Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20200403

Authorities in new york and la advise people to wear face masks when theyre outdoors but President Trumps chief scientific adviser says masks shouldnt lead americans into a false sense of security. Spain registers more than 900 deaths for the second day in a row. But there are signs the european death rate is approaching its peak. Hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world, for all the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic. More than a Million People globally have been infected with coronavirus, a doubling of the total in the past week. In all, more than 50,000 people have died since the outbreak began in china in december. Here in britain the Health Secretary, matt hancock, has this morning acknowledged that the governments aim to deliver 100,000 daily coronvirus tests in england by the end of the month is going to be a huge undertaking. His comments come as the first nhs Nightingale Hospital prepares to open at the excel centre in londons docklands later. Also this morning, nhs england has announced that two more Field Hospitals will be built, in bristol and harrogate. In other developments the government scheme offering loans to struggling companies is being expanded and some of its rules relaxed. Europe continues to see the highest death tolls yesterday spain reported a significant increase in deaths, at 950 people. The total number of coronavirus deaths there has now exceeded 10,000. In the United States, there were 1,169 coronavirus related deaths reported in 2a hours. That represents the biggest daily death toll in any country since the outbreak began last year. Meanwhile, French Police are stepping up checks to prevent people leaving paris for easter. To stop the virus spreading, those breaking the rules will be fined. More on those stories in a moment, but lets start with the row over testing in the uk. There are two types of tests for this coronavirus. One is the swab test, which tells you if you currently have the virus or not. A special cotton bud is used to take a swab from your nose or throat and the sample is sent off to a lab to look for signs of the virus. The uk has been criticised for failing to carry out more of these tests, especially for Front Line Health Workers who are having to self isolate if they or members of their family display virus symptoms. In england a total of only 10,000 tests per day was achieved on wednesday, with the swabs being tested predominantly in laboratories run by Public Health england. But with the help of commercial partners such as universities and private businesses, the government now hopes to increase that daily figure to 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month. This morning the Health Secretary, matt hancock, has said that figure does not include the other type of testing, which is an Antibody Test. This will tell whether or not youve had the virus and have therefore developed some level of immunity. The tests use a drop of blood which is placed in an Electronic Device so see if those specific coronavirus antibodies which fought the virus in the body are present. Knowing who has developed immunity would have the potential to get more people back to work sooner lessening the medium Term Economic impacts of the pandemic. The uk has tried to get ahead of the curve on Antibody Testing by ordering 3. 5 million doses in advance. A number of Different Companies and Research Institutes are working on this Antibody Test but as yet no Antibody Tests have been conducted, and the problem is there is no guarantee that these Antibody Tests will work. Oxford university is looking at them now. Lets get more on some of the pressures on the government at present. 0ur Political Correspondent Jonathan Blake is in westminster. These big announcements we have seen from the Health Secretary in the last 12, 2a hours, an attempt to ta ke last 12, 2a hours, an attempt to take control of the narrative again . Gather it was. Health secretary matt hancock set out yesterday in the news c0 nfe re nce hancock set out yesterday in the News Conference at downing streets total of 100,000 tests per day by the end of april. It is an ambitious target, as he admits. He said this morning that the government has a huge amount of work to do if it is to meet it. People have been asking how exactly thatll happen given that at the moment around 10,000 people are being tested for the coronavirus here in the uk everyday. We heard a little bit more about that from the Health Secretary, joining up with the private sector, pharmaceutical companies, like science companies, Research Institutions and universities are being asked tojoin institutions and universities are being asked to join the effort to turn their facilities into testing la bs turn their facilities into testing labs and process tests for coronavirus life science companies. It seems that given the two types of tests you were explaining just now in some detail, the government expects to meet this target and plans to meet this target solely on the basis of the swab test, which tells you if you have coronavirus there and then. It is not banking on the Antibody Tests, which tell you if you have had previously and will now had some immunity to it being ready in time to meet this target. So that tells you they are planning and expecting a big upscaling in the number of tests being done everyday. We have seen those facilities with drive through tests being done in london and the surrounding area, a makeshift lab has been set up in milton keynes, more are being set up in different parts of the uk to process what will be a huge of tests but still a tall order by the governments own admission to get this done by the end of april. Labour says more detail needs to be given about the process to restore Public Confidence in the governments approach. Public confidence in the governments approachlj Public Confidence in the governments approach. I am not assuming any come on stream. That is pillar three, as we call it, in order to hit the hundred thousand target. We will have, we have already 3500 a week of Antibody Tests at porton down, and they are the top quality, the best tests in the world. We are using those for Research Purposes to understand how much of the population has had coronavirus. This is one of the great unknown questions. But that is obviously very small numbers, 500 or so a day. Significant that the government is talking about Antibody Tests already being used at those Public Health england labs in porton down to give an idea of the scale of the infection rate of this virus and to try to get a handle on how far and fast it is spreading. How soon will those tests be available to people and the public at large is the key question here in whether the government will meet that target or indeed to be able to exceed eight in the weeks ahead. Interestingly, the Health Secretary this morning talking about the peak of infections. We have seen the rates go up, infections. We have seen the rates go up, day by day. He says the modelling the government is looking up modelling the government is looking up suggests that might come sooner than expected, at some point during the next few weeks. Of course, that is important because it may then allow some restrictions to be loosened and relaxed, and the government to plan more specifically for the number of cases being brought into hospitals in various areas and treated. A glimmer, perhaps, of possibility. Positivity, excuse me, in terms of the peak of infections coming sooner than expected. Lets hope so. Thank you, jonathan. 0ur correspondent Anna Collinson says some of the Antibody Tests the government were looking at arent very reliable. They have bought these nine different brands of testing and they are currently in the process of trying to work out what they can use and get out there, because they want to get these tests and there, they wa nt to to get these tests and there, they want to first start with patients, obviously, but then key critical workers on the front line, this is a big concern for them. As the test is working, the better, they are hoping that will be by the end of the month. Is that the situation globally or do other countries have Antibody Tests proving more reliable . Some countries have been far more on the ball, according to a lot of people, than others with testing. Pledges like germany are giving 500,000 tests a week, reportedly. Countries like germany are dealing. Matt hancock has previously said that countries like germany have had the industry in place to make that happen, whereas in the uk that industry was not in place. What they are hoping Going Forward is that that will change. The new nhs Nightingale Hospital in london is set to be officially opened shortly via videolink by the prince of wales. Staff will begin moving into the temporary intensive care unit this morning, with the first patients expected to arrive next week. It took only nine days to turn the centre into the temporary hospital, with 500 beds and ventilators already in 16,000 staff are required. It has capacity for as many as 4000 patients. Around the uk in cities like manchester, glasgow, cardiff and belfast, other temporary facilities for more than 6000 patients could be operational before the end of the month. 0ur correspondent Angus Crawford gave us a sense of what to expect when the hospital opens in around half an hour. Well, we are going to have a royal opening, but a royal opening with a difference. Its a royal opening from lockdown. Prince charles, as we know, has already suffered from the virus. He caught it and was in self isolation. And hes going to be delivering a tribute via video link, a tribute to all of the staff who have worked to create nightingale, both civilian contractors, medics and of course the military, and to all nhs staff around the country on the front line. And it is, as you say, a truly extraordinary achievement. I was in there last week, they are essentially two enormous aircraft hangars. In fact, if you can imagine 100,000 square metres, thats really the footprint of terminal five at heathrow airport, and i saw as surely but slowly the cubicles that make up awards slowly march down the length of the hangar, Something Like 500 metres down there. So we now know theres going to be 42 beds in each ward, and potentially, if needed, it could be scaled up to 80 plus wards. And as you said in your introduction, there, it may take Something Like 16,000 staff to keep the place going at full capacity, an extraordinary achievement. But we mustnt lose sight of the fact that this only exists because of the grim reality of the virus and the wave of cases that may be expected here in the weeks to come. Angus crawford, and we will have lots more on the very strange virtual opening of the nhs nightingale in a few minutes. The authorities in new york city and los angeles have advised people to wear a Face Covering when theyre outdoors to try to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But one of President Trumps chief scientific advisers has said she didnt want that to give people a false sense of protection. Meanwhile, a cruise ship on which four people with the virus have died has docked in florida, after weeks at sea. Several countries had refused to allow the zaandams passengers and crew to disembark. 0ur north america correspondent peter bowes reports heading home at last, docking at port everglades, in fort lauderdale, the zaandam, with its sistership, the rotterdam. It follows days of protracted negotiations with the florida authorities over whether passengers should be allowed to disembark in the state. Chartered planes have been laid on to transport foreign nationals on the ships back to their home countries. The number of coronavirus cases is continuing to surge in many us cities. New york has taken delivery of more than 200 ambulances to help the citys fight against the pandemic, but ventilators are still in short supply and Health Workers say there is a chronic lack of protective clothing. This is outrageous, that we have people coming and sewing things for us, sewing masks, sewing shields, making things out of plastics. This is what we are doing now . How. I mean, that would be like a soldier going to war and making a plastic gun to bring with him. At the Daily White House coronavirus taskforce briefing, President Trump said hed used wartime powers to order the Technology Firm 3m to make extra masks, and he promised more ventilators would soon be in production. We have thousands of them being built right now, and they are starting to arrive in a week and a half, but there will be a time when we are going to build stockpiles by the way the states should have been building their stockpile. We have almost 10,000 in our stockpile, and we have been building and weve been supplying it, them but the states should be building. We are a backup, we are not an ordering clerk. The shortage of medical grade masks has raised questions about their use by all americans. In los angeles and new york city, people have been advised to wear a Face Covering when they leave home. It could be a scarf, it could be something you create yourself at home, it could be a bandana. It does not not need to be a professional surgical mask. In fact, we do not want you to use the kind of masks that our First Responders need, that our healthcare workers need. Dont use those. President trump said he was not going to make it mandatory for people to cover their faces. One of his chief medical advisors said it might send the wrong message. We do not want people to get an artificial sense of protection because they are behind a mask, because if they are touching things remember, your eyes are not in the mask so if youre touching things and then touching your eyes, you are exposing yourself in the same way. President trump said new guidelines on the use of Face Coverings will be issued in the next few days. Peter bowes, bbc news. The headlines on bbc news. The uk Health Secretary describes his goal of 100,000 daily coronavirus tests by the end of the month as a huge undertaking. Built at breakneck speed a new hospital which can treat 4,000 covid 19 patients opens today at the excel centre in london. In the us there are more than eleven hundred virus related deaths reported in 24 hours. The biggest daily death toll in any country since the outbreak began. As weve been hearing, the British Government is coming under pressure to explain how it will deliver on its pledge for 100,000 daily coronavirus tests by the end of the month. The Health Secretary, matt hancock, described it as a huge undertaking. 0ur correspondent Charlotte Rose is at a drive in Testing Centre in wembley. So lets get a sense from her how it is going. Charlotte . Here at the north london drive through test centre, one of several across the country, nhs workers are coming to be tested for coronavirus. We should say that only those workers who can prove they work for the nhs and have a pre made appointments are allowed to come here, and we had seen some people being turned away this morning. The test centre opened at 10am andi morning. The test centre opened at 10am and i was quite a of cars earlier, but now it is extremely quiet. The cars driving to the entrance to my left and then come to these white tents over my right shoulder, and those tents are whether tests are taking place. The test consists of a swab touchdown the back of the throat and down the nose. the back of the throat and down the nose. Put it down the back of the throat. They are sent to a lab for testing, the results may take three days to come through but clearly for the nhs workers who have been here this morning, it will be very positive news because it can tell them whether or not they can go back to work. The tests the engine here can only tell the workers if they have the virus at the moment. Tests being done here. They cannot tell them if they have recovered from the virus and develop the antibodies they need so they are effectively immune, so it is possible some workers might have to come back repeated times if they believe they also believe if that family has the symptoms of coronavirus. Charlotte, many thanks. Theres been a sharp rise in Global Oil Prices after donald trump said saudi arabia and russia were about to announce huge cuts in daily output. Earlier our Business Correspondent ben thompson gave us this update. It is astonishing that we are seeing such volatility on the oil markets, up such volatility on the oil markets, up 20 in the last 24 hours. A record gain in that period. This is for a number of reasons, as it often is in the business world, but oil prices bouncing back after primarily an assumption that may be the feud between russia and saudi arabia, two of the wells biggest oil providers, may be over. They were trying to cut production, saudi arabia was certainly asking russia to cut production, to raise prices. We are ina production, to raise prices. We are in a period when i was so much supply of oil, demand has slammed because factories are closed, airlines are not flying and businesses are not operating and we are not all driving to work, for example, so the demand for oil has slumped, meaning the price fell pretty sharply, and what would normally happen in the scenario as producers would cut production to limit the supply on the market and the price rises. Lets not forget, many governments around the world of big Oil Producing countries need oil to be ata big Oil Producing countries need oil to be at a certain pricejust big Oil Producing countries need oil to be at a certain price just to balance their books. We saw it for as low as 20 a barrel, it has risen above 30 a barrel and remains pretty volatile but there is some hope for those Oil Producing countries right now that prices will start to creep up, but it could be because the feud may, and it is a big may, be over. As weve been hearing, the British Government is under pressure to explain how it will achieve 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month in england. Professor sir Robert Lechler is the president of the academy of medical sciences. Hejoins us now. Thank you so much for talking to us. What is your assessment of where we stand today . In relation to testing, i think it isa in relation to testing, i think it is a very fast moving field at the moment. As has been very nicely explained earlier in the programme there are two categories attached. The pcr test addresses two very important questions, the first is whether you have the virus, that is where the government has focused attention to date, to identify which pa rent attention to date, to identify which parent which patients need a covid 19 treatment plan. The second question answers as a corollary, who does not have the virus . That might be helpful in getting some nhs workforce back to work sooner than they otherwise would, having had a respiratory illness. In terms of upscaling, what is really encouraging is the way that many agencies, universities and Research Institutes are stepping in and leaning into work with nhs partners to increase capacity, that is true in my own university, Kings College london, where we are looking to work closely with the diagnostic facilities at guys and st thomas ince and Kings College hospital. And you heard yesterday the Francis Crick university Francis Crick institute, they can go to capacity, between forcing a substantial scale above pcr test. Can that happen in time . There is a sense that the peak in terms of virus infections is coming perhaps a little faster than the government and everyone else expected . Yes, and i think that is good news, ithink expected . Yes, and i think that is good news, i think it is reasonable to anticipate the peak within a couple of weeks. I am assuming the lock damages we are currently adhering to, i hope, will substantially reduce bible transmission. If that is the case, i think the most difficult weeks will be the next couple, then we should see a plateau and a dropping off. But for the nhs, it will still be under huge pressure and if we have increased Testing Capacity within two to three weeks, we might not quite reach the 100,000 the secretary of state is talking about but i think we will see a substantial increase and that will address a key challenge. Can i move onto Antibody Testing . |j address a key challenge. Can i move onto Antibody Testing . I was going to suggest you did exactly that, because many people will want to look ahead and take when on earth cani look ahead and take when on earth can i have any hope of getting back to normal . The Antibody Test is fairly crucial to that . Absolutely, about addresses two other questions. The first is have you had the virus . That is what the Antibody Test addresses. As you just said, that allows the nhs workforce to know when they might safely return to work. We have not yet got proof that having had the virus means you dont get it again, but i think from First Principles it is likely to be the case and if you have an antibody you will probably be protected. The other thing the Antibody Test will allow is to assess is what fraction of the population have been exposed to the virus and had immunity, and no country in the world yet knows the answer to that question. Given you can have this virus with a very mild illness or possibly no symptoms, i suspect more members of the population may have had covid 19 than we currently realise, but until we have a reliable Antibody Test thatis we have a reliable Antibody Test that is scaled up substantially, we will not know an answer to that. Professor sir Robert Lechler, frankie soma, it has been very helpful to talk to you. We are keeping our real events in east london, the virtual opening of nhs nightingale, that enormous excel centre, the Conference Centre turned into a hospital in just nine days, centre, the Conference Centre turned into a hospital injust nine days, a very odd virtual Opening Ceremony is about to take place. We will go to it when it does, but lets turn to the question of mapping first. As hospitals round the world, and here in the uk, try to cope with increasing numbers of patients with coronavirus, researchers are using tools to map the outbreak and its impact on vital services. That includes hospital care. Dr paula moraga is a mathematician from the university of bath, who has been mapping cases geographically and cross referencing this against the capacity of nearby hospitals. I hope i have explained that birch, in brief, you explain it better . Hello, thanks for having me. We are developing something to predict the spread of disease in space and time. We are working with models that will allow it to understand what is the number of cases we will see in the following days and weeks, this will allow as to understand what research we will need in the future. Right now we are using just patient models that take into account inaudible i that take into account inaudible ,we are that take into account inaudible , we are in contact with Cell Phone Companies that provide data on the number of population within the country. This is aggregated data, we cannot identify anyone in the dataset that it is really useful because we want to understand what are the high risk areas, what is the probability of infection in different areas because, for example, we may think we have a remote example, we may think we have a re m ote area example, we may think we have a remote area with low probability, but if this area has strong connections with a high risk area, the probability will increase. These models will be very difficult to predict the number of resources we will need, the number of beds, number of ventilators, medical staff. It is fascinating, and the kind of data you are getting, is that real time audio you have a light on that, is a day few days old . Where light on that, is a day few days old . Where is light on that, is a day few days old . Where is it all coming from . Is age Real Time Data or do you have a lag on that . Is age Real Time Data or do you have a tag on that . Cell phone companies have passed and commentators so we can understand the trends, because for example we are in lockdown now, we will see different connections, different interactions with people but again we will lift the restrictions, we are able to see how population is moving, how we are able to provide measurements and provide models that can help policymakers to do a better learning for these restrictions to do better planning for these restrictions. Does it enable people treating patients to work out which treatments are working . Can you also model outcomes from different forms of treatment as different Health Workers try different ways of dealing with a virus . |j workers try different ways of dealing with a virus . I think this type of analysis is different stages, these could be clinical trials. Medical staff need to be involved because they are the ones that understand how it works within the body and what is the effect it is having in a population. But of course, in terms of general population, we are able to see the progress and see if we are improving the situation, if we are seeing fewer cases, what are the hotspots and how to allocate the resources to ensure that everybody has access to the medical care they need. Dr paula moraga, frankie so much forjoining us. Moraga, frankie so much forjoining us. Thank you for having me. More than a Million People around the world are now confirmed to have coronavirus. More than 53,000 people have died of the disease since it was first reported in Central China three months ago. Our Global Health correspondent Tulip Mazumdar reports. A milestone that nobody wanted to reach. Its believed the outbreak started here at a wholesale Seafood Market in wuhan in china at the end of last year. By early january, the country confirmed it had identified a new coronavirus, and cases there started to soar. It didnt take long for covid 19 as it was later named to then spread all around the world. It took more than two months from the first reported case in china for the number of infections to reach 100,000. Then, just two weeks later, cases doubled to 200,000. Now, in the last week alone, the number of infections havejumped from half a million last friday to more than1 million now. Casesin cases in china were rising rapidly in the first months of the gay, south korea was next to see a sharp rise, but by the middle of march the global picture change. Italy, iran and spain were hit hard, then a huge rise of cases in the us. All these countries were ramping up testing at these times, too. 1 million is obviously a huge number and presents an important milestone, but i think what we need to remember is that these are the numbers of guide note cases and in fact the unknown of the amount of people that havent had a test to know theyve been infected is obviously likely to be much greater than that. So my worry, really, is what this means globally and we are keeping an eye on many other countries around the world, especially africa, where similar case numbers are beginning to creep up. We have seen what happens when this virus hits countries with relatively Strong Health systems. In europe and the usa, medics have been overwhelmed. There are grave concerns about what will happen in countries with far weaker health care facilities. South africa currently has the largest outbreak on the continent with more than 1400 known cases. Small outbreaks are also under way in countries including burkina faso, cameroon and senegal. Elsewhere, there is some very early, very cautious optimism. China says it has largely stopped the spread of the disease there with parts of wuhan now reopening. South korea has also seen cases fall in the last couple of weeks. But it is still extremely unclear how this pandemic will play out as cases globally continue to rise. Lets cross now to the excel Convention Centre in east london, where the new nhs Nightingale Hospital is about to be officially opened. You can see the Health Secretary in the background. And i believe, i hope im not mistaking one person for another, but i believe the speaker is professor charles knight, the chief executive of the new hospital. Without further ado i would like to hand over to ruth may come our chief nursing officer, who has been absolutely instrumental in getting the facility up and running. Good morning and hello, my name is ruth. Ijust good morning and hello, my name is ruth. I just want good morning and hello, my name is ruth. Ijust want to first of all say thank you very, very, very much to all the nurses, midwives, say thank you very, very, very much to allthe nurses, midwives, care workers across the whole of the nhs, across the whole of social care that have been working around the clock to ensure that we are providing the ca re to ensure that we are providing the care that we need to. Next month will see the birth of Florence Nightingale 200 years ago. And its very fitting that this hospital is named Nightingale Hospital london. She was well known for being an iconic nursing a leader of her time, caring for people, caring for soldiers in the crimean war. But she was also of course a pioneer for infection control. And here, having her name heading up this London Hospital is absolutely fitting. So thank you to all those nurses also that are coming back and supporting our efforts. I am very, very grateful to all of them doing that. But its notjust the nhs staff that are in this. We are all in this together. So i would urge you please together. So i would urge you please to keep home, stay home, and please wash your hands. So on that, after my thank yous to you all, i want to introduce the secretary of state, matt hancock. Well, thank you ruth for those words. Youre an inspiring leader, not only of the entire nursing profession of this country, but also this extraordinary project. When it was clear a few weeks ago that we we re was clear a few weeks ago that we were going to need to expand nhs Critical Care capacity, so that the capacity to care is always above the need for that care in this country, the idea was dreamt not long ago of having a new hospital. And this london nhs Nightingale Hospital, which was put together in nine days, isa which was put together in nine days, is a testament to the leadership of the people who stand behind me. And as secretary of state, whilst i do everything i can to help this country to respond to this soulful virus, iam privileged country to respond to this soulful virus, i am privileged to be able to the capability under the leadership of all of these people who you can see who have made this happen. And for me, making sure that the nhs is always there for us as Health Secretary has always been my top priority. But in these troubled times, with this invisible killer stalking the whole world, the fact in this country that we have the nhs is even more valuable than ever before. And i think that the project, in close collaboration with the army, who have been brilliant, with the private industry, who have stepped you up to the plate, with the many generous officers of support and donations, making sure that we have this hospital with up to 4000 beds, the equivalent of ten district general hospitals, making sure we have this hospital available isa sure we have this hospital available is a testament to the work and the brilliance of many people. It is the best of efforts. It is the best of the nhs. And it is the best of britain to come together in these difficult circumstances to put together such a facility at such pace, that will be there for people so that we can give the very best ca re so that we can give the very best care and so that together as a nation we can come through this crisis in the best way that we possibly can. And it gives me enormous pleasure, and a deep gratitude, to be able to hand over to his royal highness, the prince of wales, formally tojoin to his royal highness, the prince of wales, formally to join us to his royal highness, the prince of wales, formally tojoin us by to his royal highness, the prince of wales, formally to join us by video link. We have all learned a lot about video links. Formally to open this hospital. Secretary of state, ladies and gentlemen, ifi secretary of state, ladies and gentlemen, if i may say so, i was enormously touched to have been asked to open the Nightingale Hospital as part of a mass mobilisation to withstand the coronavirus crisis. It is without doubt a spectacular and almost unbelievable feat of work in every sense. From its speed of construction injust nine days, as weve heard, to its size and the skills of those who have created it. An example, if everyone was needed, of how the impossible could be made possible and how we can achieve the unthinkable three human will and ingenuity. The creation of this hospital is above all the result of an extraordinary collaboration and partnership between nhs managers, the military and all those involved, to create a centre on a scale that has never been seen before in the united kingdom. To convert one of the Largest National cultural centres into a Field Hospital, starting with 500 beds and with the potential of 4000, is quite frankly incredible. Now i was one of the lucky ones to have covid 19 relatively mildly. And if i may say so, im so glad to see the secretary of state has also recovered. But for some it will be a much harder journey. I am therefore so relieved that everyone can now have the reassurance that they will receive all the necessary technical care they may need and every chance to return to a normal life. This hospital therefore offers us in an message hospital therefore offers us in an message of hope to those who will need it most at this time of national suffering. Let us also pray, ladies and gentlemen, that it will be required for a short time and for as few people as possible. 0n and for as few people as possible. On behalf of the nation i want to say a very big thank you to the planners, the builders, the armed forces, the Generous Companies and organisations which have donated equipment and services, and all the support staff who have made this possible. Also, we owe an immense debt of gratitude to the doctors, the nurses, the technicians, the staff currently working on the Health Service and those coming out of retirement, and the voluntary workers who will be working within it. I only offer my special thoughts and prayers to those who will receive care within it. And let us help, ladies and gentlemen, that it will not be too long before this terrible disease is left our land. Has left our land. I need only say the name of this hospital could not have been more aptly chosen. Florence nightingale brought hope and healing to thousands in their darkest hour. In this dark time this place will be a shining light. It is symbolic of the selfless care and devoted service taking place in innumerable settings with countless individuals throughout the united kingdom. Ladies and gentlemen, is the wonders of technology can only do so much and i cant quite reach, perhaps i could invite nightingales head of nursing, natalie gray, on my behalf to unveil the plaque to declare nhs Nightingale Hospital open. Applause. Thank you all very much indeed. Thank you all very much indeed. Thank you. So i think thats it. An unusual kind of an opening but a heartfelt message they are from the prince of wales, talking about how this hospital is spectacular, almost unbelievable, how the impossible has been made possible and how they say isa been made possible and how they say is a practical message of hope to the British Public at this time. Lets go now to our correspondent, Angus Crawford, it is an extraordinary achievement. You have been there for some of the nine days involved in getting it up and running. Tell us precisely what has been achieved . It is quite amazing. When i first got inside last week, what was extraordinary about it was that essentially you had a facilityjust waiting to get going, waiting to be built. You had the plans, you had the people, you had the material. Essentially you had the material. Essentially you had two enormous empty holes. A couple of articulated lorries in one of them. Slowly but surely they began first of all by building these cubicles, which are normally used for exhibitors. Essentially they repurposed them to create these extraordinary wards. 42 bed wards that stretch 15 metres across the width of each of these holes. I watched it slowly as they marched down the hall all of these wards being built one after the other after the other. Lines and lines and lines, all equipped with beds which will have respirators, ventilators and computer recruitment. It appears now that they are at the point where they say they can open. We think initially they will have 142 bed ward open. Another slightly later. 500 very soon. Hopefully it wont be needed but should it be they can escalate this facility up to create 4000 bed spaces. If it gets to that point they will need Something Like 16,000 staff to make it run. It is astonishing tojust 16,000 staff to make it run. It is astonishing to just try to get your head around that. But of course it isa head around that. But of course it is a brief moment of celebration in what is a very sombre effort, and the numbers of suffering patients, some of whose lives are at risk, is what is in prospect here. That is the other enormity behind the enormity of the physical achievement. I want you to just talk us achievement. I want you to just talk us through what you think the challenges will be ahead . 0bviously these teams will not have worked together before. It is a Conference Centre, not a hospital in terms of its initial design. Presumably there are some kinds of teething problems to be expected . Are some kinds of teething problems to be expected . Well, two immediately. Equipment and staff. And a third, the working environment. Equipment, well, we have heard about the shortages of ppe elsewhere. Personal protective equipment. We have heard about the shortage of ventilators. Imagine if this was to escalate up to 4000 beds. The only patients who would come here would be those in need or already ventilated. Can you imagine having 4000 ventilators working in this facility at one time . We were told at the beginning of the crisis there are only 8000 in the uk. We know more are being made and more are likely to come on stream. That brings us to staffing. Imagine bringing in16,000 brings us to staffing. Imagine bringing in 16,000 staff who have never worked at this hospital altogether before . You have got to find them and then you have got to train them to work together. Finding them is clearly an issue because at them is clearly an issue because at the moment the vacancy rate, or rather the rate of sickness in London Hospitals alone varies from between 20 to 50 of all staff, so they are having problems already. There is a tension between hospitals are struggling at the moment in london, who may also be asked to lend their staff, im told many staff are here already. A call has gone out across nhs london for other staff to come in. We also know a call went out to retired staff. Some are coming back. There will be military medics. There will be St John Ambulance medics, who i have seen around the site for the past few days. There will be many volunteers. We know that ba and virgin cabin crew have been asked to volunteer. Then it comes to what is actually happening inside. This is a Conference Centre, not a hospital. It would be loud, it will be noisy, it will be difficult to communicate in. There are many challenges. As you say, a celebration of its opening but maybe now is the point at which staff do now face the harsh reality. The harsh reality of this place is it only exists because of the crisis we are in and they may face a wave of patients coming into this facility in the weeks to come. Angus, thank you so much. We will talk again later. The virus is changing so many lives. Lets look at one. The captain of the american Aircraft Carrier stricken with coronavirus has been sacked apparently for going public with his concerns about the health of his crew. Captain Brett Crozier wrote a scathing letter to his bosses asking for stronger measures to help control the virus onboard the uss theodore roosevelt. But the letter was leaked to the press, as bill hayton reports. tx next the uss theodore roosevelt, one of the worlds most powerful war machines. A community of 5000 people jammed ina machines. A community of 5000 people jammed in a small space. In the driving seat with the power of life and death, captain Brett Crozier. Until thursday. I am and death, captain Brett Crozier. Until thursday. Iam here and death, captain Brett Crozier. Until thursday. I am here today to inform you that today at my direction the Commanding Officer of the uss theodore roosevelt, captain Brett Crozier, was relieved of command. The problems may have started during the ships most recent port visit to Central Vietnam at the beginning of march. Two weeks later the first crew members fell ill. Within days the numbers were in dozens and the situation looked potentially catastrophic. Captain crozier headed for the Us Naval Base on the Pacific Island of guam to off the sick, sent an e mail to his superiors calling for, in his words, Decisive Action to protect the rest of the crew. But he copied the e mail to at least 20 other people. Thats just not acceptable. He did not take care. What that date is it created a panic, a little bit of a panic on the ship. The ship was not prepared, the chief bay officers we re prepared, the chief bay officers were not prepared to answer questions from the coup in terms of how bad the situation was. This represented the facts of what was going on in the ship as well. At the same time the families here in the United States were panicked about the reality. The revelations about conditions on board prompted plenty of criticism of the pentagon and the trump administration. Supporters of the captain have taken social media to report his concern for his crew but it looks as if his naval career is over. Meanwhile, his former ship remains docked at guam, with many of the crew in isolation. So far, says the crew in isolation. So far, says the pentagon, none has required hospital treatment. Lets turn to brazil. 40 of workers there are employed in the informal economy, especially in the favelas. But during this time of crisis, as the pandemic worsens, they feel forgotten the pandemic worsens, they feel fo rg otte n by the pandemic worsens, they feel forgotten by their government. Katy watson has this report. The biggest city in the Southern Hemisphere has now fallen silent. But these deserted streets tell only part of the story. As with everything in this divided country, those in the slums live a very different life. Coronavirus is seen by many here as a rich persons disease, but they worry the poor will suffer the most. The people of one of sao paulos biggest slums feel forgotten. In a world where home office doesnt exist, people are preparing in their own way. This man is training volunteers to become so called street president s, ensuring households understand hygiene measures and the need to stay indoors. His toughest task though is debunking misinformation coming from the president. Translation when the president says something stupid, that coronavirus is just a sniffle so people can go outside, well, the next day people are out on the streets. He will be partly responsible for any deaths here because he is creating the situation. We have been left to fend for ourselves. In a neighbourhood where people live hand to mouth, how do you tell them they have to shut up shop . People here depend on the healthy informal economy to survive. Without it, their biggest fear may not be coronavirus, itll be not being able to eat. The problem extends beyond favelas. This woman had a tapioca stall until the shutdown and forced her to stop. And the 110 a month of the government has promised informal workers is not enough. Translation im not sleeping. I wont be able to afford my rent next month. I dont know how im going to do it. I want them to think about these things. This woman works two days a week as a cleaner. She says her employer wont pay her if she stops coming, so despite recommendations that nonessential workers stay home, she feels she has little choice. Translation im a bit scared. 0n the bus people cough. They dont take care covering their mouths. But i need to put food on the table. When i was a single mother i had to eat food from rubbish bins on the street. I never want my kids to go through that again. Lockdown or otherwise, these neighbourhoods will be brazils Battle Ground in the countrys fight against coronavirus. Katy watson, bbc news, sao paulo. The democratic republic of congo is battling many outbreaks at the same time the countrys deadliest ebola outbreak, the worlds worst Measles Outbreak and now, the coronavirus. What lessons from these outbreaks can the country use to combat covid 19 . The bbcs gaius kowene reports from kinshasa. tx vt coughing. The images of an outbreak, the temperature checks, the quarantines, the masks. New and unsettling experiences for most countries. But not the drc. For over four decades, it has fought ebola, the deadly haemorrhagic disease. One man has been at the heart of battling almost every outbreak. He is now taking on covid 19. Translation this fight will be based on Scientific Evidence and experience we developed throughout the years. This victory will be the fruit of the cooperation of the whole congolese population. It is impossible to win the fight against covid without community engagement. That is a lesson drawn from fighting the current ebola outbreak, the worst the drc has ever faced. Myths and false information created mistrust between health and locals. 0vercoming them was key to beating the disease. So, too, contact tracing. Finding those who flee and who they may have infected is how the current outbreak has been brought under control. As is hand washing and social distancing. Travel to guma, and you are greeted with this. Handshakes are out and replaced with what they call elbowla. But while there are similarities, the diseases are not the same. Covid 19 is less deadly but far easier to spread. Translation this outbreak comes from abroad, it is not from here. 0ther outbreaks originated from here and we know how to deal with them in regards to our culture. But this one was imported and has multicultural dimensions to consider. Covid 19 has already spread to four provinces in the drc. The country enters this crisis with a weak and underequipped Health System. But it does have an advantage. 0ne borne over years of suffering. Gaius kowene, bbc news, kinchasa. Many countries around the world have got into the habit of applauding their Front Line Health Workers and other essential workers during this virus. For the second week in a row in the uk applause rang out last night in tribute to the health care staff, the carers and the key workers keeping the country going. So lets have a look. Bell chimes. Banging and cheering. Applause. Clapping and cheering. Clapping. Horns sounding. Horn sounds. Band plays. Drumming. Rattling. Banging. Thank you i think giving those thank yous is helpful to all of those doing it because it just helpful to all of those doing it because itjust underlines that sense of solidarity. Wherever you are in the world, wherever you are in the uk, if you are not yet doing it, give it a try. You are watching bbc news. Now time for a quick look at the weather with 00 56 23,1000 00 56 25,291 matt. Hello. A chill in the air to divert some of you, particularly to the north and east of the country. As we head into this weekend a drastic turnaround in wind direction will bring much warmer conditions uk wide. An area of High Pressure that has been to the west of us, wind flow clockwise. As it moves its way east we start to drag in the winds from the south. Those strengthening winds will bring in ever warmer air. By winds will bring in ever warmer air. By the time we get a sunday most places see temperatures in the high teens if not lower 20s. A big contrast to what we have seen today. 0ut there today still some wintry showers in the north of scotland where some woke up to flurries of snow. Sunshine methane. Santon in between. We will see some sunshine this afternoon breaking through the channel islands, South West England and south westwards as well. Temperatures only three degrees in shetland. Elsewhere, away from city centres, single figure temperatures. This evening and overnight at the northern half of the country still has a northern half of the country still hasafair northern half of the country still has a fair bit of clout and light rain. Maybe they dont have it burst on the islands and the hebrides. Elsewhere where we have the clearer skies, a colder night than last night. The greater chance of some frost. Sunshine into tomorrow morning. Some fog patches in the far south will clear. Sunny spells in england and wales in the afternoon. The best of these further south. For scotla nd the best of these further south. For scotland and Northern Ireland, for the light rain and drizzle. Wetter weather in shetland. Temperatures up on today. Many getting into the mid teens. For a saturday night into sunday those winds become dominant as low pressure moves in from the west. They will strengthen. As the low pressure closes then we will see cloud increase in the west and a few showers later. Many areas stay dry, lots of sunshine, particularly towards the east, a windy day, gales in the west, even with that temperatures climb as high as 17 degrees in the north west highlands. 20 to 21 celsius towards the south east of england. A good day to get those windows open and let the fresh air through the flat or the house. If you are a hay fever sufferer, pollen levels will be on the rise this weekend. This is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. The uk Health Secretary describes his goal of 100,000 daily coronavirus tests by the end of the month as a huge undertaking in answer to the question, when can all nhs staff who need it get tested . The answer. The commitment i can give you is the end of the month, but i hope that itll be sooner. A new hospital which can treat up to 4,000 covid 19 patients opens in east london. In the us there are more than 1100 virus related deaths reported in 24 hours, the biggest daily death toll in any country since the outbreak began. Authorities in new york and la advise people to wear face masks when theyre outdoors but President Trumps chief scientific adviser says masks shouldnt lead americans into a false sense of security. Spain registers more than 900 deaths for the second day in a row. But there are signs the european death rate is approaching its peak. Hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world for all the latest developments in the coronavirus pandemic. More than a Million People globally have been infected with coronavirus, a doubling of the total in the past week. In all, more than 50 thousand people have died since the outbreak began in china in december. Here in britain the Health Secretary, matt hancock, has this morning acknowledged that the governments aim to deliver 100,000 daily coronvirus tests in england by the end of the month is going to be a huge undertaking. His comments come as the first temporary hospital to treat coronavirus patients opens in east london. Also, earlier today nhs england announced that two more Field Hospitals will be built, in bristol and harrogate. In other developments, the uk government scheme offering loans to struggling companies is being expanded and some of its rules relaxed. Europe continues to see the highest death tolls in spain, more than 900 people have died over the past 24 hours for the second day running. The total number of coronavirus deaths there has now exceeded 10,000. In the United States there were 1,169 coronavirus related deaths reported in 24 hours. That represents the biggest daily death toll in any country since the outbreak began last year. Meanwhile French Police are stepping up checks to prevent people leaving paris for easter to stop the virus spreading. Those breaking the rules will be fined. As wejust mentioned, in the past hour, the new temporary hospital in london to treat coronavirus patients has been officially opened via videolink by the prince of wales. Staff started moving into the temporary intensive care unit this morning. The first patients are expected to arrive next week. 16,000 Health Care Workers are needed to staff the hospital, with capacity for as many as 4,000 patients. And around uk, in cities such as manchester, glasgow, cardiff and belfast, other temporary facilites for more than 6,000 patients could be operational by the end of the month. 0ur Health Editor hugh pym is at the newly opened nhs Nightingale Hospital for us. Yes, iam yes, i am in londons docklands at the Nightingale Hospital, it has just officially opened. The secretary of state for health and social matt hancock was at the ceremony, whojoins me now. What was the significance of today. This is a hospital nobody would ever have wanted. It is a testament to the nhs, to the armed forces and the hundreds of Companies Involved that in 90 days we have been able to put together this for thousand bed hospital. But what really matters about it is that it is our primary aim throughout this whole crisis to keep nhs capacity, to deal with people who have very serious conditions because of coronavirus, to keep that capacity above need. That is what the nhs is therefore, thatis that is what the nhs is therefore, that is what really matters. Having this capacity of up to 4000 beds in the excel centre at the nhs Nightingale Hospital means that in london we can keep ahead of that demand, and then expand around the country. Have you taken staff and ventilators and other equipment from other parts of the nhs, leaving them short . We are bringing more ventilators, new ventilators, into this facility are making sure we are getting that extra ventilator capacity. Some from abroad, made now here in the uk. In the uk. In terms of staff we are drawing on some staff from around london, the number of people at each member of staff is looking after is bigger than usual, there is that extra demand on the staff, and i pay tribute to them for rising to the challenge. We are also seeing thousands, 24,000 now, retired staff coming out of retirement and back into the nhs, thatis retirement and back into the nhs, that is incredibly important to make sure we have the people, because obviously a building with beds in it is no use without the people in there to care. On testing, currently it is about 10,000 tests a day, you say you want to get it to 100,000 by the end of this month, wont a lot of people find that completely unbelievable . A month ago we had fewer than 2000 tests a day, i said the girl by the end of march getting to 10,000 tests a day, we have hip circle, now we have the goal of 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month. That is a Massive National effort, but if you think about the National Average and ventilators, the National Effort to build this hospital and now the National Effort to get Testing Capacity, so far people have risen to the challenge, because the whole country can see how important it is. Where will the tests come from . Who will do then . There has been no detail. I set out a five point plan yesterday. The first stages the expansion of the Testing Capacity within the nhs and with Public Health england, who are doing an amazing job, and then the next stage is to bring in the private sector companies, the existing Testing Companies, the existing Testing Companies, Companies Like randox and thermosfisher who are testing experts. Then bring in people who might not traditionally be Testing Companies but are turning their minds to it. There was some confusion over the antibody blood test, which was said to be included. Argue no saying it is not . The 100,000 tests a day is clearly over all the different types of tests, there are different types, as you say, swab tests to test if you have the virus and the Antibody Test, the blood test, to find out if you are now immune because you have the antibodies. There are five strands, five pillars to that work. Michael leitch had set for the whole system is we will have 100,000 tests per day Michael White i have set. Is we will have 100,000 tests per day Michael White i have setm this england only . No, the entire uk. I this england only . No, the entire uk. Lam this england only . No, the entire uk. I am working closely with the devolved authorities both on Testing Capacity and also the need for testing. We have to make sure we expand the capacity across the board. Expand the capacity acrosstheboard. One more question, it was set at 10,000 a few weeks back, it has taken quite a long time to get there, then 25,000, which was put back. 0nce to get there, then 25,000, which was put back. Once people find it really ha rd to put back. Once people find it really hard to believe that this is achievable . Is it damaging to come up achievable . Is it damaging to come up with Something Like that when people find it hard to know where it will come from . I dont think so, firstly because we have hit the target of 10,000 a day by the end of march and i really proud of the team that has delivered that. We have shown we can hit those goals. But the other thing is you have to. I have to mobilise the whole Life Sciences industry. I need the whole of the british Light Sciences industry to pull together on this, to do everything they can, even if they are not testing experts now, to get into testing, to make sure we can do this. You can only galvanise that sort of effort if you put a clear girl. By setting the goal of 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month, that is what im trying to do. Thank you forjoining is here at Nightingale Hospital, secretary of state, matt hancock. Back to the studio. Thank you. As mentioned the prince of wales opened the hospital via video link and paid tribute to the nurse it is named after. I need hardly say that the name of this hospital could not have been more aptly chosen. Florence nightingale, the lady of the land, brought hope and healing to thousands in their darkest hour. In this dark time, this place will be a shining light. It is symbolic of the selfless ca re shining light. It is symbolic of the selfless care and devoted service taking place in innumerable settings, with countless individuals throughout the united kingdom. Ladies and gentlemen, as the wonders of modern technology can only do so much, andi of modern technology can only do so much, and i cant quite reach, perhaps i could invite nightingales head of nursing, natalie gray, on my behalf, to unveil the plaque to declare nhs Nightingale Hospital open . Applause ruth may, the chief nursing 0fficerfor england, paid tribute to the many different groups who have pulled together to ensure the nightingale has been able to open in such a short time. I just want to first of all say thank you very, very, very much to all the nurses, midwives, care workers across the whole of the nhs, across the whole of social care that have been working around the clock to ensure that we are providing the care that we need to. Next month will see the birth of Florence Nightingale 200 years ago. And its very fitting that this hospital is named Nightingale Hospital london. She was well known for being an iconic nursing leader of her time, caring for people, caring for soldiers in the crimean war. But she was also of course a pioneer for infection control. And here, having her name heading up this London Hospital is absolutely fitting. While that was going on, we got some news about school exams. We will bring you that for viewers who need to know. This is from the education secretary, it says of kroll, it says the regulator for exams, 0fqual, has provided new guidance to explain the process for awarding grades the summer. The education secretary said cancelling the exams was a necessary step to help fight the spread of coronavirus by asking people to stay home, protect the nhs and save lives. Despite the difficult circumstances we face, this guidance provides assurance to pa rents, this guidance provides assurance to parents, students and schools that grades awarded the summer will accurately reflect students abilities and be as valid this year as any other. So the students for gcse, aas and a level, a p0 and aea, these are the english exams, england and wales, Northern Ireland and scottish exams are dealt with separately, they will be given the grades they are most likely to have achieved if they had sat their exams. Schools will have to set out the rank ordered students within each grades, for example for all the stu d e nts each grades, for example for all the students with a grade of five in gcse maths, a rank order where one is the most secure, highest attaining student. This is because the standardisation process used by 0fqual to make sure grades are spread consistently requires more granular information than grades alone. So i think that advice, students, parents and schools, obviously, will want to go on to the governments website and look closely at that advice. Of course, the management of exams were many stu d e nts the management of exams were many students have had two stay at home is something globally significant and exam authorities all over the world will be grappling with these challenges. We will leave that now. We will go back to the sombre topic of death tolls and fighting the virus itself. In the United States there were 1,169 coronavirus related deaths reported in 24 hours. Thats the biggest daily death toll in any country. The authorities in new york city and los angeles have advised people to wear a Face Covering when theyre outdoors, to try to prevent the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, a cruise ship on which four people with the virus have died has docked in florida, after weeks at sea. 0ur north america correspondent peter bowes reports. Heading home at last, docking at port everglades, in fort lauderdale, the zaandam, with its sistership, the rotterdam. It follows days of protracted negotiations with the florida authorities over whether passengers should be allowed to disembark in the state. Chartered planes have been laid on to transport foreign nationals on the ships back to their home countries. The number of coronavirus cases is continuing to surge in many us cities. New york has taken delivery of more than 200 ambulances to help the citys fight against the pandemic, but ventilators are still in short supply and Health Workers say there is a chronic lack of protective clothing. This is outrageous, that we have people coming and sewing things for us, sewing masks, sewing shields, making things out of plastics. This is what we are doing now . How. I mean, that would be like a soldier going to war and making a plastic gun to bring with him. At the Daily White House coronavirus taskforce briefing, President Trump said hed used wartime powers to order the Technology Firm 3m to make extra masks, and he promised more ventilators would soon be in production. We have thousands of them being built right now, and they are starting to arrive in a week and a half, but there will be a time when we are going to build stockpiles by the way the states should have been building their stockpile. We have almost 10,000 in our stockpile, and we have been building and weve been supplying it, them but the states should be building. We are a backup, we are not an ordering clerk. The shortage of medical grade masks has raised questions about their use by all americans. In los angeles and new york city, people have been advised to wear a Face Covering when they leave home. It could be a scarf, it could be something you create yourself at home, it could be a bandana. It does not not need to be a professional surgical mask. In fact, we do not want you to use the kind of masks that our First Responders need, that our healthcare workers need. Dont use those. President trump said he was not going to make it mandatory for people to cover their faces. One of his chief medical advisors said it might send the wrong message. We do not want people to get an artificial sense of protection because they are behind a mask, because if they are touching things remember, your eyes are not in the mask so if youre touching things and then touching your eyes, you are exposing yourself in the same way. President trump said new guidelines on the use of Face Coverings will be issued in the next few days. Peter bowes, bbc news. Lets discuss the issue of coronavirus testing, focusing 0n lets discuss the issue of coronavirus testing, focusing on the uk. There are two types of test. 0ne is the swab test which tells you if youre currently experiencing the virus or not. A special cotton bird is used to take a swab from your nose or your throat and sent to a lab to look for signs of the virus. The uk has been criticised for failing to take out more of these tests, especially for Front Line Health Workers having to self isolate if they or their family display virus symptoms. In england a total of only 10,000 tests per day was achieved in evans on wednesday, with swabs tested predominantly in laboratories run by Public Health england, but with the help of universities and commercial la bs help of universities and commercial labs the government hopes to increase that daily figure to 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month. Today Health Secretary matt hancock has been saying the figure does not include the other type of testing, that is the Antibody Test which tells whether or not you have had the virus and developed some level of immunity. That Antibody Test uses a drop of blood which is placed in Electronic Device and can see whether the specific coronavirus antibodies which bought the virus in the body are still present in your blood. Which fought at the virus. Knowing he has developed immunity would have the potential to get more people back to work sooner, thus lessening the medium Term Economic impact of the medium Term Economic impact of the pandemic knowing who has developed. The uk is trying to get ahead of the Antibody Testing curve by ordering 3. 5 million doses in advance. A number of Different Companies and Research Institutes are working on various tests but as yet none has been conducted at scale and the problem is that there is no guarantee that any of them will work. 0xford guarantee that any of them will work. Oxford university is looking at them now. Earlier i spoke to our Political CorrespondentJonathan Blake. The Health Secretary setting up blake. The Health Secretary setting up the target of 100,000 tests per day by the end of april. It is an ambitious target, as he said this morning the government is a huge amount of work to do in order to meet it. People have been asking how exactly that will happen given that at the moment around 10,000 people are being tested on the coronavirus here in the uk everyday. We heard a bit more from the Health Secretary, joining up with the private sector, pharmaceutical companies, life science companies, Research Institutions and universities are being asked tojoin institutions and universities are being asked to join the effort to turn their facilities into testing la bs turn their facilities into testing labs and process tests for coronavirus. It seems that given the two types of tests you were explaining just now in some detail, the government expects to meet this target and plans to meet this target solely on the basis of the swab test, which tells you if you have coronavirus there and then. It is not banking on the Antibody Tests which tell you if you have had coronavirus previously and will now have some immunity to it being ready in time to meet this target. This tells you they are planning on expecting a big upscaling in the number of tests done everyday, we have seen those facilities with drive through tests being join in london and the surrounding area, a makeshift lab has been set up in milton keynes, more are being set up in different parts of the uk to process what will be a huge number of tests but still a tall order by the governments own admission to get this done by the end of april, labour single detail needs to be given about the process to restore Public Confidence in the government s approach. Public confidence in the government s approach. I am not assuming any come on stream. That is pillar three, as we call it, in order to hit the 100,000 target. We have already 3500 a week of Antibody Tests at porton down, they are the top quality best tests in the world. We are using those for Research Purposes to understand how much of the population has had coronavirus, this is one of the great unknown questions. That is obviously very small numbers, 500 also a day. Significant that the government is talking about Antibody Tests already being used at those Public Health england labs important to to give an idea of the scale, the infection rate of this virus and try to get a handle on how far and fast it is spreading. Halcyon builders tests be available to people and the public at large is the key question on whether the government will meet that target will be able to exceed how soon those tests will be available. Interestingly the Health Secretary spoke this morning about the peak of infections. We have seen the peak of infections. We have seen the rates go up, day by day, he is saying that the modelling the government is looking out suggests that may come sooner than expected, at some point during the next few weeks. Of course, that is important because it may then allow some restrictions to be listened and relaxed and the government to plan more specifically for the number of cases being brought into hospitals in various areas and treated. So perhaps a glimmer of positivity in terms of the peak of infections coming sooner than expected. The world bank is giving india 1 billion of emergency funding to help fight the outbreak. But there are lots of huge social issues. Since the government there announced a complete lockdown, the streets around the capital delhi have been filled with people walking to reach their villages in neighbouring states. People walking to where they could potentially get something to eat, it is that extreme. Lets speak to journalist saba naqvi. Tell us what the situation is several days after the situation is several days after the lockdown began . The good news is we do not seem to have that many cases of coronavirus as yet, but it could also be because we are not testing enough. I will leave that aside. The conditions in india are such that we dont even have a centralised Health System like you have in the uk, the nhs, no matter how much people in the uk may criticise it, we dont have that. We have armies of poor people who have literally lost their jobs and have armies of poor people who have literally lost theirjobs and walked hundreds of kilometres to their homes, packed in buses and trucks. In that situation we can only hope that the working class, the workers of india who are not protected by legal laws, they are not carrying the disease, that it came from people who travel internationally, people who travel internationally, people who travel internationally, people who have travelled from outside india and come back. We have yesterday found the case of one individual who lives in asias largest slum in mumbai, so that is worrying. Because for the disease to spread here, people live in crowded spaces, we dont have the idea of social distancing, it is not a possibility for many people. So the question ultimately everybody would ask after these months are gone, would more indians have died from hunger orfrom would more indians have died from hunger or from coronavirus . Malnourished people, the mortality rate show up later, to measure the mortality. We have huge problems, there are republic differences with india and the rest of the world, the population is younger. India and the rest of the world, the population is youngerlj india and the rest of the world, the population is younger. I apologise but i will have to leaflets because we have to say goodbye to our viewers on bbc well. You have watching bbc news. Viewers on bbc world. With the number of deaths globally from the coronavirus passing, the 50,000 mark, more than half of those have been recorded in europe. Its been at the center of the crisis for weeks, but there are signs that the epidemic could be approaching its peak there. 0ur europe correspondent gavin lee explains. It is quite hard to see at a time where spain yesterday recorded the highest number of deaths in a single day from coronavirus, 950, and every single day for the past few days, there have been more than 800 deaths, and spain have had 60,000 new cases in the space of a week, where italy, which is up there as the highest country affected by coronavirus apart from the states, italy has risen by 30,000 cases so the speed of the rate of spread in spain is quite frightening at the moment but spanish authorities are saying they do believe this is the peak this week, that early into next week they are still confident that what they are saying is some of the figures we are seeing, because there is a slight delay on them, their latest projections suggest they are starting to get this under control. We will see, because there are other European Countries like the french for example, that are having daily highs in terms of deaths, 500 yesterday, in which they are starting to see numbers peak this week. Portugal, for example, is one, the czech republic, the governments there saying last night that they expect the rise, the peak to be over the next two weeks so we are seeing quite a delayed period. Just a couple of words on italy. The main crematorium in milan, in the Lombardy Region where 7000 deaths have happened, has been closed as of this morning across april because they cannot cope with the number of cases. There is a backlog of 20 days so all cremations from now have to take place in other parts of the country. The authority there said the hygiene, the sanitation issue, the risk of coronavirus spreading is simply too high. Gavin lee with the latest in europe. Now its time for a look at the weather with tomasz schafenacker. It looks like things will be warming up it looks like things will be warming up in the next couple of days. Today is still a little chilly. This is what it looks like into the evening, a few showers towards the north west, but for most of us a dry evening and dry night and this coming night will not be as cold as the night before. The only first to expect is across these more central parts of scotland. The only frost we expect. Temperatures will be around three to 5 degrees in most major towns and cities. Saturday morning start sunny across parts of england, maybe some spots of rain on a Stronger Base in northern scotland. This is how warm it gets, to around 16 on saturday, a chill in the air in scotland. From sunday temperatures will rocket, 20 not just in london but possibly in yorkshire too. Goodbye. Hello, this is bbc news with carrie gracie. The headlines the uk Health Secretary describes his goal of 100,000 daily coronavirus tests by the end of the month as a huge undertaking. Built at breakneck speed a new hospital which can treat 4,000 covid 19 patients has opened at the excel centre in london. In the us, there are more than 1100 virus related deaths reported in 24 hours. The biggest daily death toll in any country since the outbreak began. Authorities in new york and la advise people to wear face masks when theyre outdoors but President Trumps chief scientific adviser says masks shouldnt lead americans into a false sense of security. Spain registers more than 900 deaths for the second day in a row. But there are signs the european death rate is approaching its peak. In france, restrictions on travel have been tightened just as the Easter Holidays have begun. Police have been checking motorway toll stations to prevent mass travel as the break starts. 0ur correspondent in france, hugh schofield, has more. If you are a French Family and you are hoping to take off for the easter break, maybe to visit grandparents in the provinces, the message from the french government is quite clear. Think again. There is quite clear. Think again. There is no school at the moment but technically today is the start in the paris region of the Easter Holidays. And normally the motorways would write now be crammed with the vehicles heading for the countryside or seaside, packed trains two. But the chief of police has got a thousand officers checking on the city. He has promised a policy of zero tolerance. We will be there at the start of yourjourney, during your journey and at your destination, he has promised. It is a tough message prompted by the knowledge that after many weeks, the policy of confinement is having psychological effects on people, particularly on parisians living in their small paris apartments. The bad news is it is not going to end any time soon. Officially they lockdown ends on april the 15th. But with infection rates showing no sign of slowing down, Everybody Knows that the period could be longer, may much longer. Lets go to edinburgh where the first minister is giving her news briefing. A total of 176 people last night we re a total of 176 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected cases of covid 19. That is an increase of 14 on yesterday. I can also confirm that a total of 1321 people, including the intensive care patients with confirmed or suspected covid 19, were in hospitals across the country. It is with sadness i must report a further 46 deaths of patients who had tested positive for the virus. That takes the total number of deaths in scotland now to 172. And as is always the case, i wa nt to 172. And as is always the case, i want to extend my condolences to all of those who have lost loved ones. We announce on a daily basis the numbers of deaths but we should never, ever forget that every single one of these statistics is a human being who lives behind relatives and friends to grieve. I want also to thank again today everyone working in our health and care sector. I am also well aware that there are many other people who are also going the extra mile right now. And today i wa nt to extra mile right now. And today i want to particularly acknowledge people working in our food and drink and essential retail sectors. This is not an easy time at all to work in agriculture orfood is not an easy time at all to work in agriculture or Food Manufacturing or distribution, or of course in stores and supermarkets that are required to remain open. But what everybody in these different sectors do is absolutely essential for all of us. And i am grateful to all of them and want to take the opportunity today to say a heartfelt thank you. I really want to cover three issues today before taking questions. First of all, i want to follow u p questions. First of all, i want to follow up on some of the points i made yesterday about testing in scotland. I know there has been a lot of attention last night and into today around the uk government pledge to test 100,000 people a day by the end of april. Now obviously, and this is simply a statement of fa ct, and this is simply a statement of fact, it is not for me to set out the basis of the uk government target, or indeed how it plans to get there. What i can do and what i have a responsibility to do is set out what scotland is doing, including the work we are doing with the uk government. When you factor in the difference in size between scotla nd in the difference in size between scotland and the uk, what we are doing here will take scotland to the same sort of position that the uk seems to be aiming for. We are increasing nhs scotlands current capacity of 1900 tests a day to at least 3500 by the end of this month at the latest. That is broadly similar, although slightly more ambitious than the uk pillar one target of 25,000 tests a day. This expansion of Testing Capacity means amongst other things that we will be able to test more key workers with every day that passes. However, in addition to increasing capacity within the nhs scotland, we are also working with the uk government and other partners to further increase Testing Capacity beyond that. Yesterdays announcement that a new testing facility is being established by Glasgow University in collaboration with Industry Partners and the nhs is a very good example of that. We in scotland are currently working to establish exactly how many more tests we think the Glasgow University facility, together with other initiatives, will deliver. However, there is no doubt they will allow us to deliver our Testing Capacity in a way that is proportionate with the rest of the uk. Finally, we continue to think about how widespread testing, including perhaps Antibody Testing, will be used in helping us to move out of this period of lockdown. Specifically in relation to an Antibody Test, as i said yesterday, as others have also said, that kind of test doesnt currently exist in a reliable form. We certainly hope it will do soon. But the fact is that might still be some time away. The Scottish Government has established a Testing Oversight Group involving the chief scientist for health, professor david crossman, and it has been tasked with overseeing the following strands. Firstly, the increase of nhs lab capacity and also the scottish delivery of the uk Wide Programme to deliver non nhs testing. Secondly, the development of Antibody Testing so that as soon as tests are available we are in a position to deploy them here in scotland. Thirdly, surveillance, epidemiology and prioritisation. That strand will look ahead to the role of testing in our eventual strategy. Next, logistics and access to testing. And lastly, data management. The second issue i want to cover briefly to date concerns shielding, which you will recall at the measures we are putting in place to protect people who are at the highest risk if they contract covid 19 because of their existing health conditions. We had previously estimated, and it was a rough estimate, that up to 200,000 people would be in this group. We have been doing further work to remove duplication from records and ensure that micro we can now say with more confidence there are approximately 120,000 people across scotland in one or more of these categories. If you are not certain about whether or not you should be one of them, full details are available on the nhs inform website. The chief medical officer has now sent more than 110,000 letters to people in these groups and the remainder of these will arrive shortly. These letters and those watching who have received phone will know they give information about how people can shield themselves from infection, and also crucially, because we are asking these people to isolate for 12 weeks, so these letters provide detail on what support is available to them. This support includes access to Home Deliveries of essential food items, access to Home Deliveries of essentialfood items, toiletries, through a text service. More than 8000 people have already signed up for this service and have been texted with the option of receiving deliveries. Those deliveries start this morning. I want to stress you do not need to have a phone to register. Anybody in the highest risk group can sign up if they needed. Details are in the letters that people will have received. In addition, information is available on the nhs inform website and through the main phone switchboard of your local council and we will be writing again soon with local contact details. And i want today to encourage everyone who is in these high risk group, who has received one of these letters, to register. You might not feel you need help right now. You may have family or friends providing the support you need. But registering now will help us to keep in touch with you if you need help later. We are also working with local Health Boards to ensure the delivery of specialist medicines such as chemotherapy drugs to people in this group. And we are working with supermarkets to prioritise delivery slots. Fundamentally we know that some people, due to pre existing conditions, are at particularly high risk should they contract this virus. So we are determined to shield them and also to give them the support they need to give them the support they need to ensure that they can protect themselves. The final issue i want to mention is as Everybody Knows, we are now one week away from easter and this weekend of course would have marked the start of the Easter School holidays. There is no doubt that we are about to head into what would have been the spring holiday season, but one of the most unusual holiday periods that we have faced. And as Everybody Knows, all the schools have been closed. School and childcare provision is available in local authorities for people who need it. For example, children of health and social curse staff. I can confirm today that all local authorities will keep learning and childcare centres open in their area during the holiday period. The arrangements made during the holidays might be different from those needed at term time. The number of centres open on the types of support they provide will vary in Different Council areas, according to local need. But by making childcare available in every local Authority Area over the holiday period, we can make sure children are safe and well looked after while their parents are able to do criticaljobs. And im very grateful to all local authorities for working with us on this. There is of course a more general point about Easter Holidays. As i said a moment ago, this will be a holiday period unlike any we have known in our lifetimes. I know that many people would be thinking about the plans they had made before this epidemic struck to get away and to visit friends and relatives. Of course, its not possible now to go on holiday around scotla nd possible now to go on holiday around scotland or to visit friends. Everyone will be staying home, except for essential purposes such as exercise or buying essential supplies. And once again i know how ha rd supplies. And once again i know how hard this is. But i also want to stress again today that these restrictions are absolutely essential. We have heard discussion today in the media to the effect that this virus may peak in around one weeks time. I want to address that point directly. Firstly, there is of course still a lot of uncertainty around when we can expect the virus to peak, and as we gather more data i hope that we will be able to offer more certainty about that in the period ahead. But i want to be very clear, because i have always said i will be straight with people in these very difficult times. I want to be very clear that nothing i have seen gives me any reasons whatsoever for predicting that the virus will peak as early as a weeks time here in scotland. So i dont want people to have a false expectation based on what they might be hearing in the media today. That message is important because i have to ask people, you also all have to ask all of you, to continue to stick with these measures, no matter how difficult they are. Many of us took pa rt last difficult they are. Many of us took part last night in the applause for nhs and care workers. It was heard to the accompaniment of the bagpipes right across the country. But it continues to be the case that the best and the most important way all of us can help our health and so is of us can help our health and so is of services is by staying at home as much as possible and keeping our distance. I want to end by thanking all of you for doing the right thing and staying at home during this holiday period because this is how we will slow the spread of this virus, it is how we will protect our nhs from being overwhelmed and it is how we will save lives. Thank you to each and every one of you. I will now hand over to the chief medical officer to say a few more words before i answer questions from the media. We are going to leave edinburgh there. As you will have heard, the first minister of scotland saying 46 new deaths in the past 24 hours in scotla nd new deaths in the past 24 hours in scotland taking the total to 172. She talked about the testing and basins in scotland, said they were broadly similar to the uk target that we have heard overnight from matt hancock, the Health Secretary. She had a very strong message for people as they think about the Easter Holidays. Just a reminder that this would be a holiday period unlike any other. And that Everybody Needs to now they must stay home, whatever their original plans and hopes for visiting family and friends during the holiday, these plans not to be put into effect. It is essential, she said, to stay at home. She also said she has no reason to suppose that the virus will peak in the space of the next week and that nobody should have an expectation therefore that by easter they will be room to relax the restrictions on movement. Lets go over now to wales, because the first minister there, Mark Drakeford is now speaking. The whole purpose of testing people is to release them back into the workforce if they are fit to be so released. So it may well be that Public Health wales is using that information for their own internal management of the system rather than publicly, but i know from the information that i have seen that they are aware on a daily basis of how those tests are turning out, and what they are then able to do with them. Its surprising to hear that is the case given that Public Health wales we re case given that Public Health wales were categorically with were categoric with us despite repeated questioning on the outcome of those tests. The bma said that they were shocked to hear what p h w were saying. Given what you have just said, is it now time to tell us exactly what the situation is with nhs staff in wales in terms of this . Well, i have alreadyjust told you what i know about it. I have told you the number of tests we have carried out and i have told you that 70 of them turned out to be negative. So if thats a figure that people are interested in, they are very welcome, you are very welcome to use that and use it in the public domain. We have some questions from our collea g u es we have some questions from our colleagues who are not able to be here. Steve morris from the guardian is asking when i think the cove at a peak in wales will come. And thats not a question you can answer in a com pletely straightforward not a question you can answer in a completely straightforward way because, as we now, the progress of the disease is different in different parts of wales. So there isnt just one different parts of wales. So there isntjust one date you can say that would cover the whole of wales. We do expect that the next month will bea do expect that the next month will be a difficult month for all of us in wales. Difficult in the health and social care services, difficult for those families who will find people falling ill and losing loved ones as well. And ijust want people falling ill and losing loved ones as well. And i just want to say, as i try to say every time, that while in these sort of forums we tend to talk about numbers, every number isa we tend to talk about numbers, every number is a human being. Every number is a human being. Every number is a human being. Every number is someone who has a family, every family is a family that is caught up in the human suffering that coronavirus brings. Thats what drives us all, isnt it . To do everything we can to save lives. Because every time we do that would prevent the hurt and the harm that will come to families. But over the next month, im afraid, we will see those numbers rise. And it isnt just a matter of the peak. Its at the rise to the peak. And they fall away from the peak. Those weeks will be difficult as well. And we expect the months ahead to be one in which numbers continue to grow and the impact on our Health Service to continue to be significant and severe. Another one from steve asking how many schools in wales will stay open over easter, how many children will receive Free School Meals. Well, around 800 schools in wales have stayed open in the two weeks leading up to easter. Local authorities are consolidating those numbers for the Easter Holiday period in some parts of wales. But there will be schools open in every pa rt there will be schools open in every part of wales, continuing to provide for the children of key workers, and continuing to provide Free School Meals for children who are entitled to them during term time and will now get them over the Easter Holidays as well. The numbers of children coming forward for Free School Meals has been gradually going up over that two week period. It was very low on the first day and it has gone upwards since then. How many children will receive Free School Meals will depend on how many children present themselves for it. We are making provision to make sure that all children who need a Free School Meal over the easter period, that the facilities will be there to provide for them. Some questions from will hayward from the western mail about Field Hospitals. Details on Field Hospitals, what they will be used for, how they will be staffed and whether any visitors will be allowed. Yesterday dr ranj goodall, the chief executive of the nhs, set out the latest locations where we are expecting Field Hospitals in wales. They were in all parts of wales. The extra 6000 beds that we now know that we will be creating dont just rely that we now know that we will be creating dontjust rely on Field Hospitals, they rely, for example, on the grange hospital in the gwent area with its 350 beds coming on strea m area with its 350 beds coming on stream early as well. The principality stadium here in cardiff. We announced, i think yesterday, £8 million to support cardiff local health board in the creation of that site. By and large the facilities will be stepped down facilities. They will be for people who are recovering. Some i think will be for coronavirus patients who are no longer infectious, but im not yet but are not yet fully recovered. There will be other patients recovering from other conditions who cant be looked after ina conditions who cant be looked after in a Field Hospital, thus freeing up more intensive capacity that a fully equipped hospital will be able to provide. Staffing, we expect staffing to be a mixture. They will be people currently employed in the nhs, there will be people from the fantastic number of people who have come forward recently retired doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, all that range of people will be deployed. We are deploying student nurses in theirfinal deployed. We are deploying student nurses in their final year of training. Medicalstudents nurses in their final year of training. Medical students who are just about to go back, going to the workforce, accelerating that. They will be a mixture of all of that. Any visitors, whether they will be allowed, well, the whole thrust of coronavirus is to keep a distance between people visiting in hospitals has been radically reduced already. It would be a decision for those on the ground. It will not be a directive on how visiting in the Field Hospital will be carried out. As it is now it would be a matter for people on the ground to make sure that it has all been done safely. And in a way that contributes to the overall effort. Rob taylor from deeside wanting to know, looking to the near future, will nhs wales resources, such as the new Field Hospital in deeside, be used to support nhs england. Well, patients from wales are treated in english hospitals every day and english patients are treated in the welsh nhs every day. Its the nature of our border. We have got a very porous border with big populations on either side. And in this crisis it is people who matter. Not boarders. So we know that there will be people from wales who will end up being treated in england, and people from england who ended up being treated in wales. It is people who matter. We will work with our collea g u es who matter. We will work with our colleagues across the border to make sure that people always come first. A number of people all asking about the deal with the Welsh Government and roach. I have got nothing more to say on that. Ive answered questions on that throughout this week, as has yvonne gethin. We had a deal, the dealfell week, as has yvonne gethin. We had a deal, the deal fell through, week, as has yvonne gethin. We had a deal, the dealfell through, we got an alternative in its place. Ive not been asked by a single patient or person in wales about this matter. What people want to know is will they get the tests they need, ive given you the figure about how those tests will ramp up during the month of april. That is what we are focused on. The Health Minister in england, again rob taylor, about wiping out nhs trust that in england. Speculation that was around £13 billion. And asking will be use any consequential in a similar manner. The answer is they will be no consequential because this is not real money. So let us leave the first minister of wales there. Mark drakeford saying wales is on a path to victory over the virus. But the restrictions that are making a difference must stay. Not a time to slacken our result. He talked about the numbers behind every numbers are individuals, individualfamilies, individuals, individualfamilies, individual grief. On that note we wa nt to individual grief. On that note we want to mention a nurse in the West Midlands who has died after contracting the virus. Areema nasreen a 36 year old mother of three had worked at Walsall Manor hospital. Dame Donna Kinnair whos the chief executive of the Royal College of nursing has paid tribute an durged people to listen to advice to keep the Health Service safe. And that is also a message the Prime Minister hasjust been and that is also a message the Prime Minister has just been delivering on a video message from downing street. He said people would rather go outside, the temptation to break the regulations. Please stick with the guidance. The country has made a huge sacrifice. On his own health, you will remember it was a week ago today that we learned that he had himself had to do south isolate as he had symptoms of the virus, he said, i am feeling better after seven days of isolation. I still have a temperature, so still have to keep up the isolation. We would have that video in the news at one with jane hill. Right now, lets look at the weather. Well, in the coming days many of us will be able to enjoy some spring warmth coming through our windows, balconies, perhaps during our brief walk in the park. By sunday temperatures will get up to 20 degrees in the south and even as far north as yorkshire. Throughout the uk it will feel warmer. It is thanks to this low pressure here sitting to the south west of our neighbourhood. That is going to sent a plume of warm airall the that is going to sent a plume of warm air all the way from these summer climbs. It is not here yet. This map shows how warm the atmosphere is. You can see those yellows a nd atmosphere is. You can see those yellows and dorrances approaching us in the next couple of days. But not yet. At the moment it is still pretty chilly. Some showers. A keen breeze as the north west for some time. That wind is starting to shift direction. You can see the arrows lifting in from the south. That means the air is starting to arrive from the south as well. This coming night not as frosty as the night before. In fact, night not as frosty as the night before. Infact, most night not as frosty as the night before. In fact, most major towns and cities, even in the north will be above freezing. Saturday starts off on be above freezing. Saturday starts offona be above freezing. Saturday starts off on a sunny note across many parts of the country. A little bit more cloud and spots of rain across scotland. On the whole it is a fine day. 16 in london, still leftovers of that chilly air in scotland, 11 degrees. The real warmth arrives into sunday. Saturday night into sunday this low pressure approaches and as it approaches it strengthens that southerly wind. It is the southerly wind that will help to lift that warmth from the south. It is going to be quite a strong wind to the rest of us. Gusts in excess of 40 mph in places. Not beautiful everywhere. In these western areas, farfrom everywhere. In these western areas, far from it. Cloud everywhere. In these western areas, farfrom it. Cloud and occasional rain. Cooler, 15 in Northern Ireland, 20 in the south east. High teens expected in the north east of england as well. Worth mentioning the pollen levels. Moderate, generally speaking, across england and wales, peaking at a high in the south east. Even beyond the weekend it looks as if those temperatures will hang around the high teens for some of us at least. Thanks for watching. The first Nightingale Hospital opens to help deal with coronavirus built in just ten days. The site can hold 4,000 patients the first are due to arrive early next week. The site in east london was opened remotely by the prince of wales, himself recovering from the virus. This hospital, therefore, offers us an intensely practical message of hope for those who will need it most at this time of national suffering. Similar hospitals are planned in many other cities. Also on todays programme. The Health Secretary admits that meeting a target to test 100,000 people for the virus in england by the end of this month is a huge undertaking. In the last few minutes the Prime Minister has posted a video on twitter saying that he is to remain in herself isolation because of his health. A move to get help to struggling businesses the scheme offering government backed loans will be expanded so more firms will qualify. The exams regulator rules that this years gcse and a level grades will be based on teachers assessments of pupils work. Google is to publicly track peoples movements to show how visits to Public Places are changing during the pandemic, here and abroad. And in Sport Premier League clubs meet again to discuss the seasons future, with any restart likely to be pushed back even further now