thank you, helen catt.find out more on the situation in scotland from oui’ on the situation in scotland from our scotland correspondent lorna gordon. explain more about this, lorna. there's been a big jump gordon. explain more about this, lorna. there's been a bigjump in the death numbers in scotland due to covid—19. new statistics show that 354 people have died after testing positive for covid—19, and that includes deaths where the virus was a probable contributing factor. it goes up to the period ending last sunday, so it is not directly comparable to those daily statistics we have been getting so far, but it is broader, it is more accurate, and the statistics do give more detail. we know where deaths are occurring, more than one third are in greater glasgow and clyde, there have been no covid—19 related deaths in 0rkney 01’ no covid—19 related deaths in 0rkney or the western isles. statistics show that older people are more likely to die from covid—19, but that younger people are dying as well. they show

with our first report this lunchtime, here's our political correspondent helen catt.was the prime minister ten days ago. hi, folks, i want this was the prime minister ten days ago. hi, folks, iwant to this was the prime minister ten days ago. hi, folks, i want to bring up to speed with something that is happening today which is that i've developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus, that is say a temperature and a persistent cough. on the advice of the chief medical for so, on the advice of the chief medical forso, i on the advice of the chief medical for so, i have taken a test which has come out positive. his symptoms have not gone away and after more than a week of self isolating in downing street with a brief appearance at the door of number 11 on thursday he is now in a london hospital undergoing tests, a precautionary step, says downing street. he has been working extremely hard leading the government and being constantly updated. that'll continue. today he is in hospital having tests, obviously, but he will be continue to be kept informed as to what is happening

political correspondent helen catt is in westminster for political correspondent helen catt is in westminsterfor us. let's political correspondent helen catt is in westminster for us. let's talk about the prime minister and the latest update we have from downing street, he is still in icu but stable. this is the latest official information from downing street given to them by the prime minister's medical team at st thomas's hospital just minister's medical team at st thomas's hospitaljust over the river here from westminster. they say he remains clinically stable but is responding to treatment, and is still in intensive care. he has not been put on a ventilator but has been put on a ventilator but has been given oxygen treatment, we understand. he said to be in good spirits. we can take from that that he is still able to communicate and we are told he has the ability to contact everyone that he needs to, although downing street confirmed the assumption that he is not working. downing street also said there was at number ten are hugely grateful for the messages of support that have been sent to t

helen catt is on downing street.ortant question which will be asking various ministers later, what happens in terms of running the country at the moment? we are in a different place than we were this time yesterday. the message from downing street was the borisjohnson was very much leading the government response, getting papers, talking to collea g u es getting papers, talking to colleagues but that is not the message this morning. we know instead that dominic raab, the foreign secretary who holds the role of first secretary of state has been asked to deputise mrjohnson, and thatis asked to deputise mrjohnson, and that is not a move that any prime minister would willingly want to ta ke minister would willingly want to take so we are at the point where there really wouldn't have been another option. the plan, the strategy is borisjohnson‘s and it's his instructions that they are working to carry out over the course of this week. the other thing to go about in westminster, dealing with the fallout of boris johnson abo

here's our political correspondent, helen catt. keir

here's our political correspondent, helen catt.but few could have predicted the circumstances in which he would become labour's new leader. in a sign of the extraordinary times, his victory was announced by e—mail, his speech a prerecorded video. his first challenge, how to lead the opposition when party politics is pretty much set aside. -- his —— his victory was announced by tweet. under my leadership we will engage constructively with the government. not opposition for opposition's sake, not scoring party political points, or making impossible demands. but with the courage to support where that is the right thing to do. but we will test the arguments that are put forward. we will shine a torch on critical issues, and where we see mistakes, orfaltering government, or things not happening as quickly ahas they should, we will challenge that. but as party lead he will face plenty of challenges. but as party leader he will face plenty of challenges. labour is still dealing with the fall out of its worst election result for decades. o

strict guidelines, breathing new life back into parts of the economy. 0ur political correspondent, helen catt we are still facing hundreds of deaths a day. what will the government to be doing in terms of strategy now? the government has to look at this in the long—term. keeping the lockdown measures in place in terms of tackling the coronavirus. but it is not consequence free to do that. it will have to look at what it means for the economy and for people's mental health. the first review is due this week and in the next few days, and it is very unlikely that this will see any change. that is because the government has consistently said that these measures are about getting us through the peak of the virus and making sure that the nhs is not overwhelmed by the virus. the signs last week is that we were not quite there get. they will sit down with the scientists and look at the data this week. thursday is the deadline when the government has to have done this review. that is the deadline set in law for them to look at it. it is very unlikely it is going to change. ultimately, each nation coul

earlier our political correspondent helen catt explained more.law so when his restrictions were first put in place, you might remember boris johnson said that in three weeks' time, they would look again at these restrictions and it would be kept under constant review. of course, they are a big restriction on our way of life so it is fairly correct that they are regularly reviewed so in the bit of legislation that then gave the police the powers to enforce them, it was written into it that every 21 days, the secretary of state has to look at them and decide if those restrictions are still necessary and that the first review had to happen before thursday the 16th of april so that is the requirement. reviewing doesn't mean changing though. it just requirement. reviewing doesn't mean changing though. itjust means they have to decide if they are still needed and so they will look at the medical data, they will look at the data they have been gathering, there isa group data they have been gathering, there is a group called sage, the scientific advisory

our first report this afternoon is from our political correspondent helen catt. ten days ago. hi, folks, i want to bring you up to speed with something that is happening today. i have developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus. that is to say a temperature and persistent cough and on the advice of the chief medical officer, i have taken a test that has come out positive. his symptoms have not gone away. and after more than a week of self isolating in downing street, with a brief appearance at the door of number 11 on thursday, he is now in a london hospital undergoing tests. he said last night he went in under doctor‘s advice. he has been working extremely hard leading the governance and being constantly updated. that is going to continue. obviously that he is in hospital having tests. but he will continue to be kept informed as to what is happening and to be in charge of the government, and as i say, i hope, that we all do, that he has a speedy recovery and get back to number ten and can take charge in the way he would want to. so it was the foreign secretary, d

earlier i spoke to our political correspondent helen catt who explained why the governent was likelyin place sot right at this moment the first review is due this week, in the next few days. it is very unlikely that that review will see any change. that is because the government has consistently said that these measures are about getting us through the peak of the virus, about making sure that the nhs isn't overwhelmed. all the signs were from the end of last week was that we were not quite there yet. what they will do as they will sit down with the scientists, the scientific advisory group as they are known. they will look at the data this week. by thursday, that is the deadline when the government has to have done this review. that is the deadline set in a law for them to be looked at. very unlikely that they are going to change. ultimately, each nation could set its own social distancing rules. they each have the power to do that. scotland could be different to england, which could be different to wales. that is if they so want. a downing street spokesman said that, so far, all of

here's our political correspondent, helen catt.cted to win this contest, but few could have predicted the circumstances in which he would become labour's new leader. in a sign of the extraordinary times, he isa sign of the extraordinary times, he is a victory was announced by tweet, a speech on pre—recorded video. his first challenge was how to lead the opposition when party politics had been set aside. in my leadership we will not lead an opposition or for opposition's say, nor in scoring impossible demands but in the couege impossible demands but in the college to support one that is the right thing to do. but we will test the arguments that have been put forward , the arguments that have been put forward, we will shine a torch on critical issues, and where we see mistakes, or faltering government, or things not happening as quickly as they should, we will challenge that. labour is still dealing with the fallout of its worst election result for decades. of course the task is huge but that is why so much was vested in this electio

earlier i spoke to our political correspondent helen catt who explained why this review is taking placeere originally brought in, borisjohnson said in his television address that they would be kept under constant review and after three weeks, the government would look again. they then wrote into the law the legislation, the statutory instrument, as it is known, that was signed by the secretary of state, matt hancock, and in it, it says every 21 days, the secretary of state has to look at it and decide if it is necessary to keep them. it also said the first review had to happen by the 16th of april which is on thursday. what it does not set out is what the review process has to be and what it has to include. we have heard from government in the last few days that it will be looking at the data that goes to its scientific advisory group, called sage, which will be available towards the beginning of the week. but nobody expects these things to be changed in any way, really, because the whole point of these, the government has always said, was to get us through the peak of the pandemic and

our first report this afternoon is from our political correspondent, helen catt.s the prime minister ten days ago. hi, folks, i want to bring you up to speed with something that is happening today which is that i've developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus, that is to say a temperature and a persistent cough. on the advice of the chief medical officer, i have taken a test which has come out positive. his symptoms have not gone away, and after more than a week of self isolating in downing street, with a brief appearance at the door of number 11 on thursday, he is now in a london hospital undergoing tests, a precautionary step, says downing street. ina in a tweet he said he went in for routine tests and is in good spirits. he has been working extremely hard leading the government and being constantly updated. that'll continue. today he is in hospital having tests, but he will be continue to be kept informed as to what is happening and to be in charge of the government. i hope, and we all do, he has a speedy recovery and he gets back to number 10 and can take charg

let's get the latest from our political correspondent helen catt in westminster for us now. e of care homes, the government has some very tough decisions to make this week? yes, this issue has come into attention in recent days. we have the number of people dying in hospitals, but we don't have the statistics at the people in care homes. in a sense, though, the big decision of this week has in effect already been made, hasn't it? and thatis already been made, hasn't it? and that is those lockdown restrictions was not dominic raab saying he doesn't expect those to change this week and nicola sturgeon has said the same in scotland last week. the welsh government saying there lockdown restrictions would stay in place, too. while those were — the impact of them will be reviewed by the scientific group later, it is unlikely they will change. so you may think how long are they likely to stay in place? well, the government does have to review them by law every three weeks. but downing street said that doesn't mean it automatically extend them for three weeks. the government said the

else the week before or next week, and we are really proud of her. 0ur political correspondent, helen cattf all, we are entering the fourth week of lockdown and the government is required by law to assess what happens next. talk is through what the criteria is and what the process will be. as he said, they are required by law so when these restrictions were first put in place asjohnson said that in three weeks' time, they would look again at the restrictions and there would be kept under constant review because they are a big restriction on our way of life so it is fairly right that they are regularly reviewed. so, in a bit of legislation that then gave the police the powers to enforce them, it was written into it that every 21 days, the secretary of state has to look at them and decide if those restrictions are still necessary and that the first review had to happen before thursday, the 16th of april, so before thursday, the 16th of april, so that it is a requirement. reviewing doesn't mean changing though. itjust reviewing doesn't mean changing though. it just means reviewing doesn't mea

we're joined now from downing street by our political correspondent, helen catt. johnson morning. we have had no further update yet on how borisjohnson is doing this morning. we know he was admitted to an nhs hospital in london at around eight o'clock last night, around the time the queen was giving her address to the nation. the reason we are told he went to was on the advice of his doctor. downing street said it was a precautionary step because the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus. we heard he was diagnosed with it around the same time as matt hancock, the health secretary. we saw him back on form on friday leading a press conference. it seems it is taking borisjohnson longer to shake those symptoms, particularly a high temperature. he has been admitted to hospital for tests. we don't know what they are yet. we are waiting to hear more on that. how does government to continue in the meantime? downing street is adamant borisjohnson is still meantime? downing street is adamant boris johnson is still leading meantime? downing stre

our political correspondent helen catt is at downing street.was in the chair, not the prime minister. he is the foreign secretary, the first secretary of state and actually chair this meeting yesterday morning but again, there is a difference from then. during the whole time so poor that borisjohnson had during the whole time so poor that boris johnson had been during the whole time so poor that borisjohnson had been ill he was still, downing street said, in charge of leading the government response, even when he was self isolating in his flat in downing street, he was still taking video calls, talking to ministers and officials. as of last night when he asked dominic raab to deputise for him, that situation has changed so dominic raab is effectively in day—to—day charge although he was keen to stress last night in interviews that he is following the instructions, the strategy, the plan of borisjohnson instructions, the strategy, the plan of boris johnson and instructions, the strategy, the plan of borisjohnson and of course he will have other

jane dreaper, bbc news. 0ur political correspondent, helen catt, is in westminster. 0bviously helen cattestminster. the government des for obviously the government desperate for this site to be up and running but it is just interesting how much demand there has already been. we know that those home testing kits and particularly when they were ordered they went very quickly, so within two minutes, we are told, of the portal opening of 5000 total allocations for today were ordered. now what is happening with those of the idea that they will be delivered next day, people can test themselves and then they get the results back within 72 hours. we are told that there are plans, though, to increase there are plans, though, to increase the number of home testing kits that are available each day to the service so we are available each day to the service so we can are available each day to the service so we can get 18,000 from next week. there are also of course lots that drive those that were available to be booked, they are closed to, they are full, but we are told that the website will be reope

our political correspondent, helen catt, is in westminster.roblem whereas now we seem to be looking at a supply issue uncertainly street pointing very much to that being a supply problem. on that plane, a load of things that we are waiting for they said they are looking elsewhere for that as well, they won‘t just reliant on that shipment from turkey. we will hear more questions raised about that. again, on the lockdown, we know that these restrictions will stay in place until at least the 7th of may and thenit until at least the 7th of may and then it is about looking at perhaps modifications rather than any sort of wholesale lifting and certainly the political pressure has been lifting for the government to set out its thinking. that is still there even though they have confirmed that the lockdown will continue for three weeks, opposition parties support that but they do wa nt to parties support that but they do want to hear that the planning is being done for beyond that and of course, the big concern as you said is this idea of a second pea

helen catt are, i could've asked this question to during our jeopardy round, he was the only person to run the cia and the predecessor organization. was in 1947 when cia group still exist, and then he stays on and becomes the first d.c. i. he wasn't much of a manager, but then at that point truman didn't want a lot of activists leadership at the cia, because most foreign policy back then, was run by the secretary of state. and after 1947, the secretary of defense. whose office was created under the national security act. then rayburn, as i said was picked by johnson, to fuel the position to fill it actually, until helms was ready. at other times presidents have said, they wanted a little more energetic type of leadership. not one that is going to take the agency off on big foreign policy crusades, but to manage it during times that are a little bit in transition. when you think about jim woozy, who's clinton's first director he is a president that doesn't really know what he wants to do at the cia because he is fundamentally he does not have a foreign policy agenda. you've heard the ol

let‘s speak to our political correspondent helen catt. the track. yes, there are. as the update told us yes, there are. as the update told us this lunchtime, the prime minister is not working, even though he can be in contact with those people he needs to. because of that, it does mean that dominic raab, the foreign secretary, is deputising for him full time, really, at the moment. there are some big decisions that have to be made. the first thing the government is really focusing on is increasing testing. we have got this pledge of having 100,000 tests being carried out daily by the end of the month. at the moment, they are in the low tens of thousands and they say they are on track to meet that 100,000 by the end of the month. we have some updates on the figures, more than 20,000 nhs staff and their families have been tested for coronavirus. there are now 13 drive through testing centres which are operational, they have tested more than 9000 people in total. in total across all methods 14,000 tests per day. this living decision on what

our political correspondent helen catt joins us now.sity has to be reviewed every 21 days and by the thursday 16th april, the first one has to be done by then, looked at by the secretary of state matt hancock. it doesn't say what that review, what form it has to take. this government says it will look at the data, medical data from the scientific advisers and that would be available earlier this week. there is the things coming out in the next few days. it was because borisjohnson is going to be at chequers recuperating on medical advice, it will still be dominic rab who is leading the government in his absence, deputising, along with the cabinet they will be looking at the sight of decisions because we are very much in the middle of this pandemic so whilst it is very welcome news to a lot of people that borisjohnson has got better or is recuperating, we have a stark reminder yesterday that for a lot of people, more than 10,000 people, that was not the case so there are lots of big decisions to be made whilst the prime minister recupera