're going to take out your tube now. we saw its strength. perfect. well done. how's that feel? yeah? and all the while, one fear looms — another peak of infections to rival the first. we were 20 beds away from being overrun. don't be fooled by the gentle pace. time is twisted here, on the royal london hospital's coronavirus wards...

..while many patients inhabit ventilated worlds of slow—motion dreams and hallucinations. the doctors and nurses charged with bringing them back to life inhabit the real world, where time moves too quickly, as this cruel disease eats away at human lungs with frightening speed. can we just do a couple more suctions? but the medical staff, including consultant pj zolfaghari have their own nightmares. are you expecting a second wave? yes. i have to say yes, because i think once the lockdown is relaxed, people, of course, are going to have more contact with each other. so that's the way this is going to spread. but if the lockdown completely disappears, then i suspect that the cases willjust rapidly rise again. you know, we've learned a lot during this last few weeks, the last couple of months. not perfect but, you know, i think we're be better placed for it now.

then, as our interview ends, he's called away. i'll be two minutes. these two minutes turn into several agonising hours. can see you're working hard to ventilate him. we had permission from all the patients or their families to film. do we have any more atracurium? and krishnapillai yogan‘s vital signs have worsened. he's just 55. this is going to cause a bit of a problem here. yeah, and again. go, go, go. the professionalism of the team is stunning. years of experience are gathered around this bed. as the duality of time, the drifting, oblivious patient, and the rush to save his life merge into a tableau for our times. ok, this doesn't look good. how concerned are you? i'm extremely concerned about this chap. especially at this late stage, as well, that he's developed further complications.

so, there's a final roll of the dice. so, you guys lift him up, i'll push the pillows down. this is a last resort. maybe by turning him onto his front they can force air into his lungs, oxygen into his body. it's all they can do. 0k. ready, steady, go. his lungs are just getting worse, and more inflamed again. and you've been preparing to talk to his family? yes, that's right. just to let you know... have you called the family yet? sister becky smith, a presence on the covert award for absent relatives. their eyes and ears. 0k, take care, then. essentially, we'll make a decision about whether it's appropriate to continue with what were doing at the moment or whether we should... give him a bit of dignity. imagine this stress for the team, multiplied every day for weeks. now you understand what the peak of the pandemic was like. are you all right?

my face is all marked. well, you've just come off shift. sister carleen kelly bore witness to those dark days. i've felt broken on many occasion. and i think a lot of my colleagues have. it consumes you. it's what you think about when you go to bed. it's what you wake up... you're preparing for your next shift. you're relieved that the previous shift is over. you're sad. it's a huge emotional burden. it's a time of our lives that we'll never, ever forget. the peak almost broke minds. and according to consultant nick bunker, almost broke the royal london. in normal times, we manage about 44 patients. at the peak, we were managing just shy of 90 patients. almost double? almost double. we were 20 beds away from being overrun. we were keeping people alive. that's what our goal of care was.

keep as many people alive for as long as we can, until we can get back to being able to deliver the quality of care that we always aspire to deliver. sometimes, it's hard to find light in the darkness. but you're about to witness what medicine can do. i'm going to take out your tube now. this is one of the defining moments in an intensive care unit. give me a big puff. big puff, that's it. when a patient‘s ventilator tube is removed. it's a procedure full of expectation. and dread. i'm going to pull the tube, as you do that, 0k? will it work? he's grimacing as the tube inches up his throat... he gasps. and finally leaves his chest.

everything's 0k. you're at the royal london hospital. gasping. the heavy breathing of a man given a second chance. it's a victory for everyone, and a morale boost for everyone. as i said, he's still not out of the woods. but at least he's doing good. and we're very, very pleased with where he's got to. but there are other defeats. sadly, that evening, krishnapillai yogan died. another soul lost. 0n tomorrow night's programme... a prayerfor the dying. and the morgue, struggling to cope. at the height, we were dealing with about 25 bodies daily coming the morgue because the cemeteries and other funeral services weren't able to cope. clive myrie, bbc news.

the physical and emotional burden carried by the staff of the royal london hospital. clive myrie reporting, with producer sam piranty and cameraman davy mcilveen. dominic cummings, the prime minister's top adviser, is facing more calls for his resignation following his decision to drive his family hundreds of miles from london to durham during the lockdown. dozens of conservative mps have now called for him to step down, while others have expressed their concern about the impact of his behaviour. earlier today a government minister, douglas ross, resigned his post in protest at mr cummings‘s controversial interpretation of the lockdown rules. 0ur political editor laura kuenssberg has the latest. were you telling the truth yesterday? police, to keep order this morning. could you move out of the way, guys? the prime minister's top advisor, no longer protecting his boss —

instead, a very big problem. social distancing. only a faint plea this morning. dominic cummings' swagger, long gone. but now a minister's jumped because mr cummings hasn't been pushed. douglas ross, happy to be on the campaign in scotland in the autumn election. but if the number 10 adviser won't quit after breaking — at the very least — the spirit of the lockdown, well, mr ross won't stay. i have constituents who followed the guidance. and whether there were loopholes or areas that you could get around the guidance, they didn't. when the vast majority of people followed the guidance to the letter of the law, because the uk and scottish governments were very clear at that time to stay at home, to help ourfront line nhs workers beat this virus. now there are nearly a0 mps, including former tory ministers, even the boss of the party in scotland, calling on him to quit. i think many people will have understood the dilemma that has been faced. but i think we are distracting attention now from the key issue,

which is tackling the coronavirus. and that unease goes right to the top. a member of the cabinet told me, if dominic cummings had any self—awareness, he would resign. another said, for as long as he stays, the government will remain stuck in this groove, unable to concentrate on what really matters. and, by defending his adviser so strongly, this has become a question of the prime minister's judgment, too. one very worried, very senior figure in the party even suggested borisjohnson‘s authority itself is slipping out from under the door. yet downing street is adamant that mr cummings' trip to the north—east was covered by the exceptions to the lockdown rules. he travelled more than 200 miles to county durham, after his wife fell ill. and they've tried to justify even his 60 mile round trip to barnard castle, where he was spotted by eyewitness robin lees. but ijust feel it was right

for the true message, for what i saw to be in the public domain. i'd seen that, and i didn't think that i should keep it to myself. ministers know the public is concerned. even challenged by a vicar from brighton on what the implications were. will be government review all penalty fines imposed on families travelling for childcare purposes during lockdown? that's a very good question. i think, especially coming from a man of the cloth, i think that it is perfectly reasonable to take away that question. i'll have to talk to my treasury colleagues before i can answer it in full. nearly a0 of your colleagues believe that the prime minister's top adviser let the country down and want him gone. given that you stood there at that lectern and told people the guidelines were not advice, they were instructions, do you? my view is that what he did was within the guidelines. i can understand why reasonable people can take a different view. do you admit that it's doing damage to the government's credibility,

after a question from the member of the public that you might review some of the fines that have been given to people if they were travelling for reasons to do with their children? i think it's incredibly important that, as a nation, we keep our resolve. everybody has a part to play in this. of course, the future of one man, onejob, is less important than dealing with the virus. it's a huge destraction, though, despite the determination in number 10 to keep ignoring the wild ride outside. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. navigating a way out of lockdown and keeping the public on side was always going to be a challenge, according to the public health experts. some now worry that the row over dominic cummings will make that task even more difficult. our home editor mark easton has been gathering opinion from across the uk. there are concerns confidence in the prime minister may have been damaged in the past few days, but how serious is it?

with the help of research company britainthinks, we have assembled a cross—section of voters to calculate how the dominic cummings row has affected to the public mood. it's one rule for all of us, and government can do whatever they like, and we've got accept it. it's completely out of order. ijust didn't believe a word of it. i found he was very arrogant. and i think borisjohnson's lost credibility. you can't break a regulation, and his 30—mile drive to the castle, to check his eyesight? it's irrelevant! how can you drive 30 miles to check your eyesight? when you consider circumstances, his son who needs care all the time, and a wife who was ill, or was briefly ill, i think there has to be a little bit of slack given. listen to the job this man's got. he's crucial. he's needed. he could have stayed in that cottage for weeks. he chose to come back and help us in this crisis. who here thinks that he should resign? you didn't, of course, apologise.

he didn't, of course, apologise. should he have resigned? hands up. trust in the government appears to have been declining even before the dominic cummings row. in early april, over two—thirds of people surveyed said they trusted the government to control the spread of the virus. by last friday, that had fallen to a half. do you think that the way the government is planning to ease the lockdown in england is right, or should they go faster, or should they go slower? unfortunately, i feel there's going to be a second wave because more and more people are getting together. and people aren't taking this as serious as they should be. if the government guidelines are that you are meant to meet one person, it's not really happening. and does that worry you? it seems like you can do whatever you want, really. i think they definitely do have to be more certain with the messages that they are putting forward. i don't think that the prime minister has any idea on what he's saying and what message he's trying put forward. give it another week or two weeks, see what happens.

don't jump into anything. this is a deadly thing. we would quite like to go shopping, but i don't want to catch corona doing so. today's survey suggests more than half of people worry the controls are being lifted too quickly, with just 13% wanting lockdown lifted faster. the prime minister's lack of assertiveness has been the defining point of the crisis. it hasn't been as much of a success as the country would have hoped for. just kind of lost faith generally. ijust feel like, as usual, we're kind of the laughing stock nation. i understand why they are trying to keep things open. unfortunately, as a result, i'm sure it's resulted in a lot more deaths than there needed to be. trust in government matters. and even more so in a crisis. it may, quite literally, be a matter of life and death. mark easton, bbc news. laura joins us from westminster now. in your report, you raised the issue

of the prime minister's own authority. what is your reading of that tonight? i think this is a very choppy situation. four different members of the cabinet have suggested to me today it would be better if dom cummings had already disappeared. there are about a0 conservative mps actually on the record, going public, even in a difficult environment for them, to suggest that he should quit and many more of them have private deep unease and i think the frustration is now not so much about what he did oi’ is now not so much about what he did or didn't is now not so much about what he did ordidn‘t do, is now not so much about what he did or didn't do, but in part about the handling of all of this and the way that it has developed over the last couple of days, with this surreal experience of his press conference yesterday, and also many mps just simply relating what they are hearing from their constituents, then talking about getting hundreds, even more than a thousand e—mails expressing fury. but it says a lot about this administration that inside the very tight—knit group around boris johnson in inside the very tight—knit group around borisjohnson in number ten,

they sense this might actually be them starting to move to the other side of the storm. they hope and believe that perhaps some of the public anger might be starting to fade away. i have to say, some polls that are reported into my‘s newspapers suggest that is necessarily the case but inside downing street, there is still absolutely a conviction that the cost of hanging on to dom cummings is less than the cost politically and personally to them would be to see him walk or if he decided that it was time to resign. but we will see. tomorrow, boris johnson it was time to resign. but we will see. tomorrow, borisjohnson is up for a grilling in front of a group of senior mps and i think it is likely there may well be some tricky exchanges there. but as far as downing street is concerned, there is no badging in this moment. but there is also no denying that in this moment of a national crisis, they have been distracted, trying to keep up with a fast moving political crisis that for many people inside their own party as a source of huge

frustration, not least because it was very much an own goal by one of their own. laura, thanks again, laura kuenssberg with the latest analysis at westminster. the latest weekly figures for coronavirus deaths registered across the uk are the lowest since early april. the data shows the situtation is improving, but experts say widespread testing is the key to keeping in control. 0ur health editor hugh pym has been to basingstoke hospital to see the pilot of a new coronavirus test that gives a result injust 20 minutes. sonia has come into a&e with breathing difficulties and she's being tested for coronavirus. nose and throat swabs are taken and then picked up and carried to the lab here at basingstoke and north hampshire hospital. the swabs usually take at least seven hours to analyse, sometimes a day or more. but with a new piece of equipment, it's nearer 20 minutes. a team here worked with a local technology company to come up with a more rapid process.

it's a very exciting project to be part of, and it's been part of a real big team effort, so having the ability to bring the test nearer to the patients, whether it is in hospital or in the community, can have a real impact on how that patient is managed far more rapidly. there's a six—week trial of the rapid testing system, both here and in another emergency department run by the trust, at a gp practice and local care homes. depending on how well it goes, decisions will be made on whether it can be rolled out more extensively. ijust need to check... it could make a big difference to health staff. at this london gp surgery, some have had to wait more than a week to get test results back. this has been a very frustrating situation for us at the surgery. we've had staff off when we needed results to enable them to return back to work. i've been speaking to my colleagues in secondary care, and they're facing the same problems. the scottish government today unveiled a strategy

called test and protect. from thursday, anyone with coronavirus symptoms will be tested and they'll be asked to name people they've been in close contact with. these individuals will then be traced by up to 2,000 health officials. technology used by contact tracers will be in place from the start, but we will also add a digital platform to allow people who test positive to enter details of their contacts online. many care homes around the uk have called for more support to get staff and residents tested after local outbreaks and fatalities. in the week ending 2ath—25th april, there were nearly 3,200 deaths with covid—i9 in uk care homes. by the first full week of this month, that had fallen to belowjust below 1,950, and figures out today showed it was down slightly at nearly 1,900 a week later. the hope now is that this rapid testing equipment does prove suitable to be taken out to care homes. so the test has come

back negative... good news for sonia, meanwhile. she hasn't got coronavirus. it was only a brief wait before a further assessment. but there's still frustration in many other parts of the nhs that the testing process just takes too long. hugh is here now. encouraging news in your report about that new test, but we can also talk tonight about a new form of treatment. what can you tell us? yes, a drug called remdesevir, originally designed as an antiviral for ebola patients but now being tried out for cobh at 19 in various different health care systems. in england, it is going to be available now under something called the early access medicines scheme, whereby a drug is allowed by regulators to be used by doctors for unmet need even though the trials had not been completed. early work on this suggests it cuts the recovery time

for coronavirus by four days from an average of 15 days down to ii. for coronavirus by four days from an average of 15 days down to 11. if administered early, it is thought it will prevent patients needing to go into intensive care, in other words, stopping them deteriorate. so it looks as if it may save lives but there is no hard evidence of that at this stage. matt hancock, the health secretary, says it is the biggest step forward in treatments since the crisis began. experts are saying it is not a magic bullet, though. we don't know how much is going to be made available by the drug company, gilead sciences, to the nhs. doctors will probably administer it based on their assessment of a patient‘s need. but certainly, there is a view that it at least blocks the virus and it could well open the door longer term for a treatment. thank you forjoining us. hugh pym, our health editor, there. the supercar maker mclaren has announced 12,000 jobs will be lost across its operations, including its formula i team. the firm based in surrey said its finances had been hit badly

by the cancellation of motorsport around the world, and reduced demand for its products, during the pandemic. car showrooms and outdoor markets in england will be able to welcome customers from next monday, and other shops will follow on the 15th ofjune, but some retailers say they will struggle to have government safety measures ready in time. among the measures will be limits on the number of shoppers allowed into a shop at the same time, as well as one—way systems on the floor. our business correspondent emma simpson has more details. more people are out and high streets are also preparing to come out of hibernation. but shopping will be different. the first thing is, be prepared to queue. it's not just groceries, all shops will be limiting the number of customers in—store to comply with social distancing. queueing, it seems, is about to become part of our everyday life. when you're inside, expect to see lots of signs on how to move around the store.

now, we all love a good browse, but customers are being encouraged not to handle items while they're doing it, where possible, and, preferably, shop alone. and you can forget about trying stuff on because fitting rooms will be closed wherever possible. here at m&s, if you want a bra fitting, you'll have to follow their diy guide online. it's back to basics for stores now. next door, andy's got far less space to play without his fashion store but he reckons he can also follow the government's new retail rules. the guidance is very detailed and i think it is quite good. so, i'm not nervous about the situation because i think as long as i communicate the right things to the people who work here and set the rules correctly, i think we don't need to be nervous. how keen are you to reopen again? we've got to get on with life. we've got to get this show up and running again.

so, yeah, i'm excited. i just want to get back to work, really. but all retailers are wondering, when the doors finally reopen, will shoppers come? very keen. yes, very keen as well. can't really wait. i've been shopping online a lot and it's just not the same. i think you like to go in and have the experience. i still think it's ok, if you socially distance and you're sensible about it. but we have to get the economy going. are you prepared to queue? probably not. if i'm really honest. down the road in kingston, john sells records. 0nline sales have kept him going, but he's in no rush to open up. i just don't feel comfortable bringing people into the shop. the shop, which has to be about browsing and losing yourself in the shop. i don't think we can do social distancing in here effectively. it's been a long wait, but it's also likely to be a slow and gradual reopening for many of our high street shops.

emma simpson, bbc news, kingston. the royal national lifeboat institution is calling for access to england's beaches to be restricted, until lifeguards are back on patrol. they were taken off duty when lockdown came into force. two people died in separate incidents on the cornish cost yesterday, and the charity says safety advice and warnings only go so far when people are keen to enjoy some freedom after weeks of being at home. 0ur correspondentjon kay reports. half term, perfect weather. but with two deaths, it's been a bleak bank holiday weekend on the cornish coast. just off this middle section of the beach where the rocks run out... ben is a vicar, but yesterday, he raced into the sea to rescue a surfer at widemouth bay, because there were no lifeguards on duty. at least three people got pulled in off the beach here that day,

and further up the coast, we know of at least another six. and that's because we aren't going to leave people to drown. the rnli stood down all its lifeguards in the uk when lockdown started. and they still haven't returned, even though beaches in england are now filling up again. many people living in coastal communities say they feel exposed. it is just so dangerous. we are seeing rescues happening on a daily basis. perhaps the lifeguards aren't seen as an emergency service elsewhere in the country, but in cornwall, it is essential. get your act together. it's not rocket science. the rnli says it wants to have lifeguards back on duty right around the uk as soon as possible, but they say it is not that simple, because first, they have to train up their staff to save lives safely in a time of coronavirus. we were not able to start moving until may the 13th. we heard about it at the same time as everybody else did. and we have moved incredibly quickly

to get the service up and running as fast as we possibly can. to avoid more deaths, the rnli wants the government to restrict access to the seaside for now. 16 beaches in england will get some cover this weekend, with more to follow across the uk as lockdown rules change. but until lifeguards can return to work officially, some say they will patrol the beaches as volunteers. jon kay, bbc news, cornwall. a teenagerfrom india who cycled hundreds of miles, carrying her injured father, from the capital delhi back to their home village during the country's lockdown, has been speaking to the bbc about her story. 15—year—old jyoti paswan took seven days to complete the journey, which has also highlighted the plight of indians who regularly travel hundreds of miles to find work. 0ur correspondent yogita limaye has the story.