the devastating effects of coronavirus on the economy — it shrank by over 20% in april, the first full month of lockdown. empty gyms, offices, restaurants, and shops — large swathes of the economy ground to a halt, in the sharpest contraction on record. it is going to be tough for a few months but we will get through it and bounce back very strongly indeed. the governor of the bank of england said he does see signs of a gradual recovery and added he was ready to take action to limit the long—term damage. also tonight: the government rules out prolonging trade talks with the eu beyond december — but checks on goods coming to the uk will be phased in next year. how city dwellers used to live — urban areas and deprived areas have

been worse hit by coronavirus, according to new figures. the prime minister says it's absurd and shameful that a statue of churchill has had to be boxed up to protect it from anti—racism protesters. and tomorrow's official birthday celebrations for the queen will go ahead — but not like this. and coming up on bbc news... another blow to the formula 1 season — as three more races are axed. the grands prix in singapore, azerbaijan and japan have all been cancelled. good evening. the dramatic economic effect of the lockdown was laid bare today. in april the uk economy shrank by more than a fifth — that's the largest monthly

contraction ever recorded as we spent our first full month in lockdown. the slump of 20.4% in economic growth is three times larger than the decline seen during the whole of the financial crisis 12 years ago. the office for national statistics says it's affected almost all areas of economic activity — with housebuilding and car manufacturing particularly badly hit. the uk is now on course for a recession, which is two consecutive quarters of negative growth. but analysts say that april was likely to have been the worst month. our economics editor, faisal islam, has this report. the massive hit to the economy is no surprise when streets are silent. shops are closed, factories are idle and tens of billions in sales don't happen because they cannot. but such a slump on this scale in one month isn't just a record, a slump on this scale in one month isn'tjust a record, it was unimaginable and way beyond any normal scale. marlow zoo is one

example of a leisure attraction was shut down is seen in these numbers. april had easter this year so we we re april had easter this year so we were expecting about 70,000 guests to come here to enjoy the zoo and in the end we got nobody. whilst we we re the end we got nobody. whilst we were expecting £1.8 million in terms of visitor income for the month, we didn't receive anything so disastrous for us. in april, the first full month of lockdown, the economy fell by just first full month of lockdown, the economy fell byjust over 20%, losing a fifth of its value and it means since the lockdown began in march, the uk economy has lost a quarter of its value, that is the cliff on this chart, making the financial crisis in 2008 resemble a small blip. the question is where do things go from here? for a dynamic, creative economy we depend so much on human contact and we have been badly hit by this but we are also amazingly resilient and creative and we will bounce back. there was a

report that came out a couple of days ago from the 0ecd, that group of industrialised nations, suggesting the drop in gdp for this year for the uk would actually be worse than for every other industrialised nation so we are in a very difficult situation as a country. in oxfordshire, an airfield tens of billions worth of vehicles waiting for the showrooms to sell again. and in turn winning the car factories will be far from full tilt. so this is what those grim numbers look like in reality. up and down the country, storage areas, airfields and ports full of unsold cars. in april, a 99.7% fall in car sales. the challenge now, as lockdown sales. the challenge now, as lockd own starts sales. the challenge now, as lockdown starts to ease, is will it actually return to normal? will these cars actually sell or is the economy fundamentally damaged ? these cars actually sell or is the economy fundamentally damaged? for the moment the government is focusing on a gradual reopening

stuff for example, of the housing market. we are just starting to recover and i believe it will take until the end of the year to come close, whether we will even get there but i feel positive that there is enough people who want to move and if there is enough people who wa nt to and if there is enough people who want to move then people will sell and people will buy. and there is much lost ground to make up in the gym is also with the added challenge of whether people will use them in a new normal. the fitness sector has proved before it is particularly resilient in a recession and i think we will benefit greatly from the tailwind provided by the pandemic. we have never seen tailwind provided by the pandemic. we have never seen a tailwind provided by the pandemic. we have never seen a weaker month, the economy far from fighting fit. the question isjust the economy far from fighting fit. the question is just how long the process of rehabilitation will take. faisal islam joins me now.— so terrible figures, but how quickly are things going to bounce back? this is not a forecast, it is hard data for april, the first month of lockdown, and it is worth

reiterating that even a 2% fall would have been dire and this is 20%, it is indescribable but at the same time it is obvious when looking out the window why we have got a number like this. just because it is unsurprising does not mean the challenge of getting us back up again is not very real. and i think that there is a couple of reasons for that. the underlying pandemic challenge has proven more difficult in this country than, say, germany. but there are also calls for a new wave of rescues. we had a massive rescue and it would have been much worse without the jobs rescue but new forms of rescue packages for industry. the governor of the bank of england andrew bailey saying his organisation stands ready to help and it is ready to make a decision next week but saying other organisations, referencing government, might also help and there might be more help on the way and certainly with this number that is the sort of thing that could turn it around. faisal islam, thank you.

well, the economic uncertainty has led to calls for the brexit transition period — where the uk follows eu rules on trade, travel, and business — to be extended beyond the end of this year. today, the government ruled that out, with cabinet office minister michael gove saying he'd "formally confirmed" to the eu that there'd be no delay. but checks on goods coming here from the eu will be phased in next year, to give businesses time to adjust. 0ur political correspondent, alex forsyth, reports. it has not been business like this for months. many firms disrupted because of the virus and at the end of this year, another big change could be brewing. 0ur of this year, another big change could be brewing. our current trade terms with the eu end and there will be no extension whether there is a new deal or not. we would not be extending. that is it, we are leaving the transition period on december 31 and that provides clarity and certainty to business and our announcement allows business

to plan in an appropriate and flexible way. uk left the eu on january 31, a loving one year were not much changed to work out future relations. those talks have not made huge progress so on monday the prime minister will meet eu figures to try to get things moving because december 31 is the deadline for a new trade deal to be agreed and that won't be extended. although some still think it should be and why...? to ta ke still think it should be and why...? to take away the risk of a no deal outcome and to make sure that all of us outcome and to make sure that all of us remain focused on supporting business through the post—covid recovery and not making the challenges that the economy and our businesses face any worse than it already is. for some businesses, some relief today. this fashion firm imports from and exports to the eu and today the government said from january it would relax new rules on some goods coming in. six months of grace for customs paperwork and payments. setting up a new border control system in seven or eight

months would not be realistic and i think the uk can see more benefit from that. the government insists it is not backtracking on previous plans, arguing that a phased approach to new customs checks is pragmatic in the current economic climate. but the eu is not reciprocating. it says it will be ready for controls on imports come january. brexit may not have dominated here of late but that does not mean the political pressure has eased. the government was re-elected with a significant majority, with a strong mandate to get on with brexit. if the government is going to fulfil the commitments on which it was elected, we need to have those customs processes and our borders fully operational as soon as we can. for businesses, certainty is key, even more so given the turmoil of coronavirus. more clarity on border plans have been welcomed but it is whether a broader deal can be struck which remains crucial. alex

forsyth, bbc news, westminster. coronavirus has hit the most deprived parts of england and wales twice as hard as wealthier areas, according to official figures. urban areas, which are more densely populated, were worse affected than rural areas. meanwhile, in the last 24—hour period, the number of deaths in the uk in hospitals, care homes and the wider community related to coronavirus were up by 202, bringing the total number of deaths to 41,1181. 0ur health editor hugh pym reports. the north—east of england has been hit hard by coronavirus. following the peak in april, the number of deaths fell across the country last month but slower in this region than elsewhere. and local health experts say there were a number of factors. asagp say there were a number of factors. asa gp in say there were a number of factors. as a gp in inner—city newcastle we have large numbers of people living with long—term conditions or chronic diseases and the ones that we see a lot of include chest diseases,

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is very common. and that clearly puts you at greater risk if you were to catch the virus. figures out today for england and wales show a range of death rates linked to cover19 a range of death rates linked to cover 19 between march and may. they are adjusted for differing age profiles in each area. in the north—east of england the figure was just over 97 for every 100,000 of population. in london, the highest, it was 137 per 100000 and the lowest in england was the south—west, with just over a1. in wales, the highest area, once again a big city was cardiff at 125 per 100,000 deaths. wales as a whole at 67 was below england. the figures show death rates in the most deprived areas we re rates in the most deprived areas were a lot higher than in the wealthiest parts of the country. in england, more than twice as high.

there is a higher death rate from covid amongst people who for example working on skilled labour and it is quite likely there are higher proportions of people in that work in deprived areas and we similarly know that if you're in an area of high population density it is harder to do social distancing effectively at many deprived areas we are looking at our areas of high population density. the medical directorfor nhs population density. the medical director for nhs england acknowledged these were challenging issues. those things that mean you are more likely to do badly when you get the infection, like diabetes, like obesity, like heart and lung disease, we see more frequently in more deprived areas of the country. and so tackling those issues fundamentally will also mean that people are less likely for infections such as covid—19. people are less likely for infections such as covid-19. in scotla nd infections such as covid-19. in scotland and northern ireland there are no comparable figures for death rates which have been adjusted for the differing age demographics in

each area. there will be a lot more research on health inequalities, prevalence among bame communities, wealth disparities and underlying conditions. today's figures for england and wales add a bit more to an understanding of the impact of coronavirus. hugh pym, bbc news. from monday, face coverings will be mandatory on public transport in england. transport operators will be able to refuse permission to travel to those who are not wearing a face—covering, and non—compliance could lead to fines. the transport secretary, grant shapps, confirmed that "journey makers" will be deployed to remind people. scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon has insisted that a programme to test care workers for coronavirus is accelerating. so far, just over a third have been tested — that's despite a promise last month that all care home staff would get a weekly test. 0ur scotland editor sarah smith reports.

all staff working in every care home in scotland are supposed to be tested for coronavirus every week. a big promise. the big problem is that nearly four weeks after that commitment, only around a third of staff have been tested even once. at this home in dumfries and galloway they have had no confirmed cases but they have had no confirmed cases but they have had no confirmed cases but they have also been unable to get hold of the tests. i think it would have been beneficial for hold of the tests. i think it would have been beneficialfor us to have been tested earlier, it would have put us all may be a bit more at ease. we are further down the line, having been closed since march, and it is quite scary thinking that if somebody comes back with a positive test, that will have a huge impact on the home. across the whole of dumfries and galloway, only for care home staff are tested in the first week of this month. of all the people in scotland who have died of covid—19, people in scotland who have died of covid-19, a7% people in scotland who have died of covid—19, a7% have been in care homes, more than have died in hospital. and the government know

that without visitors, it is staff who pose the greatest risk for bringing the virus into homes, and thatis bringing the virus into homes, and that is why they want to test them every week. but it is a target they have yet to meet. the charity that i’u ns have yet to meet. the charity that runs this home say they have only been able to get 5% of their scottish staff tested compared to 90% in homes in england. scottish staff tested compared to 90% in homes in englandlj scottish staff tested compared to 9096 in homes in england. i welcome the commitment to weekly testing because that is a commitment, it has not happened in england, but the reality has to catch up with the government position. the first minister will not set a date for when the government might reach the testing goal. why is a commitment to testing goal. why is a commitment to test all care home staff not been met even though it is over three weeks since it was first made and when will that promise be fulfilled? it does take time to put in place a programme of testing, that number of people, in place and health boards have been doing that, the health secretary and myself have given a fairly direct indication over the last figure so that we think that progress should be accelerating and

thatis progress should be accelerating and that is why the health secretary has made that clear to health boards and the other side is we make clear to health boards at the scottish government is there if they need additional resources and support. the scottish government is working ona the scottish government is working on a deal to cover sick pay for any ca re on a deal to cover sick pay for any care home workers who do test positive and have to isolate. figures for staff testing will be published every week, intensifying pressure to increase the test. sarah smith, bbc news, glasgow. we don't know how many of the tens of thousands of hospital patients in england discharged to care homes at the height of the coronavirus pandemic were tested — that's the finding of the national audit office. 0ur social affairs correspondent alison holt is here. we've heard so much about care homes. what new light does this report shed? i think this report provides us with a really important timeline for the decisions being made by government and by nhs england and these are decisions which have shaped our

response to the crisis. it starts off with what was effectively the nhs action plan, a letter sent on march the 17th setting up measures to prevent hospitals being overwhelmed which included the rapid discharge of patients from hospitals, including around about 25,000 people who were moved to care homes. the report says it is not known how many had covid—19 or even how many had been tested and it also says we do not know how many health and social care staff had been tested during the pandemic. the peak of outbreaks of the virus in care homes was the first week of april and about a week later on april the 15th we got the government's social ca re 15th we got the government's social care action plan, so this is the sort of thing that will fuel the argument that social care was an afterthought and that had tragic consequences with a high number of deaths in care homes. 0n the one

hand you have the nhs, a national health service well loved, well understood, a powerful voice, and on the other hand you have the care system, complex and fragmented, poorly understood, and this report says that that has been a problematic relationship for a very long time. it also says, and this is particularly striking, no one knows how many people receive social care in england. government will see our says that it has taken the right decisions at the times and it has followed the best advice but i think it is safe to say this is not something that is going to go away and it will also add to the call for reform of the system where reform is long overdue. alison, many thanks. police say two sisters found dead in a park in north—west london nearly a week ago were murdered by a stranger. bibaa henry was a6 and nicole smallman was 27. they'd been at party in wembley. they'd met friends there last friday

to celebrate ms henry's birthday. their bodies were found shortly after 1pm on sunday afternoon. post—mortem tests revealed they'd both died from multiple stab wounds. the prime minister says it's "absurd and shameful" that a statue of winston churchill has had to be boarded up because of fears it may be vandalised. last weekend, protesters daubed it with graffiti saying that churchill was a racist. borisjohnson also warned people to "stay away" from protests because of coronavirus. chi chi izundu reports. this has been a week of anger. peaceful anti—racism protests marred by violence and graffiti. this is now how the churchill statue outside parliament stands. 0ver fears today's march would result in more damage. the statue of winston churchill, who is a national hero,

has had to be boarded up forfear of violent attack, and that, to me, is both absurd and wrong. you should not have a situation where people who are protesting on one basis are violently attacking the police or public property. a demonstration planned for tomorrow was brought forward to today because of concerns there could be trouble between people determined to defend the monuments and those who may have wanted to deface them. fewer people but a much heavier police presence. this is now the second week where people have taken and they said again and again that this will not be the last one. there is no way i want my kids to allow other people to treat other people different only because of the colour of their skin.

we need change. like, what's going on right now, we are just acting as if because it's been happening for ages it's ok for it to carry on when we need to put a stop to that. but the debate around statues continues. in bristol this statue of black playwright and poet alfred fagon has been attacked with bleach. while the thomas guy statue outside the hospital in london he founded has been boarded up because of his links to slavery. and organisers of today's protest are concerned that the discussions around whether statues should remain up or be taken down is overshadowing their black lives matter message. chi chi izundu, bbc news. a front page headline in the sun newspaper in which the authoij rowling's ex—husband defends slapping her has been roundly criticised by campaigners against domestic abuse and by mps. helena wilkinson is with me. what has led to this? this comes

after the author revealed for the first time that she was a victim of domestic abuse and sexual assault. she spoke about that experience she said in part to try to explain why she made those comments at the weekend about tra nsgender she made those comments at the weekend about transgender issues for which she was severely criticised. today the front page of the sun newspaper and the headline, i slapped jk and newspaper and the headline, i slappede and i am not newspaper and the headline, i slapped jk and i am not sorry, the words of her ex—husband, who the people tracked down and interviewed, and it has received a huge backlash from politicians but also domestic abuse charities as well. many see that it endorses and empowers the domestic abuser. refuge, a domestic abuse charity, have said in response ata time abuse charity, have said in response at a time of increased rates of domestic abuse the sun has chosen to amplify the voice of a perpetrator. the sun has said it was not its intention to enable or glorify

domestic abuse, rather its intention was to expose perpetrator‘s total lack of remorse and today we have heard from the newspaper watchdog who have told us they have had over 500 complaints with regard to this article, which is quite high. helena, many thanks. gps are warning that many people are avoiding routine appointments, with patient numbers much lower than before the coronavirus outbreak. it's led to fears that serious conditions could get worse if left untreated. there's also been a rapid transformation in the way that gps are operating. our health correspondent dominic hughes has been to a surgery in the centre of liverpool to see how things have changed. come on in, come and take a seat. this is the new reality for doctor debbie noland. medical scrubs and full protective clothing. i'm just going to listen to your heart. even for those patients with no covid symptoms, doctors need to balance the risk of infection while being free to check out potentially dangerous conditions. does that feel a little bit sore?

if you need to listen to somebody‘s chest or listen to somebody‘s heart, you need to do that.