Good morning, hello, im Victoria Derbyshire with you this wednesday morning, 2a hours into this partial lockdown how are you doing . Welcome to bbc news. Let me bring you the latest headlines. Stepping up the fight against coronavirus a huge makeshift hospital is to be opened in london but theres a stark warning from these a e doctors. We are seeing patients in their 20s, patients in their 30s. We dont know what the outcome of some of these patients will be. They will go to intensive care, they may be in intensive care for some weeks. In some of them will die. And its completely heartbreaking and harrowing. Overnight 170,000 people answer the governments call
for a volunteer army to help tackle the crisis thats 3 a minute. In times like this, as the chief medical officer has already said, we see outbreaks of altruism, people wanting to help. So its a wonderful response, in the same way that all those doctors coming back, nurses saying they will come back, i am bowled over by it. The government resists the pressure to stop construction work saying it should continue if it can be done safely. In scotland, the first minister says sites should close. The government is considering the Early Release of some prisoners in england and wales, to ease the pressure placed onjails by the pandemic. Boris johnson will answer questions from mps at midday in whats expected to be the final session of Prime Ministers questions before parliament is likely to shut down this evening. India goes into a three week lockdown. 1. 3 billion people nearly a fifth of the worlds population have been told to stay home. And well be answering your questions about the virus and staying fit and healthy with two doctors a gp and a Global Health specialist in around half an hour. Good morning, this morning id like to ask you is your boss expecting you to work when you dont think you should be working either because you dont believe its safe or you dont think your work is essential . Do message me on twitter, vicderbyshire, or email victoria bbc. Co. Uk. And were going to talk to the childrens commissioner for england who has worries during this partial lockdown about children who live in homes
where there is Domestic Abuse. Lets take a look at some of the latest developments. Around 170,000 people have already signed up to help the nhs tackle the virus outbreak, just hours after the Health Secretary called for an army of volunteers after yesterdays pictures of a crowded London Underground the mayor has just reported that tube travel in the capital today is down by a third compared to yesterday, and bus travel is down by an additional 20 . Called the nightingale, the nhs is to treat up to 4,000 patients in a temporary Field Hospital at the excel Exhibition Centre in east london. Prime ministers questions will be taking place this afternoon, but following that, parliament is expected to be suspended for at least four weeks. There are plans to release some prisoners in england and wales to help ease the pressure caused by the pandemic. And the government
is facing growing calls to stop non essential Building Work to help tackle the spread of the virus. Lets have a look at the latest advice from the government. The latest government Restrictions Mean you can now only leave your home for very specific reasons. They are to shop for basic necessities, like food and medicine. You can go outside for one form of exercise a day, alone or with members of your family all gatherings of more than two people are banned. You can leave home for any medical need or to care for a vulnerable person. And finally, you can travel to and from work, but only where absolutely necessary, and if you cannot work from home. You can find out more about the symptoms of coronavirus and how to protect yourself, thats all on the bbc news app and also on our website, bbc. Co. Uk news. With the latest on the uks response to the coronavirus, this report from charlotte rose. We have all of these people who are incredibly critically unwell and people are dying alone, people have no company. A stark warning from those on the front line. Three Junior Doctors from a London Hospital want people to take this illness seriously and to warn the rest of the country whats coming their way. Patients in their 20s, patients their 30s. We dont know what the outcome of some of these patients will be. They will go to intensive care, may be in intensive care for some weeks and some of them will die. And its completely heartbreaking and harrowing. Warnings too from families who have seen what covid 19 can do. Sushilas 73 year old father, michael, died on sunday after contracting the virus. He had underlying conditions but wasnt diagnosed until he collapsed and was rushed to hospital. He was in hospital in intensive care in a coma for a week. Prior to that, he was at home ill, with what they suspected was pneumonia. We are all going to be totally fed up with having to stay in, for sure. I know i definitely am, but we need to be looking at italy which is quite terrifying. But they are really struggling. Shops have been shut and the streets are almost silent, after the Prime Minister told uk citizens to stay at home. Yet there is still confusion as to who should be going to work and who shouldnt. Change here for piccadilly line. Pictures of packed tubes prompted the Health Secretary to give this advice. I want to be clear that where people absolutely cannot work at home, they can still go to work. Indeed, its important they do to keep the country running. Key workers for example, in the nhs, social care, pharmacists and medicine supply chain should go to work unless, as weve said before, theyre self isolating. In the daily press conference, mr hancock said construction work could continue. But in scotland, Building Sites are being shut. Shadow chancellorjohn mcdonald said the governments approach was irresponsible, dangerous and self defeating. As hospitals across the country prepare for a surge in cases, the government has announced its creating a new temporary hospital at the excel Conference Centre in london. The nhs nightingale will provide an extra 4,000 beds specifically for coronavirus patients. The army is being brought in to run the centre alongside nhs staff. The government is also calling for an army of 250,000 volunteers to support the health service. The battle against this virus is ramping up. Charlotte rose, bbc news. This morning weve been told that there has been an incredible response to the call for a quarter
of a million volunteers. A staggering 170,000 people have got in touch overnight to offer to help. We have seen incredible responses throughout this. This is a health emergency, as the government has said. We can all play a role in ensuring we get on top of coronavirus. And at the same time, that we expand capacity in the nhs. Yesterday we sent out a call to arms for an army of nhs volunteers, looking for 250,000 volunteers. 0vernight, we have already had 170,000 people signing up. Thats three a minute signing up to help the nhs. It is an astonishing response. I think at times of crisis, people come together. The vast majority of people in the country are doing what the government has asked us all to do. Its important everybody does that. Because that is what will save lives. There are vast numbers of people looking to help neighbours, Vulnerable People who live close by. So, no, it doesnt surprise me at all. In times like this, as the chief medical officer has already said, we see outbreaks of altruism, people wanting to help. It is a wonderful response, in the same way that all those doctors coming back, nurses saying they will come back, i am bowled over by it. The mayor of london. Sadiq khan, has said that early data from tfl, which runs the capitals Public Transport network, suggests that tube travel by passengers is down by a third compared to yesterday with a 20 fall in bus passengers. But some london commuters have again posted photos on social media showing packed tube carriages this morning, saying that many people on the trains do not appear to be key workers. The mayor has been criticised by some for reducing Tube Services too much, forcing people to cram onto fewer trains. But mr khan says nearly a third of tfl staff are now sick or self isolating. With me now is our assistant Political Editor norman. He is at home. Good morning. So, parliament is going to break up a little bit early for easter . It is. Imean, little bit early for easter . It is. I mean, parliament has been scaling down for some days now, with fewer mps in the chamber, fewer boats taking place, people trying to self distance. But it is going to close tonight, once they have emergency legislation through. It was meant to close next tuesday, so it is shutting up shop a week early. It will come back on april 21, about four weeks away. The signs are that it may not come back in the usual manner, there may be a limited number of mps who come back. It matters, obviously, because we are in hugely Uncertain Times and there are many, many questions that have to be asked about the governments handling of the crisis. That will be harder to do because mps wont be
there. I suppose, harder to do because mps wont be there. Isuppose, you know, we harder to do because mps wont be there. I suppose, you know, we have seen that already with a lot of questions in the past 2a hours over the position regarding construction workers, who are still pretty much being left to go into work if their bosses are convinced that they can ensure they are two metres apart. A lot of construction workers are saying, how on earth do we do that . We travel in together, we work close, next to each other. There are a lot of questions about their safety. There is also a real issue, i think, about the tube system. This morning, the communities secretary, robertjenrick, was defending the governments stance. A number of employers have concluded that they cant follow the Public Health england guidance, and are choosing to close down their sites. In some cases, they are doing so over a short period of time, so those sites remain safe, and that is the right thing to do. But if you or your employer believe that you can continue to operate safely, within those guidelines, then it is sensible for you to do so. I think it is worth remembering that there are some functions within the housing and construction
industry that are absolutely essential to all of us. Keeping building safe, ensuring essential maintenance is done to peoples homes and workplaces. Where are we with the number of tests being done . This is a huge issue that hasnt really dominated the headlines in the way that construction workers have. But perhaps it is the most important issue. Some leading scientists and epidemiologists are going to be questioned this morning by the Science Select Committee of mps. We are way off the pace when it comes to testing. The amount of testing we are doing is pretty much the same as we we re are doing is pretty much the same as we were doing about a week ago. In other words, there hasnt been the ramping up that the Health Secretary has promised. We are still testing around 5000 each day. And we know
the government promised to increase up the government promised to increase up to 10,000, going up to 25,000. The Prime Minister suggested 250,000. We are nowhere near that, and it is a huge issue because those countries who have got on top of this in asia, like south korea and so this in asia, like south korea and so on, their strategy has been to test, test, test, and then Contact Tracing people who have coronavirus have come into contact with. It is a week since the who issued their advice to test, test, test, and we are not at the races. Although matt hancock has repeatedly talked about ramping up the number of testing, talking about buying more tests, they are not available at the moment. It is a real priority. They are not available at the moment. It is a real prioritylj wa nt to moment. It is a real prioritylj want to ask, finally, about people self employed. I have so many m essa 9 es self employed. I have so many messages from self employed people, including those from david metcalfe. My including those from david metcalfe. My wife is a self employed hairdresser, 100 of her income has gone, with no indication of
government help. Now, helpful self employed people is coming, we hear, we are told, when . Help for self employed people. Hear, we are told, when . Help for selfemployed people. My best guesses it is moving towards the back of the week before we get any announcement. We all know the problem is, it is difficult to assess how much the self employed are earning. Difficult, but it requires a lot of mental brainpower on the behalf of the treasury to come up with a scheme that doesnt mean very wealthy self employed people, i dont know, celebrities and the like, dont suddenly get bucketloads of state cash. You have to have a means of ensuring the cash goes to the deserving. Some people have suggested may be the way to do thatis have suggested may be the way to do that is you have a uniform, flat rate for the self employed. And then you strip out a means testing, because if you earn over, i think somebody said if you had over £6,000, you would not be eligible. There is all sorts of nitty gritty
to be worked out. In terms of timeline, i would expect a proposal and announcement at the end of the week. When it will be implement it . Well, that could still be several weeks away. Thanks, norman. Good to talk to you. Norman smith, at home. Some prisoners could be released early to help alleviate the pressure caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Prisons in england and wales have been placed on lockdown, as thousands of staff are off work because they are ill or self isolating. 13 inmates have tested positive for the virus. The outbreak has also led to tight restrictions on visits to jails in scotland and Northern Ireland. With me now is our Home Affairs Correspondent danny shaw. What is the situation in prisons at the moment . Well, the justice well, thejustice secretary described the situation yesterday as acute. You have a problem injails whereby they are already overcrowded, many prisons. So, if you are trying to isolate prisoners
who have got symptoms, or who have been confirmed to have the virus, but i dont have to go to hospital, then you are going to run out of spaces, you are going to run out of safe 5 pa ces, spaces, you are going to run out of safe spaces, wings that can be used. So, mr buckland is now considering some kind of Early Release. In addition to this, you have the problem of staff. 3500 prison staff we re problem of staff. 3500 prison staff were off yesterday, self isolating 01 were off yesterday, self isolating or showing symptoms of the virus. So, again, youve got problems of stretch in terms of resources. That is why they are considering some possible Early Releases. Thank you very much. Danny shaw, Home Affairs Correspondent. A grandmother who went to hospitalfor a gallbladder operation is believed to be the first british person to die by catching coronavirus. 80 year old Marita Edwards passed away in hospital on friday. Her son, stuart loud,
says his mum was fairly fit and had no Underlying Health problems. He hopes her death will make people follow the new government restrictions to stay at home. Stuart loud joins us now. Im really sorry to hear about the loss of your mum. Tell us about her . She was just an amazing lady. You know, a normal grandma, mum, happy go lucky lady. She enjoyed life, fit and healthy. Up to the point she went into this operation. As far as you know, she contracted coronavirus in hospital, after that gall bladder operation . Yes, we were visiting, as normal, like a normal family would. That was for a couple of weeks previously. And then she took a turn for the worse, her
breathing was quite laboured. I spoke to the nursing team and i was very concerned about this. Eventually, she was tested, swabbed for coronavirus, and that was confirmed on thursday the 19th that she was positive for it. How did you react, is a family . We were all shocked and absolutely beside ourselves. We asked how things went forward , ourselves. We asked how things went forward, and what happened next. U nfortu nately, we forward, and what happened next. Unfortunately, we were told that mum was not a good candidate for being put on a ventilator. Unfortunately, if that was the case, then they would not be able to take her back off the ventilator, and that was a decision we were able to make, we agreed if that was the way it was, thatis agreed if that was the way it was, that is the way it was. We had to watch her pass away. When you were told she was not a good candidate for a ventilator, what does that
mean . Well, the way it was explained is that if she was allowed to go into a ventilator, she would not be able to come off the ventilator ever, it would kill her to come off it. So, it was obviously very serious. Some people are going to contract corona and not get a ventilator is, they will not get the ca re ventilator is, they will not get the care that they need. It was explained that she was not a good candidate for this. Do you think she should have been tested for coronavirus earlier than she was . M is my belief that this was contracted in the hospital. She was suffering with shortness of breath, laboured breathing, at least a week earlier. I wish now that i had pushed for an earlier test, yes. When she was labouring with her breathing, what did the medics say they thought was wrong with her at that point . Because she had been in a hospital bed for nearly three weeks at that point, it was the fact that she wasnt moving around, she hadnt had any exercise, she had been running a fever and was not eating properly. So, we all assumed that it was down to the fact that, you know, there was an underlying infection thereof some sort. Which i believed to be pneumonia. Right. 0nce believed to be pneumonia. Right. Once your mum had tested positive for coronavirus, where you are able to visit her . Were you able to see her . Yes, yes, my mum was moved to a side room. There was a lockdown of the ward. My mum was moved to a side room and we were able to visit. That was closed to family only, myself, my mums husband,jim, was closed to family only, myself, my mums husband, jim, and my fiance. And my daughter. It was very strict. We had protocols, wear
masks, gloves and aprons, at all times, strict protocol of hand washing, and getting out of those items afterwards. I can imagine. Of course, presumably you couldnt hug her, you could not kiss her or hold her, you could not kiss her or hold her hand . We were not able to have any physical contact at all. We could touch her hand through gloves. But there was no physical contact. We were not allowed to hug her, you know, touch her face we were not allowed to hug her, you know, touch herface or her we were not allowed to hug her, you know, touch her face or her head, we were not allowed to hug her, you know, touch herface or her head, or any display of affection which you would normally want, if you had a loved one in that position. It was extremely difficult. How are you trying to rationalise what has happened to your mum . Its extremely difficult. I was still questioning why she went in for a routine
operation, and if she would still be with us. She was having difficulty with us. She was having difficulty with her digestive system, which is why she wanted it, and she was pleased to go in. But she never asked for this. I urge anybody, if you are listening, to not. Hospitals are a last resort at this stage. Self treat at home if you think you are positive, take very good care of yourselves. But i wouldnt want to be anywhere near a hospital right now. There are millions of people listening to you right now, stuart. There are still some people who perhaps arent taking this as seriously as they should. What would you say to them . Please, please, listen to what you are being told. Dont put money ahead of being sensible. This needs to bea ahead of being sensible. This needs to be a lockdown. This needs to be recognised nationally. We need to lockdown to eradicate this disease. Please dont go out and mix with
people. You may be young and healthy, you may think you are not in danger, but it is the people you come in contact with and the people that you may pass it onto. I dont wa nt that you may pass it onto. I dont want another family to watch such an horrific death as my mums. I dont know what else to say, please, please listen. Stuart, thank you so much for your time. Thank you. Especially at this time, we really appreciate it and send you lots of love and strength. Thank you. Stuart, talking about his amazing mum, as he described her, Marita Edwards, he went into hospital, aged 80, fora edwards, he went into hospital, aged 80, for a routine gall bladder operation several weeks ago. She then became ill, she had respiratory problems. They thought it was pneumonia. She eventually was tested for coronavirus and she died on the 19th. And you heard him pleading with all of us to take this
seriously. You are with bbc news on bbc one. Ministers are coming together to give more clarity over lockdown. Borisjohnson has told people to only go to work if necessary. Yesterday, matt hancock said those who cannot work from home should go to work to keep the country running. How will the lockdown be policed, and what problems does it create for many low paid and gig workers who cant do theirjobs from home . Max dewhurst is a bike courier and a representative for the independent Workers Union of great britain. Also im joined by Crisis Management expert, peter power. Mike, you are a courier, how is it going . I am in self isolation, ive not been at work for a week. Like a
lot of people, im wondering how much debt im going to get into. Youre due to go back next week. Do you want to, or is it more a case that you will need to to have some money coming in . Its a case that i will need to to have some money coming in. Most gig and low paid workers tend to have a hand to mouth existence. Cant really afford to be ill, at least not for extended periods of time. We are not entitled to any sick pay or holiday pay. Its a very, very difficult decision for people to make. But as couriers, we are also the people that are crucial at this time to keep things going. When you have been ill before, max, have you gone to work, because you needed the money . Yeah, its very
normalfor low paid needed the money . Yeah, its very normal for low paid workers and gig workers to be working when they are ill. Unless you have a really serious injury that means you cant actually ride your bike, then most of the time people just go to work. We are told that the chancellor, possibly by the end of this week, may come up with something to help self employed people whose incomes have dropped off. Do you think that is going to include people like yourself . I very much hope so. I mean, the union is taking legal action against the government to try to force them to do that. Because, at the moment, the provisions are just not sufficient for low paid workers. You know, like i said, its a very difficult decision for people to make. But if they are financially forced to go to work, they will have to go to work. So, the government
has to be doing more. Let me bring in peter power. What is your assessment of how the partial lockdown is going so far in this country . From a Government Point of view, i would say it is putting hope a long way in front of reality. You have to remember that it goes in three phases, mayhem, mastermind, manhunt. Panic, who can tell us what to do, who can we blame . This is a very unusual crisis. Because all phases now are happening simultaneously. Previously we had always talked about fear exceeding reality, reality is now exceeding fear. What the government is having to do is run like mad to catch up, and is also revealing very large and significant fracture lines in the National Health service to do with testing, to do with ppe, protective equipment and so on. Now, in the heart of this drama, now is not the time to go into the manhunt phase. Now is the time to go together. Sorry to interrupt, when you see the manhunt phase, what do you mean . The manhunt phase, what do you mean . The manhunt is who can we blame . I see all of these things happening. It is happening, but this is not the time to get involved in blame. Now is the time to try to come together and deal with this. For goodness sake, listen to politicians. My fear is, so listen to politicians. My fear is, so many people have no trust in politicians. To a large extent, this follows brexit last year, with the performance of many politicians just letting us down. You cant be surprised some people dont have faith in some politicians . Sadly not. Other issues impinge on this. For example, the ratio of police to the public in this country is only about 1 500. When we say we will call out the police or the army, we have no standing army, always ready for this. And the police services
themselves are quite stretched. So, we have to do, to an extent, self police. And that is one of the things going on now. We are not subject to a night time curfew in this country, not subject to a travel ban like in some countries. Potentially see a scenario where we are subject to those. Im not saying it is going to happen tomorrow, but if you look at the acts of parliament, for example, there is one in 1984, the Public Health act, that gave Police Powers to do the things they are doing now, and also look at the civil contingencies act of 2004, that talks about special categories of people that are doing critical work. There was also one about the military aid to the civil authorities, which because of the army, and what would be, for the first time in this country, under the military aid to civil authorities, our reserve forces on standby. That has an issue, with
calling out thousands of people, because that would cause a problem. Actually, we are looking at a unique situation now. I think in years to come 01 situation now. I think in years to come or well look back and be quite quizzical about what went wrong. Thanks for coming on the programme. We appreciate it. Stay with bbc news. Whenever the chancellor speaks for potential aid for self employed people, you will be able to watch it. Thanks for your messages, ive been asking if you have been felt you have been forced to work by your bosses. Cobit 19 one viewer says my partner drives cars in the dockyard from one space to another and he is forced to sit in close contact with people not from his household, shoulder to shoulder, on a minibus to get to these cars. How can he keep himself safe when his employers are not following the rules on social distancing . My husband is a forklift engineer and is mobile and travels
from site to site sorting out breakdowns. Because the government has not said only key workers or essential staff can go to work, his boss has said he has had to go. Rachel says, ive already lost one son andi rachel says, ive already lost one son and i dont want to lose another for the sake of what is said to be essential construction work. Nothing is essential in these cobit 19 time says rachel on twitter. Stop all construction work will provide protective clothing. No one is abiding by the rules. My son is a lorry driver and they deliver steel and the owner will not close the depot until the government shuts them down. There is one in work with asthma and one whose partner works ina care asthma and one whose partner works in a care home and another in work with a calf and another of itself isolation with potential coronavirus. The depot wants to shut but cannot because the boss will not until forced to and theyve all been told if they dont go in, they wont be paid. And one more for now, one twitter user says i am stressed. My husband has been told to work, hes
a mechanic in a garage and been told it is essential work. The 63 and has type two diabetes. He is 63. Keep them coming in and you can message me on twitter and send me an e mail. After half past nine we will talk to some experts to answer your questions and you can send them into us use questions and you can send them into us use the hashtag bbc your questions. Lets bring you the weather. The weather today is similar to what we had yesterday although we might not reach the dizzy heights of 19. 4 celsius. The warmest day of the year yesterday and that temperature was in real in north wales. England and wales with another settled day in scotla nd wales with another settled day in scotland and Northern Ireland still have a weather front, and some increasingly patchy rain but brightening up later in the outer hebrides. In the east of northern
ireland we are seeing a lot of sunshine, hazy at times and we could hit 17 or 18 sunshine, hazy at times and we could hit 17 or18 in sunshine, hazy at times and we could hit 17 or 18 in the east coast of wales but we are looking up to the mid teens. Tonight, a cold night with frost in england and wales also some patchy mist and fog, some frost is likely in the North West Highlands but in between with a thick cloud and patchy rain temperatures holding up and we will have this tomorrow, and increasingly wea k feature have this tomorrow, and increasingly weak feature and we will eventually lose the rain with brighter skies and a few showers in the highlands, and a few showers in the highlands, and england and wales dry and sunny once again. Hello, this is bbc news with Victoria Derbyshire. The headlines stepping up the fight against coronavirus. A huge makeshift hospital is to be opened in london but theres a stark warning from these a e doctors. We are seeing patients in their 20s, patients in their 30s. We dont know what the outcome of some of these patients will be. They will go to intensive care, they may be in intensive care for some weeks. And some of them will die. And its completely heartbreaking and harrowing. 0vernight, 170,000 people answer the governments call for a volunteer army to help tackle the crisis. Thats three a minute. In times like this, as the chief medical officer has already said, we see outbreaks of altruism. People wanting to help, so its a wonderful response in the same way that all of those doctors coming back, and nurses saying they will come back. I am bowled over by it. The government resists the pressure to stop construction work, saying it should continue if it can be done safely. In scotland, the first minister says sites should close. The government is considering the Early Release of some prisoners in england and wales, to ease the pressure placed onjails by the pandemic. Boris johnson will answer
questions from mps at midday in whats expected to be the final session of Prime Ministers questions before parliament is likely to shut down this evening. India goes into a three week lockdown. 1. 3 billion people nearly a fifth of the worlds population have been told to stay home. In a moment, well put your questions to dr william bird and dr peter drobac. But first what should you do if you begin to feel unwell . Heresjim reed to explain. The most common symptoms of coronavirus sara High Temperature under dry, repeating car. If you feel unwell, stay at home for at least seven days until you have recovered and you should not leave at all, even to buy groceries. At
first, do not call 111 is the helpline is busy. If you are not improving, use the Online Service instead. If you feel you need a doctor, do not go in person. You can contact your gp and might be offered a video or telephone call. You will only be asked to visit if absolutely necessary. If you are so well you cannot do everyday things like watch tv or get out of bed, you should call 111 to speak to a nurse. If youre struggling to breathe, find it hard to say a few words and are not getting better, then you should dial 999. For most though, covid 19 isa mild dial 999. For most though, covid 19 is a mild disease and you can recover at home. India has gone into a complete lockdown lasting at least three weeks. The country has recorded over 500 positive coronavirus cases, and reported 10 deaths. 0ur correspondent Arunoday Mukharji in delhi has more details. India woke up to its first day of a com plete india woke up to its first day of a complete lockdown across the country. A country which has a population of 1. 3 billion people and some of the most bustling and crowded cities saw them turning into ghost towns overnight. The Prime Minister made that address last night and soon after we saw long queues outside essential stores as people try to stock up on items preparing for the long haul ahead. 21 days is the duration for which people across the country have to stay indoors. There is a lot of anxiety and concerns about whether essential items and supplies would be hit, but there is an assurance coming from the Prime Ministers office that nothing like that will happen and supplies will go on as they were. Food, medicines will not be affected, however, it being the first day of the curfew there are reports coming in from across the country of confusion on the ground about how the police is handing the entire lockdown. Many essential Service Workers have been stopped and supply trucks which are supposed to ferry and important items to
various households have been stopped. 0fficials various households have been stopped. Officials say they are hoping that things smooth out over the next few days. The Prime Minister also announced a massive economic package of nearly 2 billion, only for the Health Infrastructure to battle the coronavirus. 21 days is going to be very, very difficult for a country like india where 90 of the workforce is in the unorganised sector. Many people who are migrant labourers who work on daily wages will be the worst hit. In the united states, President Trump has come under fire for suggesting coronavirus restrictions could be lifted by easter. Hes in a war of words with andrew cuomo, the governor of new york, who has compared the speed of the virus spread to a bullet train. The Us Government has said that anyone who has left new york city in the past few days should immediately put themselves under self isolation for the next two weeks. Two thirds of all new virus cases have been diagnosed in the city,
which has been called the ground zero of the coronavirus outbreak. In washington, the white house and us senators have agreed a 2 trillion package to stimulate the us economy. Some interesting news from the netherlands this morning, from the Dutch Institute of health, and they say that the netherlands has most probably ended their exponential growth of coronavirus infections. That is from the Dutch Institute of health. The netherlands has, most probably, they say, end of the exponential growth of coronavirus infections. Now on bbc news, its time for your questions answered. Thank you for your questions that continue to come in and we will try and get through as many as we can today. Practical advice and support, that kind of thing, covid 19. Lets introduce you to the people who will help you out today. With me is dr william bird who is a gp and an adviser to who and the government on physical activity and also im joined by dr peter drobac, who is a Global Health physician at the Said Business School in oxford. Good morning. Iwill start good morning. I will start with you, william byrd, ifi good morning. I will start with you, william byrd, if i may. This question says, my daughter in law is pregnant via ivf and my son is one of the severely at risk due to having a bone marrow transplant. Should my daughter in law continue to go to work . She has been told she should either work until shes 28 weeks pregnant or take unpaid leave. I think there are a few things there to think about. First of all, the
daughter. What about pregnancy and coronavirus . We know that pregnant women are not more likely to get coronavirus, so thats the most important thing. You are not more likely. But at the end of pregnancy, very few pregnant women are slightly likely to get it more severely because the immune system changes when you are pregnant, but up until then you are like anybody else at then you are like anybody else at the age she is. Thats the first thing. She has been told by the company that she has to stay at work, but weve been told you can only be at work if its absolutely necessary so the question is, as she fits into more or less the population, issue someone who really has to be at work . And then her son, and he must be concern because he is very vulnerable, its important that people stay away, so if the daughter in law lives at home, and im assuming she does, then she can come back home but shejust im assuming she does, then she can come back home but she just has to keep that distance from your son and thats the most important thing,
keeping your distance when youre home with somebody vulnerable and if possible get other people to do the shopping so you reduce the limit of the virus coming into the house. But absolutely, being concerned about the daughter in law, and i know ivf isa the daughter in law, and i know ivf is a precious thing, butjust keep the idea that pregnancy is only more ofa the idea that pregnancy is only more of a risk as you get towards the end of a risk as you get towards the end of pregnancy. Thank you. Peter, let me put this to you. This is from robert. Can i go for a drive by myself to get out of the house for a while, not meet anyone or even leave the car . According strictly to the guidance provided by the government on this new phase of the virtual lockdown, the answer is no. We can go out and do essential shopping and ta ke go out and do essential shopping and take deliveries where possible and to go out once a day and get fresh airand engage in to go out once a day and get fresh air and engage in physical activity provided you can do that while
keeping a two metre distance between yourself and others. The individual risk is probably very low of driving around, but the best thing we can do is adhere to the guidelines strictly. I will put this to you as well, peter and its from alison. How certain are we that once you have had the virus you will not be susceptible to reinfection . We are not certain yet and there is no evidence of immunity coming from infection with the virus, mostly because its too soon. We have good, educated speculation based on other respiratory viruses and other coronaviruses. We expect some people will have immunity for some period of time after being infected, but only time will tell if that is the case. Let me put this to you, william, it is from tom. My wife and iare william, it is from tom. My wife and i are isolating for 12 weeks. Good morning, tom. We are following the advice given, but how long do we have to keep our distance and use
separate bathrooms. Can we do gardening and sit out during this time . When you are in psi of isolation and you have somebody vulnerable in self isolation and you have somebody vulnerable, you dont want the virus anywhere near, so tom, if youre doing the shopping and doing essential things outside and doing essential things outside and you come back in the house, youre more likely to have the virus around you, so the self isolation in the distance of separate bathrooms and being apart from each other has to stay. If you get someone to do the shopping for you and you dont go out at all apart from the exercise, which is absolutely important, you probably can be a bit more reassured that you can be together but every time you go out and you come back in with the shopping, you are bringing that bit of extra virus in. Try and get someone of extra virus in. Try and get someone else to do that and then i think you will be more 0k to be together. This is from jeff. Yesterday i received a letter instructing me to isolate for 12
weeks because i have an Underlying Health condition, copd. The previous day i was out shopping. If i picked up day i was out shopping. If i picked up the virus then, will i definitely show the symptoms of covid 19 due to my copd, or could i have it without showing the symptoms . Peter, can i put that to you . We know there are medications of asymptomatic infection and you can be infected without feeling sick or showing symptoms, so that is possible. Typically people start to develop symptoms of this infection about five days after they actually contract the infection, give or take, so if someone were to be infected yesterday, one would expect that towards the weekend they might start to exhibit some symptoms but there is a range there. 0k. Why do we have to stay indoors for 12 weeks, asks mark, when originally people were only required to do 14 days to confirm they were clear of the virus . William . Days to confirm they were clear of the virus . William . What were trying to do is reduce the peak and we know that if we did nothing at all that scenario 500,000 deaths is possible, so what were trying to do is make sure that the nhs can cope, so this next 12 weeks is all about reducing the risk of transmission of the virus so as an individual, if you have the virus, and you will infect very few people or if nobody at all, that means it will even out and will get a low peak. Beforehand, the 14 days, which still applies, is if somebody gets the virus, for seven days, they will be infectious and if you then get that infection on the last day, then you will have incubation of about five days, so that 14 days is because the risk of you getting it could be any time from day one up to day 14 without you knowing it and by 14 days, you will know, so its a very different thing. The 14 day still applies if
anybody in the house gets coronavirus. You are in complete lockdown for 14 days, but the three months is really, and it may extend beyond three months, we may find actually the virus is still spreading and going out there and we may find that that three months has to be extended a bit longer. 0k, thank you both. We appreciate your time this morning and thanks for coming on the programme. Doctor william byrd, a gp and doctor peter, a Global Health physician from 0xford. Thanks for your messages as well. I was asking you if you felt you were being forced to go to work by your employer and kim says, i work ina by your employer and kim says, i work in a Contact Centre and i live with three at risk people but ive been told i need to go to work because im not personally at risk but i could spread it. If i dont go to work though, i wont get paid. Va nessa to work though, i wont get paid. Vanessa says, my dad as a mechanic,
hes 63 and is being forced to go into work. Its been told he cannot ta ke into work. Its been told he cannot take time off to self isolate and will be made redundant if he wishes to follow government advice. 0k, there are too Many Employers and bosses here who are going to be on a shame list at some point, arent they . Thank you for those and keep them coming in. There are many more coming on like that and im with you till 11 oclock this morning. The childrens commissioner and social Workers Unions have expressed concerns about children being at greater risk of Domestic Violence and sexual abuse now families are together. A survey from the British Association of social workers found that there were big concerns amongst social workers around safeguarding Vulnerable Children and families at a time when isolation could put them at greater risk. There is also growing concern that social workers do not have the protective equipment to keep themselves safe when they continue to see families, vulnerable adults and people
with Mental Health throughout the coronavirus crisis. With me is anne longfield, the childrens commissioner. And also im joined by gavin moorghen, professional 0fficer at the British Association of social workers. Hes a registered social worker. Welcome to both of you. I wonder, do some social workers think that families where there are Vulnerable Children are using coronavirus as an excuse to refuse visits from social workers . Its hard to say that, but what we are aware of is that children are at risk and are inevitably going to be more vulnerable in a period of lockdown. We wont have the same level of engagement with them that we normally would do, so that is where the concerns lie. What are your specific concerns then . At the
moment, we are in lockdown so we cant provide the service we normally would but we are finding from our survey, and we have a number of people and social workers responding to the survey, and weve heard great examples of people being creative and using technology to engage with families but were not able to do those visits we normally would and those visits enable us to do the one to one support, enable us to investigate where there are concerns about the safety of the child. At the moment, the problem we haveis child. At the moment, the problem we have is that there isnt a consistent level of guidance coming from central governments and regulators to help social workers know how best to approach Child Protection social work and safeguarding in a lockdown situation. 0k, what are the potential risks to some children then in this partial lockdown scenario . The existing risks remain. We work with children who are exposed to parental drug and alcohol problems, Domestic Violence, Mental Health issues and a variety of other
concerns. The difficulty is that we have not got the usual processes for how we address that and how we would normally safeguard children in those services has changed because we are in lockdown, and in addition to that, we dont have. These children are isolated because they dont have the usual monitoring going on by our partner agencies, so thatis going on by our partner agencies, so that is where the additional risk lies and its partially because the monitoring is not happening in the same way normally would and partly because we are not able to go out there in the same way we could. As i said, there are pockets of Good Practice but there is another issue here and its about the equipment. For social workers to be able to go out safely to support these families and interact, they need the equipment to do it. We are hearing that social workers are not being provided with basics like hand gel and they have been given advice and equipment that in all honesty is not really effective. Thank you, let me
bring in and longfield, as the childrens commissioner for england, how worried are you about children, Vulnerable Children potentially being trapped in homes with Domestic Abuse perpetrators through this partial lockdown . As you can imagine, im really concerned about this group of really Vulnerable Children. Its a Significant Group and im very pleased that government open schools for Vulnerable Children, those with a social worker, but we dont yet know how many of those children went to school and anecdotally some of those figures seem to be quite low. There would be others who did not qualify for those places who are still very highly vulnerable and we think there are probably around 1 million children who are largely invisible. If you can imagine during normal times school would be the safe place with structure and trusted adults there and actually people could see if things were going wrong. Without that, we need to rethink every way
of keeping in touch with these children. Sorry, i was of keeping in touch with these children. Sorry, iwas going of keeping in touch with these children. Sorry, i was going to say, there will be kids living in a household with a violent parent and no one will know that there is Domestic Abuse going on behind those walls. Thats right. There are very high concerning numbers of children who live in households where this Domestic Abuse, addiction to alcohol and drugs, or indeed severe mental illness, so these are children who at the best of times are invisible foran at the best of times are invisible for an awful lot of agencies, but given we are going to lockdown into our homes, there needs to be that additional push to reach out to them now. I agree this has to be the next phase of government focus and guidance. I think we need to rethink how the structures can be in place locally. Theres been talk of Community Hubs for communities generally and we have to think about making those family hubs and family
coordination efforts available locally. Some schools are doing fantastic things, bringing up children every week and putting in escalation measures and there will be children centres and family centres who will be running doing virtually the same but we need to get a consistent through the country and then look at those families that will fall off the cliff of employment, those families who are sofa surfing at the moment and need to be in safe housing. Theres a lot of children here who need urgent attention. What are you calling on the government to do for those children who find themselves in Financial Hardship because their mum and dad might be out of work . Again, we know theres hugely more demands on universal credit and we know that the system is slow, quite rigid and will be overwhelmed. I would like to see families with children taking priority here and i would like to
see upfront payments stop i would like to see an additional amount put into child benefits this week to be able to give families a little bit of extra help here. Every aspect of the system that supports Vulnerable Children and their families is now under severe strain. I know government has this in mind, so i know there is an understanding and recognition there that we need this kind of dissemination of the guidance of the infrastructure and more cash likely to go out to councils who are doing amazing work, but they need help and they need coordination guidance. Gavin, i wonder if some of these issues about Vulnerable Children are keeping social workers awake at night. 0h, absolutely. The survey has raised all kinds of concerns from social workers because ultimately they are working so hard and they are very worried about the well being of
these very Vulnerable Children, and and has made some really important points. Its great the government has recognised Vulnerable Children would benefit from going to school but just a couple would benefit from going to school butjust a couple of days ago i spoke to a social worker who has been faced with this awful dilemma of having to choose which of the Vulnerable Children can go because there is limited placements and this is where we have to be creative, and again, there needs to be consistency in how we do this and ultimately social workers do need to go out and see some of these children. They need the equipment to do that, and i come back to this point, social workers we are speaking to are telling us that they have not got the equipment they need to do this safely and for both their own safety and for the communities that they are communicating with, they need this. Thank you both. Really appreciate your time. If you are worried about any of the issues we are talking about there, you can find lots of information about support and it can be done in confidence and no one will know you have been asking for help. The addresses on your screen. We will bring you the latest news on the hour at ten oclock, and the weather. You may have spotted pictures of rainbows springing up in windows where you live. Its part of a trend, which started online, encouraging children who can no longer go to school, to put up the paintings and spread hope. Teachers say its giving children a sense of community, despite having to stay indoors. Lets take a look. So, first we started off with a rainbow. This is my rainbow. This is my rainbow here is my rainbow. Im going to put it inside my window music
what are you colouring in, darling . Im colouring in a rainbow. And why are you doing that . Because i want to make everyone smile when they go past. I made it because its to let people know that were here for them. Now its time for a look at the weather with carol kirkwood. Hello again. The weather today is very similar to yesterday although we might not reach the dizzy heights of 19. 4 celsius. The warmest day of the year yesterday and that temperature was in real in north wales. England and wales have another settled day today in scotla nd another settled day today in scotland and Northern Ireland, you still have the weather front we had all week producing some cloud and some increasingly patchy rain brightening up later in the outer
hebrides. The east of Northern Ireland, england and wales seeing a lot of sunshine, hazy at times and we could hit 17 or 18 on the west coast of wales in the north east coast of wales in the north east coast of wales through today but generally we are looking up to the mid teens. Tonight, a cold night with frost in england and wales, also patchy mist and fog, some frost likely in the North West Highlands but in between where we have the thicker clown patchy rain temperatures are holding up and we will have this tomorrow, and increasingly weak feature and eventually we will lose the rain and brighter skies of a few showers in the highlands, and england and wales once again dry and sunny. And england and wales once again dry and sunny. Hello. Welcome to bbc news, im Victoria Derbyshire, bringing you the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. The uks volunteer army already 250,000 people have answered the governments call for the public to help tackle the coronavirus crisis. In times like this, as the chief medical officer has already said, we see outbreaks of altruism, people wanting to help. So its a wonderful response, in the same way that all those doctors coming back, nurses saying they will come back, i am bowled over by it. By next week this Conference Centre in london will be transformed into a huge makeshift hospital with 4,000 beds. 80 year old grandmother Marita Edwards thought to be first person in the uk to die after catching the virus in hospital. Her son makes an impassioned
appeal to the public. Please dont go out and mix with people. I dont want to see another family watch such a horrific death as my mums. It was horrific, truly horrific, i dont know what else to say. Please, please listen. The government resists the pressure to stop construction work, saying it should continue if it can be done safely. In scotland, the first minister says sites should close. The government is considering the Early Release of some prisoners in england and wales, to ease the pressure placed onjails by the pandemic. Boris johnson will answer questions from mps in whats expected to be the final session of Prime Ministers questions before parliament is likely to shut down this evening. The us agrees a 2 trillion aid package to protect the American Economy from the effects of coronavirus. India goes into a three week lockdown. 1. 3 billion people nearly a fifth of the worlds population have been told to stay home. And the number of deaths in europe passes 12,000, despite efforts to curb peoples movements across the continent. Hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. Were covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. This hour well also be taking a closer look at how the lockdown is being enforced around the world. Lets take a look at some of the latest developments. In the uk, the governments target of 250,000 volunteers to help the National Health service has already been reached just hours after the Health Secretary called for an army of volunteers after yesterdays pictures of a crowded London Underground the mayor has just reported that tube travel in the capital today is down by a third compared to yesterday, and bus travel is down by an additional 20 . Called the nightingale, the nhs is to treat up to 4,000 patients in a temporary Field Hospital at the excel Exhibition Centre in east london. In india, the countrys population of 1. 3 billion has gone into Prime MinisterNarendra Modi has enforced a total ban on people leaving their homes. But some of the countrys shops remain open. In the united states,
President Trump says he hopes the country can shake off the virus by easter. Congress has now approved a 2 trillion economic rescue plan causing Global Stock Markets to surge. And those leaving the new york city area have been told to self isolate for 14 days, after a spike in the number of confirmed virus cases there. With the latest on the uks response to the coronavirus, this report from charlotte rose. We have all of these people who are incredibly critically unwell and people are dying alone, people have no company. A stark warning from those on the front line. Three Junior Doctors from a London Hospital want people to take this illness seriously and to warn the rest of the country whats coming their way. Patients in their 20s, patients their 30s. We dont know what the outcome of some of these patients will be. They will go to intensive care, may be in intensive care for some weeks and some of them will die. And its completely heartbreaking and harrowing. Warnings too from families who have seen what covid 19 can do. Sushilas 73 year old father, michael, died on sunday after contracting the virus. He had underlying conditions but wasnt diagnosed until he collapsed and was rushed to hospital. He was in hospital in intensive care in a coma for a week. Prior to that, he was at home ill, with what they suspected was pneumonia. We are all going to be totally fed up with having to stay in, for sure. I know i definitely am, but we need to be looking at italy which is quite terrifying. But they are really struggling. Shops have been shut and the streets are almost silent, after the Prime Minister told uk
citizens to stay at home. Yet there is still confusion as to who should be going to work and who shouldnt. Change here for piccadilly line. Pictures of packed tubes prompted the Health Secretary to give this advice. I want to be clear that where people absolutely cannot work at home, they can still go to work. Indeed, its important they do to keep the country running. Key workers for example, in the nhs, social care, pharmacists and medicine supply chain should go to work unless, as weve said before, theyre self isolating. In the daily press conference, mr hancock said construction work could continue. But in scotland, Building Sites are being shut. Shadow chancellorjohn mcdonald said the governments approach was irresponsible, dangerous and self defeating. As hospitals across the country prepare for a surge in cases, the government has announced its creating a new temporary hospital at the excel Conference Centre in london. The nhs nightingale will provide an extra 4,000 beds specifically
for coronavirus patients. The army is being brought in to run the centre alongside nhs staff. The government is also calling for an army of 250,000 volunteers to support the health service. The battle against this virus is ramping up. Charlotte rose, bbc news. The call for volunteers, the Health Secretary only made that request yesterday afternoon when he did his press briefing at 4. 30. Already, 250,000 people have volunteered to help out the nhs. That is absolutely tremendous. What a magnificent effort. Well done, everyone. That is just brilliant. As i said, i think yesterday to see the best of people in crises like these, dont you . In the united states, President Trump has come under fire for suggesting coronavirus restrictions could be lifted by easter. Hes in a war of words with andrew cuomo, the governor of new york, who has compared the speed of the virus spread to a bullet train. The Us Government has said that anyone who has left new york city in the past few days should immediately put themselves under self isolation for the next two weeks. Two thirds of all new virus cases have been diagnosed in the city, which has been called the ground zero of the coronavirus outbreak. In washington, the white house and us senators have agreed a 2 trillion package to stimulate the us economy. Senior republican and democrats have been explaining why the deal is so significant. The men and women of the greatest country on earth are going to defeat this coronavirus and reclaim our future. And the senates going to make sure they have the ammunition they need to do it. Im thrilled that were finally going to deliver for the country that has been waiting for us to step up. Im relieved my distinguished democratic colleagues are ready to take yes for an answer. This has been a long week in the senate. But its been a much longer week for the hundreds of millions of americans who find themselves in this strange new reality. I know how Small Business people worry and suffer. They will get loans. Their employees will be paid by the federal government while theyre closed, because they dont have customers or services. And they can too bounce back afterwards. So, this agreement is really an outstanding agreement. To them, to all americans, i say, help is on the way. They can help, and quick help. We are going to take up and pass this package to care for those who are now caring for us. And help carry millions of americans through these dark economic times. India has gone into a complete lockdown lasting at least three weeks. The country has recorded over 500 positive coronavirus cases, and reported 10 deaths. 0ur correspondent Arunoday Mukharji in delhi has more details. India woke up to its first day of a complete lockdown across the country. A country which has a population of 1. 3 billion people on some of the most bustling and crowded cities saw them turning into ghost towns overnight. The Prime Minister made that address last night. Soon after, we saw long queues outside essential stores as people tried to stock up on items, preparing for the long haul ahead. 21 days is the duration for which people across the country have to stay indoors. Theres a lot of anxiety and concerns about whether essential items and supplies would be hit. But there was an assurance coming in from the Prime Ministers office that nothing
like that is going to happen. Supplies will go on as it were, food, medicines will not be affected. However, it being the first day of the curfew, there are reports coming in across the country of confusion on the ground about how the police is handling this entire lockdown. Many essential Service Workers have been stopped, essential supply trucks, which are supposed to ferry important items to various households, have been stopped. Officials say they are hoping that things smoothen out over the next few days. The Prime Minister also announced a massive economic package of nearly 2 billion, only for Health Infrastructure to battle the coronavirus. 21 days is going to be very, very difficult for a country like india, where 90 of the workforce is in the unorganised sector. Many people who are migrant workers, who work on daily wages, will be the worst hit. Arunoday mukharji, bbc news, delhi. The mayor of london,
sadiq khan, has said that early data from tfl, which runs the capitals Public Transport network, suggests that tube travel by passengers is down by a third compared to yesterday, with a 20 fall in bus passengers. But some london commuters have again posted photos on social media showing packed tube carriages this morning, saying that many people on the trains do not appear to be key workers. The mayor has been criticised by some for reducing Tube Services too much, forcing people to cram onto fewer trains. But mr khan says nearly a third of tfl staff are now sick or self isolating. With me now is our assistant Political Editor, norman smith. Can we talk about construction workers . There are so many messages, this from one person who says my partner works in central london, a construction worker, where there are heaving tubes, 200 workers on site
with almost zero sanitation, a breeding ground, and then sharing the tube with medical staff. The london mayor wants it to close, the mayor of manchester does, do you think the government will follow . Personally, yes, i do. At the moment, it seems they are sticking by their existing position, pretty much come as far as i can see, the decision over whether construction workers should be going in, leaving it to Company Bosses and saying, you decide whether you can ensure your construction workers can remain two metres apart, and if you are satisfied they can, well, yes, carry on working. That is a lot of responsibility to put on Company Bosses. It also leads to a high degree of confusion. At the moment, the very clear messages, yes, carry on. As you say, we have a patchwork of different decisions being made all over the place. Some company
bosses are closing down sites. 0thers bosses are closing down sites. Others are continuing. Nicola sturgeon has said in scotland, no way should construction work be continuing unless it is essential in the fight against coronavirus. In other words, unless you are building a hospital or Something Like that. The first minister of wales has not insisted construction sites are closed, but indicated that he agrees with nicola sturgeon. As you said, sadiq khan and andy burnham have said, for goodness sake, the pressure this is putting onto Public Services in terms of transport is not good in terms of tackling coronavirus. All of which said, as of this morning, the government macular sticking to its existing position. Listen to the communities secretary, robertjenrick. A number of employers have concluded that they cant follow the Public Health england guidance, and are choosing to close down their sites. In some cases, they are doing so over a short period of time, so those sites remain safe, and that is the right thing to do. But if you or your employer believe that you can continue to operate safely, within those guidelines, then
it is sensible for you to do so. I think it is worth remembering that there are some functions within the housing and Construction Industry that are absolutely essential to all of us. Keeping building safe, ensuring essential maintenance is done to peoples homes and workplaces. In terms of the number of tests being carried out, jeremy hunt has said we are no further forward now than we were last week . This is the sharp end of tackling coronavirus. We can have arguments about who is going on going to wear, and who isnt, what shops are open or not, but the sharp end of tackling the virus comes down to testing. We heard from the world health 0rganization eat on monday, test, test, test. They were saying that because they were looking at countries that had successfully
contained it, and began to push it backin contained it, and began to push it back in asia, like south korea, and the way they did that was by remorselessly testing and tracking of people who had come into contact with those with coronavirus. In south korea, they tested 300,000 people on monday. We are testing about 5000 a day. We are massively behind them. What is worrying people likejeremy behind them. What is worrying people like jeremy hunt is behind them. What is worrying people likejeremy hunt is that we dont seem likejeremy hunt is that we dont seem to be getting any better. For all the talk we have had about buying millions of new tests, they are not there yet. We are still only testing about 5000. Mr hunt expressing his disquiet this morning. If you look at south korea, which is probably the most successful example of this, they actually had a worse outbreak than us because they had that super spreader in that religious sect. So, they had it worse than us. But they ruthlessly, rigorously traced every single suspected covid 19 case, wherever it is in the country. They then found everybody that
person had been in contact with, they take them out of circulation so they cant spread the virus to anyone else. We stopped testing in the Community Ten days ago, which i think its very worrying. So i really hope we can get back to that. Because the key, if we want to avoid long periods of lockdown, is to have very, very comprehensive testing, so that we actually track down, break the chain of transmission. So, i welcome the ambition that we have from the government. At the moment, the numbers we are testing every havent really risen from about a week ago. I hope that will change very soon. There has been a big rise in the numbers of people claiming universal credit . Staggering rise. The work and pensions secretary, who is in front of a committee of mps, has had over the past week there has been an increase of about 470,000 people
claiming universal credit. In other words, 500,000 more people. Presumably these are workers who have been laid off as a result of the coronavirus crisis. But that is a huge, huge increase. Remember, we are in the early stages of this whole crisis. So, you ratherfear there is a way to go in terms of people having to claim universal credit. She also rebuffed the idea which has been pushed by the labour party and a number of other people, saying, look, why can people not claim universal credit from day one, rather than having to wait five weeks . At present, you can get a loa n weeks . At present, you can get a loan pretty soon, but it is a loan, so loan pretty soon, but it is a loan, so you have to pay it back. Why cant you claim the benefit from day one . Teresa coffey has said that isnt going to happen, saying that technically it is difficult to do. But there is an emerging question, i think, about the difficulties and hardships people are now going to
have to face, if more and more people are laid off. Therese coffey also said that, of these half million or so new claims, Something Like 70,000 had asked for that advance. So, that suggests there are large numbers of people going on to universal credit who are desperate for cash and dont have any. And so, they are having to seek advances. So, that is going to become a real Pressure Point in this whole crisis, as, also, is the issue around the self employed on the chancellor bring forward a package to try to safeguard them, too. Cheers, norman, ta ke safeguard them, too. Cheers, norman, take care. Stay well. Thats what we say to each other now, isnt it . Lets cross now to the house of commons where the science and Technology Committee are holding an enquiry into the uk response to the coronavirus outbreak hearing from professor Neil Ferguson from the centre for global Infectious Disease analysis at Imperial College london
he has had coronavirus and it is his modelling, he is part of the team, which have come up with this modelling which has guided much of the government strategy. Lets listen in. So, we are not trying to reduce uncertainty, we are trying to convey to patrick and chris what is known about the science, so they can make a judgment about how they communicate that to ministers. In your view, having seen the decisions that have been taken by ministers and having been on stage, would you consider that the government has followed the advice of sage . To be clear, sage does not recommend policy. Sage makes judgments clear, sage does not recommend policy. Sage makesjudgments about science, including how rapidly the epidemic is moving, what the rate of mortality is. It might make
interventions, so i am not sure that the question about the government following the advice of sage, the government, being informed by the scientific evidence, understands that it then affects considerations about economics, health and all of those. Professor Niall Ferguson, director of the centre for global Infectious Disease analysis at Imperial College london, giving evidence to the house of commons science and Technology Select committee. That is part of the inquiry into how the uk is responding to coronavirus. Apologies that the sound quality isnt that brilliant, i suspect that is because Niall Ferguson is on skype from home, like most guests these days, for understandable reasons. Lets have a look at the latest advice from the british government. The latest government
Restrictions Mean you can now only leave your home for very specific reasons. They are to shop for basic necessities, like food and medicine. You can go outside for one form of exercise a day, alone or with members of your family all gatherings of more than two people are banned. You can leave home for any medical need or to care for a vulnerable person. And finally, you can travel to and from work, but only where absolutely necessary, and if you cannot work from home. You can find out more about the symptoms of coronavirus and how to protect yourself, thats all on the bbc news app and also on our website, bbc. Co. Uk news. The list of countries on lockdown across the world is rapidly growing as the virus continues to spread. The majority of the countries are in europe, which is the epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic, according to the world health organisation. But weve been hearing from people
from all over the world who say they are stuck. So how are countries elsewhere dealing with being lockdown . With me now is Helena Wasserman who is in cape town in south africa where a lockdown was announced on monday night. Also im joined by adam smith, a british citizen who is stuck in el salvador, which is also on lockdown. Adam, tell us about your situation . My adam, tell us about your situation . My girlfriend and i have been travelling in Central America for a couple of months. There are only five cases of coronavirus in el salvador now, and they have closed the international airport, like, to make it weeks ago, to get on top of this. So, with no warning we have got stuck, really. All of the borders around the country are closed to nonnationals and we are
waiting to see if we can get out by some noncommercial repatriations. How do you find the situation . We are fine. It is disappointing, because it will be the end of our trip, we plan to go through to the us injune. But we cant fault what the president he is doing. Hes been very clear, he has been on top of the science. What i have been hearing from the uk, their measures, ifi hearing from the uk, their measures, if i was there, i wouldnt quite know whether i could go out or not, should i go to work or not . Yeah, everything is closed. The restau ra nts everything is closed. The restaurants are everything is closed. The restau ra nts a re ta keaway everything is closed. The restaurants are takeaway only. The only things that are open are banks, hospitals and supermarkets. 0nly only things that are open are banks, hospitals and supermarkets. Only one person in each household can go out and go to the supermarket, and then they have to go back. If you are caught going somewhere else, you are put ina caught going somewhere else, you are put in a mandatory quarantine centre. Yeah, it is fair enough. It is disappointing, and we arejust
worried whether we can get back to the uk. Let me talk to helena, in cape town. What is the situation like there . So, our official lockdown only starts at midnight on thursday. But people are basically staying at home already. And how are people taking it . There is not a lot of complaining. We have seen some panic buying of goods. Today is the traditional payday in south africa. Sol traditional payday in south africa. So i think we will see some spending, people are queueing in the stores. 0n the whole, it is quite calm. We are not hearing a lot of complaints. People understand the gravity of the situation. When you say your lockdown starts midnight on thursday, lockdown means Different Things in different countries, im learning. What does it mean for south africa . In south africa, it means only essential services can
move around. So, you are not allowed to go out of your house unless you are shopping for food. You are also allowed to walk your dog and to take allowed to walk your dog and to take ajog. Allowed to walk your dog and to take a jog. That is basically it. Essential Services Also include private security and all Services Related to food delivery. That includes farmers and farm workers. Private security, that is interesting. I wonder what the knock on effect on crime might be . Well, we have heard reports that Emergency Rooms are very well, we have heard reports that Emergency Rooms are very quiet at the moment. There has been a Strict Lockdown on the sale of alcohol after six oclock at night. So, all of the bars and restaurants that serve alcohol have been ordered to stop that. So we have seen anecdotal reports of a decrease may be in violent crime, definitely in car accidents. Adam, what is the British Embassy say about when you can get
back to the uk . Well, we havent had anything concrete at the moment. I have to say, big thanks to the embassy staff. I am sure they are working hard all around the world, i am sure they are very stretched. They have been in good contact with us they have been in good contact with us and they have been asking us to keep updating on where we are. They said that they are working on something. So, that does help quell something. So, that does help quell some worries. I mean, the other thing that it is important to mention is it is a worry for us, and iam sure mention is it is a worry for us, and i am sure for millions of other travellers struck abroad, and brits with holidays coming up, we tried to contact our travel insurance provider, boots, and we havent heard anything back from them. We got a stock e mail from them, so when we were stuck in lockdown quarantine, e mails said even with
the latest Foreign Office advice, they will not be covering any curtailment. That is a big worry, may be even more so curtailment. That is a big worry, may be even more so than how we might end up and income. I am sure a lot of people will be in the same boat. Reading about how the government is going to change the rules, so at all protected holidays dont mean anything any more. I know it isa dont mean anything any more. I know it is a one in dont mean anything any more. I know it isa one ina dont mean anything any more. I know it is a one in a century event, but it is a one in a century event, but it would be good to know how consumers and ordinary people are going to be protected from this financially, as well. Good luck, adam. I hope you get back soon. Take care. Thank you very much. Adam smith, one of the many british people stuck abroad in el salvador. Thank you for your time also, helena. A grandmother who had a gallbladder operation is believed to be the first identified british person to die from coronavirus having caught it in hospital. 80 year old Marita Edwards passed away on friday. Her son, stuart loud, says his mum was fairly fit and had no Underlying Health problems and hopes her death will make people follow the new government restrictions to stay at home. Mr loud said that in the days leading up to her death no physical contact was allowed with her family. It was very strict. We had protocols, wear masks, gloves and aprons, at all times, strict protocol of hand washing, and getting out of those items afterwards. Ican imagine. Of course, presumably you couldnt hug her, you could not kiss her or hold her hand . We were not able to have any physical contact at all. We could touch her hand through gloves. But there was no physical contact. Hand through gloves. We were not allowed to hug her, you know, touch her face or her head, or any display of affection which you would normally want, if you had a loved one in that position. It was extremely difficult. How are you trying to rationalise what has happened to your mum . And if she would still be with us. Its extremely difficult. I was still questioning why she went in for a routine operation, and if she would still be with us. She was having difficulty with her digestive system, which is why she wanted it, and she was pleased to go in. But she never asked for this. I urge anybody, if you are
listening, to not. Hospitals are a last resort at this stage. Self treat at home if you think you are positive, take very good care of yourselves. But i wouldnt want to be anywhere near a hospital right now. There are millions of people listening to you right now, stuart. There are still some people who perhaps arent taking this as seriously as they should. What would you say to them . Please, please, listen to what you are being told. Dont put money ahead of being sensible. This needs to be a lockdown. This needs to be recognised nationally. We need to lockdown to eradicate this disease. Please dont go out and mix with people. You may be young and healthy, you may think you are not in danger, but it is the people you come in contact with and the people that you may pass it onto. I dont want another family to watch
such an horrific death as my mums. I dont know what else to say, please, please listen. I have a pretty heartbreaking e mail from cathy who says, my mother is in a care home in fife and today i received a phone call from the medical practice who look after the residents of the home she is in to say that if my mum contracts covid 19, she does not qualify for a ventilator and, as such, they are marking her file dnr, ventilator and, as such, they are marking herfile dnr, do not resuscitate. At the time i was so taken aback i said ok, these decisions have to be made, i suppose. But after crying all afternoon and lying in bed thinking more about it i am now so angry. Who makes the decision as who should and should not get ventilation . What right does anyone other than my mum or may decide that a dnr statement should be put on herfile. It is not
herfault there are should be put on herfile. It is not her fault there are not enough ventilators. I do appreciate that these decisions have to be made, but she is my mum and i want what is best for her. I need to know she catches the virus, she will be properly cared for and notjust left. How many other people have received this or a similar phone call . I havent seen my mum for two weeks, says cathy, because the home is on lockdown and im over 70 so i 2am in isolation but i feel i will have to go and see her, albeit through a glass door. It will break my heart if anything happened to her andi my heart if anything happened to her and i had not seen herfor so long. Cathy ends by saying thank you for all the information you have been giving us every day. Some really desperate situations that people are finding themselves in. Cathy, thank you for sharing that with us. The number of deaths from coronavirus in europe has now passed 12,000. Heres gavin lee with
a breakdown of those figures. The figure for europe, the spread in the last. Well, the overall spread now, 200,000 people across europe have got coronavirus or have tested positive. Thats 100,000 people in the past five days. Now, italy, first of all, we know thats the worst case in terms of the number of deaths 7,000 there, 70,000 people contracting coronavirus. What is happening there, though, at the moment . Clearly areas like lombardy in huge strain, even though the cases seem to be reducing slightly in terms of spread. So what Giuseppe Conte said, the Prime Minister, was that the level of spread seems to be about 7 , 8 , the daily rise. The hope that the worst days may be behind italy. Spain, i think, is where theres a real crisis point at the moment. Were talking about 40,000 cases, around 3,000 deaths in spain. The highest concentration of deaths, two thirds are in madrid, where the morgues the mortuaries are overwhelmed so that the soldiers have been brought in and theyve opened up a huge ice rink to turn it
into a temporary morgue to move bodies. Reports this morning that spain are asking nato to give them International Humanitarian aid because they need Something Like one and a half million face masks, half a million respirators, half a million emergency testing kits and hundreds of ventilators as well. Some better news in germany, where there are 32,000 cases and belgium, where there are 4,000 cases. The governments in both countries saying that there are signs that this is going in the right direction in terms of the slow of the spread there as well. And a quick word on the east of europe, serbia. There are hundreds of serbians right now who are stuck on the slovenian border this morning because serbia, after the advice of chinese epidemiologists in the last few days, saying that you have to have real Strict Lockdown measures. Theyve put the whole country on lockdown. Theyre not allowing their own citizens in and thats led to hundreds being stuck on the border. Slovenia says this is a breach
of basic humanitarian code. As we were hearing from adam smith a few moments ago, its an uncertain time for hundreds of thousands of british people whove found themselves stranded abroad. Many flights are cancelled and some borders are closed making International Travel difficult. Jayne mccubbin has been speaking to some of those unsure of how, or when, theyll get home. These are just a few of the hundreds of thousands of brits who have been told by the Foreign Office to come home. But with airports closing, ticket prices inflating, that is easier said than done. Hello, everybody. So my name is elaine. Countless are stranded. These nurses from wigan are desperate not only to get back home from cambodia, but also get back to work. Because a lot of our work colleagues have had to stay off work for various things. Some have illness, the coronavirus, some have family who are ill, some are vulnerable. And we just want to get back now, to get back to work. Hello in india. Can you hear me 0k . We can hear you perfectly. With flights in and out of india stopped, this mother and daughter are stranded with three other elderly relatives. I do feel very, very nervous. My mum is really nervous. She wants to get back to the uk, as well, because we know we have to get on with everything there. In peru. My goodness, this was meant to be a trip of a lifetime. Ffred and meinir are stuck in isolation in a hotel which is closed down, with no flights on the horizon. Only half of it works. So i had intended to be in this high, 1,000 feet altitude forjust a few days, rather than a few weeks. But there are six of us left in the hotel right now. It is officially shut. In bali, it is thought there are closer to 6,000 uk nationals. They are facing airport queues and delays like this. A hassle in ordinary times, today a deadly risk. There is no single seat available. We are not the only people stuck here. There is one woman whos got bone marrow disease. She is running out of medicine, and will be running out of medicine on saturday. But the advice is to book a flight out of here at the moment, and thats just not physically possible. There is no social distancing whatsoever, and Everyone Wants to get home. There is one person telling you whats happening, and you need to listen to that one person, when theres 50 100 people around you. Social distancing doesnt exist. And just look at this social distancing pictured by susan. The irony is this is a queue into a cambodian hospitalfor a test to prove you dont have the virus the very test you need to get a flight home. The hospital was extremely
busy, and the whole city is in chaos, really. Within half an hour they had let 30 people in, but had turned away another 70 100, saying that they werent going to undertake any more tests for certificates. These are just a few of the very many desperate people, hoping they are not forgotten. Best of luck, ladies. I hope youre back in work soon. The nhs needs you. If someone out there is. Please, please, please get us home. Some breaking news to bring you. The prince of wales has tested positive for coronavirus and is displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health, according to Clarence House. So Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus, mild symptoms, and it feels like weeks ago, and its bubbly only last week, but 80 of the blue get coronavirus will only have mild symptoms of the people who get coronavirus. But Prince Charles has obviously been tested and tested positive for coronavirus. From memory, ithink he is at bell moral with his wife, but the news just in the last couple of seconds that the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, has tested positive for covid 19. We are told he has mild symptoms, which is the good news. Most people will get mild symptoms, we are told, if they have this illness. I think he was up at bell moral with his wife bowel moral that he has been tested and tested
positive. Talk to the royal correspondent Sarah Campbell now. Im looking at other sources on social media and that is the only information they have so far. That Prince Charles, the prince of wales has been tested positive for coronavirus. His office says he has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. Camilla has been tested and Clarence House says she does not have the virus. But both Prince Charles and camilla are self isolating and they are at the bell moral estate, as we thought, in scotland. Its not possible says the office of Prince Charles to ascertain from whom the prince caused the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent
weeks. That slightly more alarming, but Clarence House says its not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus due to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. Prince charles has coronavirus, camilla does not, so has coronavirus, camilla does not, so lets talk to Sarah Campbell, our royal correspondent. Its a bit of a surprise this, sarah. Literally the new statement has just been released from Clarence House and i can read you what the Clarence House spokesman has released. Saying that the prince of wales has tested positive for coronavirus and has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. The duchess of cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the
prince and duchess are now self isolating at home in scotland. The tests were carried out by the nhs in aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing which is not possible to ascertain from who he caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. So, confirmation from Clarence House that the prince of wales has tested positive for coronavirus. The duchess of cornwall has also been tested but she does not have the virus. So they are at balmoral in scotland, so where is the queen now . The queen was moved to Windsor Castle on friday of last week. The duke of edinburgh has been spending most of his time on the sandringham estate, and he was also taken down to Windsor Castle, so our
understanding is that both the queen and duke of edinburgh are effectively isolating in Windsor Castle. And the prince of wales and the duchess of cornwall are in scotla nd the duchess of cornwall are in scotland where they are self isolating. It does beg the question, has the queen been tested . Isolating. It does beg the question, has the queen been tested7m isolating. It does beg the question, has the queen been tested . It does beg that question. I would say the statement has just been released and we are expecting to get some more details about this and mick palace will give more details because obviously both the prince of wales and camilla are over 70, and we know that the queen and duke of edinburgh are in their 905. The duke of edinburgh is 98 and there will be a huge amount of concern if they were to get covid 19 that potentially they are more susceptible to the more serious complications that can come with the virus, so there will
bea come with the virus, so there will be a lot of concern around that it was announced last week that the royalfamily were was announced last week that the royal family were taking these 5te p5, royal family were taking these step5, although they had been taking steps to protect themselves before that. We saw the queen, for example, wearing gloves which he had never done before but the decision was taken last week in line with the National Guidance that that wasnt really good enough and the meetings had to stop, because of course, what do the queen and prince of wales do, they go and meet people. That is their job, they go and meet people. That is theirjob, to go out and be seen and meet people and that had to stop and now we know the prince of wales has tested positive for the virus. Worth reiterating that he has been displaying mild symptoms and otherwise remains in good health and the statement says he has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. And to reiterate, the duchess of cornwall has also been tested but she does
not have the virus. They are staying at balmoral and the queen is at Windsor Castle. Are you clear when Prince Charles stopped undertaking his public dutie5, because in the statement it says they are not sure where he picked this up from because he has had a high number of engagements in the last few weeks. When did he stop the engagement because we know there is a five day incubation period for displaying symptoms. We do know that and its a good question and i have to find out what the answer to that is. The queen attended cheltenham races, and that was the week before last and thats the last time she was out somewhere public, so they have been engaged and they were due to go on the spring tour which was cancelled so the spring tour which was cancelled so they didnt in fact go away. But he has been out and about in in the last week the decision was taken not
to go out and about, but i would have to look back and see when was the last time that they actually made a Public Engagement. Its not clear when he was tested or started to show symptoms. As i say, the statement from Clarence House does say he has been working from throughout the last few home days as usual, so that does suggest he was tested perhaps more than a few days ago if he has been self isolating since then. I wouldnt want to guess but we hope to get more information from Clarence House, from Buckingham Palace about where he has been, whom he has been seeing and whether the important question, has he seen the queen . I can tell you there are pictures on social media of a Princes Trust event that he was at a few days ago with people like ant and deck, Pierce Brosnan and they werent shaking hands, and i suppose thatis werent shaking hands, and i suppose that is the good news. But they were
within two metres of each other, and that would be the norm for the kind of engagements hes been carrying out the last few weeks. Exactly, its been a balancing act for them and everyone else. When the royal family do anything, then it sends a strong statement, so going into self isolation sends a strong statement andi isolation sends a strong statement and i think everyone was reluctant to do that until it would have been a sensible thing to do and something that wouldnt have caused adverse panic, but everything with coronavirus has changed so dramatically over the last few weeks. Things they were perhaps doing would now be completely unthinkable, so at an event with celebrities would be unthinkable, but we dont know at what point yet he actually picked up the virus and im sure that we will hopefully find out those details. Its worth, the
people just tuning in, out those details. Its worth, the peoplejust tuning in, reading through the statement again, if you would, about the fact that the prince of wales has tested positive for coronavirus. Exactly. This statement was released by Clarence House at about 10 30am and it reads, the prince of wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. The duchess of cornwall has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the prince and the duchess are isolating at. I prince and the duchess are isolating at. I think we have lost sarah. I think the phone cut off, didnt it. Let me carry on with the statement. Both Prince Charles and camilla are self isolating and are currently at their home on the balmoral estate in scotland. Clarence house say it is
not possible to ascertain from whom the prince caught the virus owing to the prince caught the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role during recent weeks. We know that he is at balmoral and the queen is at Windsor Castle. That is with Prince Philip. We are not sure when they last saw each other but i did say it begs the question, as the queen been tested. A number of people on social media are wishing Prince Charles well. His office does say he has mild symptoms and is carrying on working from home and a number of other people are saying, how are these people getting tested but normaljoe blogs these people getting tested but normal joe blogs cannot these people getting tested but normaljoe blogs cannot get access . This twitter user says, has Prince Charles been hospitalised . This twitter user says, has Prince Charles been hospitalised . If not, how has he got a test when nurses and doctors on the front line have been refused unless they are hospitalised . So been refused unless they are hospitalised . So prince been refused unless they are hospitalised . So Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus. Camilla has not. They have both been
tested and she was negative, he was positive and has been displaying mild symptoms according to Clarence House. But he otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home through the last few days as usual. Both Prince Charles and camilla are self isolating and are currently at their home, on the balmoral estate in scotland and the office of Prince Charles say they do not know who the prince caught the virus from. Hes had a large number of engagements which has been carrying out in the last few weeks and there are pictures on social media of him at an event where he met Pierce Brosnan and others, no one shaking others shaking hands but they are in close proximity, within two metres of each other, i would suggest. Sarah is back with us. Would suggest. Sarah is back with us. Sarah campbell, hi. We can hear you. Worth repeating the news for those just tuning in to us here. So,
we had the Statement Today from Clarence House saying that the prince of wales has tested positive for coronavirus. He had been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health and has been working from home throughout the last few days as usual. The duchess of cornwall, camilla, has also been tested but does not have the virus. In accordance with government and medical advice, the prince on the duchess are now self isolating at home in scotland. The tests were carried out by the nhs in aberdeenshire where they met the criteria required for testing stop its not possible to ascertain from whom the prince course the virus owing to the high number of engagements he carried out in his public role in recent weeks. Im just looking at the Court Circular which tells you where the royal family has been, the event was on
the 11th of march where he met Award Winners and charity supporters at the annual Princes Trust awards. 0n the annual Princes Trust awards. 0n the same day, the duchess of cornwall was at the Cheltenham Festival at ladies day at cheltenham racecourse. 0n the 12th of march, that looks to be the last engagement that looks to be the last engagement that the prince of wales undertook. He hosted a dinner by the lord mayor of the city of london and high commissionerfor of the city of london and high commissioner for australia in aid of the city of london and high commissionerfor australia in aid of the australian bushfire relief effort. That looks to be the last sort of Public Engagement where he would have come into contact with a lot of people, the 12th of march. Im just going to have a word with our colleague nicholas witchell. Hello. Can you hear me . Yes, good morning. Prince charles and camilla are both over 70 so are self isolating but its still a surprise. Let me take you through the full details of what we know. They arrived in scotland on sunday. And they had gone on an raf flight and he had been displaying mild symptoms and was tested on monday and the results came through last night and it confirmed he has got the virus. He is displaying mild symptoms, we are told. Were still working. These up are told. Were still working. These up and about self isolating. He last saw the queen briefly on the 12th of march, we are told from Buckingham Palace that the queen remains in good health and is following appropriate advice with regard to her own welfare. That is from Buckingham Palace, and as weve been reporting, both charles and camilla are now self isolating at their home on the balmoral estate. So, Prince Charles last saw the queen on the 12th of march but they say she is
0k. According to Buckingham Palace she remains in good health. The prince also saw her at the Commonwealth Day service on the 9th of march when there was a more protracted period of contact between them, but these mild symptoms became apparent, i presume, at the weekend and they say he was tested on monday by the nhs up in aberdeenshire. Right, mild symptoms, Prince Charles has. And hes carrying on working from home, his office says. That is what they say. I dont know if he is in bed. The implication is that he is not and he said to be good spirits. And notwithstanding that he is displaying these mild symptoms, he is said to be otherwise in good health. And as we know, in some cases, this virus does not lead to Serious Health applications, but i
guess it remains to be seen. Which is worth remembering because most people, we are told by the scientists, 80 of people who test positive for coronavirus, will simply have mild symptoms which is what Prince Charles has. Yes. You started by asking if it was a surprise, certainly, yes, its a surprise, certainly, yes, its a surprise to anybody in public life if it is confirmed they have the virus but he meets an awful lot of people in the course of his work and its not clear from where he caught the virus. And as Clarence House has said, he has carried out a high numberof said, he has carried out a high number of Public Engagements in re ce nt number of Public Engagements in recent weeks, so its impossible to identify how he caught it, but as i say, in the words of Clarence House, he is displaying mild symptoms and its confirmed he has the virus and is now self isolating up at
aberdeenshire. Camilla self isolating as well and they will be in separate parts of that accommodation, one assumes. They will be following governmental advice, and if you are self isolating, yes, you have to stay by yourself. Its not a huge house, but its certainly big enough for them to isolate themselves and they have a small number of staff with them. They are not specifying precisely who, but that is the position. And one must assume that he will be there for a period of weeks, recovering from what we are told are mild symptoms. In terms of his movement in the last week or two, just remind us when he saw the queen last and when he and camilla went to del moral. He last saw the queen, briefly, we are told, on the 12th of march and of course he should, or
she he and camilla would have been embarking on their spring tour which would have taken them to bosnia and on to cyprus and jordan which was of course postponed because of the virus. And as i mentioned, as we saw on the screen a moment ago, they were both together at the Commonwealth Day service. And it is important, i think, to once again reemphasise that according to Buckingham Palace the queen is in good health, she is at Windsor Castle and moved there at the end of la st castle and moved there at the end of last week, rather earlier than planned. That was a precautionary measure but the queen is at windsor along with the duke of edinburgh who has travelled down from sandringham and, obviously, given theirage, 93 and, obviously, given theirage, 93 and 98, there will be very particular care taken to make sure that they are not placed injeopardy by this virus. But we have been told the queen is in good health. But
also, given the age of Prince Charles and camilla, because they are both over 70 as well, and as we know, the over 705 are in the at risk category. Indeed. Both more than 70, as you say, but, we are assured that at the moment the prognosis is good and the symptoms are mild, but certainly, as you get older, the difficulty of dealing with this virus, and the throwing it off becomes rather more complicated. Yes, the statement from Buckingham Palace, just to remind people as they tune into us on bbc news stop her majesty the queen remains in good health. The queen last saw the prince of wales briefly on the morning of the 12th of march and is following all the appropriate advice with regard to her welfare, and they will not be commenting any further. So, the queen and Prince Philip are at Windsor Castle and prince
charles, who has tested positive for coronavirus, is at balmoral with camilla. We will bring you continuing coverage of this on bbc news. This is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. The prince of wales tests positive for coronavirus. Clarence house says hes displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in good health. Buckingham palace say the queen remains in good health and is following all appropriate advice with regard to her welfare. Lets continue talking to our royal correspondent. This is the sequence of events over the past few days as
described to us