andy verity, bbc news. 0ur economics editor faisal islam is here.ast that many people already suspected? yes, you do have to step back. it is simply extraordinary to see a chart like this, never seen in the 300 here history of the entire institution. it goes down so sharply. perhaps thatis it goes down so sharply. perhaps that is not surprising given that swathes of the economy have been shut down. that is a very sharp fall. but a sharp rebound too. we know the downturn has mostly happened already. that is in some of the data they are looking at. it is a bit more hopeful, this sharp rebound, and it depends notjust on economics, it depends on epidemiology, it depends on politics and the response. the interesting thing is despite this economic damage you are not getting a suggestion from the bank of england or economists to lift the lockdown immediately, because actually that second wave of the pandemic, as deadly as it would be, would also be the sort of thing that would interrupt the rebound of the government hopes for. thank you. the prime minister

andy verity, bbc news.elaxed will be how much the virus is still spreading and whether health officials feel the outbreak is under control. our health correspondent dominic hughes has been looking at the factors influencing the government's decisions. on the isle of wight, a potentially life—saving piece of technology, a mobile phone app, is being put through its paces. the idea is to alert those who might have come into contact with someone who has fallen ill with covid—19. it's a vital part of the government's strategy, tracking and tracing those who were exposed to the virus to prevent a second spike in infection. it starts taking measurements of the distance between my phone and other app users' phones. if i later go on to develop symptoms, i'm able to go back into the app and report those symptoms and, then, during the isle of wight phase, i will be put through to a call centre, an 0800 number where i can request a virology test kit, which is sent to my home. a test will be also offered to those contac

andy verity, bbc news.rply. that is a very sharp fall, but as andy just said, a sharp rebound too. the thing is, we know the downturn has mostly happened already, that is in some of the data that they are looking at. it is a bit more hopeful this sharp rebound, and it depends notjust on economics, simon, it depends of course on epidemiology, it depends on politics and the response and i think the interesting thing is that despite this economic damage you're not getting a suggestion from the bank of england or from economists that you need to lift the lockdown immediately because actually that second wave of the pandemic, as deadly as it would be, would also be the sort of thing that would interrupt the rebound that every one hopes for. tony yates is a former advisor on monetary policy at the bank of england — he's also a research associate for independent think—tank the resolution foundation. hejoins me now. they are grim figures, but should we be surprised given that we pretty much switched the economy off

andy verity, bbc news.n has announced a further £600 million for infection control in england's care homes. at prime minister's questions the labour leader, sir keir starmer, challenged mrjohnson to explain why official figures show there were an additional 10,000 unexplained deaths in care homes in april. the prime minister acknowledged the death rate has been too high, but said outbreaks in care homes are coming down. here's our political correspondent iain watson. the lockdown is slowly easing in england. though westminster remains subdued. labour had long called for an exit strategy but criticised the prime minister's planned route out of lockdown for lack of clarity and for being too slow to get on top of the crisis. so keir starmer began by questioning the government response to infections in care homes for the care home residents were granted for about four in ten deaths from coronavirus recently. does the prime minister accept the government was too slow to protect people in care homes? the prime mi

with more here is andy verity.her firms who want to do the same. the idea of something like this really does give a barrier for people to understand they need to keep two metres social distancing. it is about having effective products in the market to enable employees to maintain social distancing. today's government guidance paves the way for people who can't work from home to go back to work, but only if conditions are right. the construction giant taylor wimpey told the bbc today site managers would return to work and put up signage directing staff how to work at a social distance. nothing's stopping us apart from making sure it is done safely. you need clear rules that we can implement and have the right equipment, and you also need the behavioural side. we believe strongly that that is done best by taking those baby steps and taking it a stage ata time. it is easy to forget just how far two metres is. but there are things you can do when you have to be relatively close to someone at work. of course there are t

here's our economics correspondent andy verity. it looks like this at the start of the year, not growing but still busy, then this is how it looked at the end of the first three months. and this is a chart showing how big the fort was in the services sector which makes up for a fifth of the economy, down 6.2% in march alone and it is likely to get even worse. for example the bank of england suggested in the second quarter we might see a 25% for an economic output and that is com pletely economic output and that is completely unprecedented, that is nine or ten times the biggest quarterly fall we've ever seen. the speed with which this has hit the economy and the depth of the impact is really unprecedented. this manufacturer in derby normally makes bespoke stainless steel equipment mostly for restaurant kitchens and other caterers, it successfully adapted to the shutdown in march by following some staff and converting machines to make equipment needed in the crisis. we recently supplied 1000 mobile washbasins which have gone into a v

2.1 million people claiming benefits in april — that's a rise of 70%. 0ur economics correspondent andy verityly timea the big freeze of 1947, the only time a record one unemployment has risen faster than today, when snowd rifts risen faster than today, when snowdrifts blocked coal to power stations, forcing the economy into a deep recession from which it quickly rebounded. the economy is shut down for a very different reason today and 2.1 million people claiming benefits due to unemployment, administers have acknowledged it will get worse. so far the statistics are indicative until the end of march and we will not have a more detailed understanding for about another month, so the universal credit claimants is where we are focusing our interest in the moment, but in the meantime the department is working across government and what we can do to help people get back into the labour market once the economy properly recovers. today's figures showed jobless claims which fell in the 19905 jobless claims which fell in the 1990s and noting so getting back apply, rising by 850,000 months, much faster t

with more details on the plans for the workplace, here's our economics correspondent, andy verity.nufacturer in fleckney, leicestershire, is fighting coronavirus on two leicestershire, is fighting coronavirus on two fronts. going back to work within the rules by practising social distancing, and making floor mats for other firms who want to do the same. this really does give a barrier for people to understand the need for two metres social distancing. it is about having effective products in the market to enable employees to maintain social distancing. today's government guidance paves the way for people who can't work from home to go back to work, but only if conditions are right. the construction giant taylor wimpey told the bbc today site managers would return to work and put up signs directing staff how to work at a social distance. the only thing stopping us is making sure it is done safely. you need to clear rules that we can implement and have the right equipment, and you also need the behavioural side. we believe strongly that that is done best by taking those baby steps an

let's speak to our economics correspondent andy verity.n his feet in the commons, what has he basically announced 7 in the commons, what has he basically announced? this is a very significant announcement, simon, basically announced? this is a very significantannouncement, simon, a momentous decision back in march for the government to step in and pay the government to step in and pay the wages are private companies, something that's never happened before. the fact that it's gone on for months already, then there'll be another four months on top is equally momentous, it means government support private firms will carry on for that long, add a huge cost. we should remember this scheme is costing roughly around £10 billion every month. now they are extending it until october, that's very big news, the other really important thing is that nothing is going to change until the end of july. there had been a lot of people for example in the hospitality and leisure sectors, people who own restau ra nts a nd leisure sectors, people who own restaura

andy verity reporting there and andy is here with me now.r says it is likely we are ina the chancellor says it is likely we are in a significant recession but since that first quarter what will the figures look like in the next quarter? it could be ten times as large so the first quarter of the year, a 2% contraction which has only happened for other times in the past 60 years, that is how serious it is for the economy. but the bank of england last week predicted we could see a 25% contraction in the second quarter of the year from april untiljune. it makes sense because the whole point of lockdown is to reduce economic activity. the extraordinary thing about this unprecedented recession that we are in is governments around the world ordered this and it is a successful government policy. that is a strange thing to say in the same sentence as we are seeing an economic contraction and the like of which we've never seen in a contraction and the like of which we've never seen in a lifetime or possibly in 300 years. it is extraordinary serious, i

our first report is from our economics correspondent andy verity.old cars lined up at a former military airfield in upper heyford, oxfordshire, just one image from what is now expected to be the biggest recession since 1706. since the shutdown began over six weeks ago, the evidence suggests household spending is down 30%, company sales are down 45% and business investment has halved. modelling the impact of covid—i9, the bank of england's working assumption is that the economy will shrink in the first—half of this year by 30%. what it really means is obviously the very sharp sort of downturn we have had is a product of the situation we have been in now since march, and the restrictions that are in place, which affect obviously economic activity very severely. the interesting question then is of course, what is the path from here onwards going to look like? it is really only through until next summer and thereafter that activity comes fully back. waiting for a recovery next year, though, may be too late for companies who only have enough cash to last

andy verity, bbc news.d afternoon, it is one minute past five and you're watching a bbc news special with the government today publishing a 50 page document laying out plans in detail to ease lockdown restrictions in england. the conditional 3—step plan includes details on schools, businesses, meeting people outside your household and advice on face coverings while the timetable for lifting restrictions will be delayed if there is not sufficient progress in controlling the virus. it comes as the latest daily figures show a further 210 people with covid—19 have died across the uk, bringing the total to 32,065. this afternoon borisjohnson has the total to 32,065. this afternoon boris johnson has been the total to 32,065. this afternoon borisjohnson has been explaining the new measures for easing the lockdown in england to mps and he said that we are at the most perilous moment. you will be giving a news conference at the 7pm. let's look at what he has said so far. from wednesday, you should go to work if you

2.1 million people claiming benefits in april — that's a rise of 70%. 0ur economics correspondent andy verity how snowed-up britain looks from the air. and here's leicester's mainline station. but where are the trains? the big freeze of 19117. the only time on record when unemployment has risen faster than it's rising today, when snowdrifts blocked trains bringing coal to power stations, forcing the railways and therefore the economy into a deep recession from which it quickly rebounded the next year. today, with the economy shut down for a very different reason and 2.1 million people claiming benefits due to unemployment, ministers acknowledged it will get worse. so far, the employment stats really are indicative to the end of march and we will not have a more detailed understanding for about another month, so at the moment the universal credit claimants is where we are focusing our interest, but meantime the department is working across government on what we can do to help people get back into the labour market once the economy properly recovers. today's figures showed jobless claims which

2.1 million people claiming benefits in april — that's a rise of 70%. 0ur economics correspondent andy veritya very different reason and 2.1 million people claiming benefits due to unemployment, ministers acknowledge it will get worse. so far, the employment stats are indicative to the end of march and we will not have the more detailed understanding for about another month, so at the moment the universal credit claimants is where we are focusing our interest. meantime, the department is also working across government on what we can do to help people get back into the labour market once the economy properly recovers. today's figures show jobless claims which fell in the 19905 jobless claims which fell in the 1990s and naughties are getting back up 1990s and naughties are getting back up there, rising by 50,000 injust a month. that is faster than in the globalfinancial month. that is faster than in the global financial crisis, month. that is faster than in the globalfinancial crisis, including half a million employees and many self—employed people robbed by the shutdown of an income. the shutd

whilst also respecting social distancing rules —— macro economics correspondent andy verity has this. even before the prime minister's speech yesterday, some manufacturers were reopening, with social distancing measures in place. in mid wales, where the advice is to stay home, this machinery firm has brought in 53 hand washing stations in a one—way system so workers can stay two metres apart. yeah, sometimes you do have to think about it, because you see somebody, you are like, get into a conversation, and then you think, wait, step back. you are here working, so it takes your mind off it, it's only when you get home and you see the news again. our facilities are as safe as we can possibly get it. if we find other ways, we will obviously look at them. this is the unknown, there's no textbook telling you what to do, we have had to figure this out as we go along. we are dealing with people's lives and incomes but are trying to keep the business viable. but there were already signs this morning ofjust how hard it is going to be to maintain social distancing in rush—hour. spotting people