Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20200410

Leaving the virus behind. Hello, and welcome to bbc news. We begin in the United States wher the number of people seeking Unemployment Benefits has surged for a third week as the economic toll tied to the coronavirus pandemic intensifies. 6. 5 Million People in filed for Unemployment Benefits in the us last week and that brings the number of claims to almost 17 million injust three weeks. New figures also show that up to 60,000 americans could die with coronavirus, downscaling earlier estimates, but there is little cause for celebration there as the state of new york reported 799 deaths, the highest number in a single day since the outbreak. 0ur correspondent nick bryant is there and he sent us this report. Sirens wail. The sound of these sirens has become the sound of new york. A ceaseless noise, for many a terrifying noise, that has placed this city and are a form of mental siege. People here have become scared of ambulances and scared of the hospitals they end up at. In the past 2a hours alone, new york has suffered almost 800 deaths. Bereavement on a scale thats brought back awful memories. We lose 2,753 lives on 9 11. Weve lost over 7,000 lives to this crisis. That is so shocking and painful and breathtaking. I dont even have the words for it. This famous cityscape has some jolting new additions. The Military Hospital ship, the comfort, docked on the piers that used to welcome the great liners. This is central park in the coronavirus spring. A Field Hospital in an open space they call the lungs of new york. And those sirens again, where youd normally hear the sound of childrens laughter. America is not just facing its toughest Public Health crisis like the rest of the world, economically, its being hammered. The fear is notjust of a recession but a depression. In the past three weeks alone, more than 16 Million People have lost their jobs. Thats a higher number than the unemployment recorded during two years of the Great Recession between 2007 2009. The federal reserve, the fed, is ready to pump in trillions of dollars in emergency relief. Its new yorks poorest districts, heavily populated with african america ns and hispanics, that are being hardest hit by this health and economic crisis. These were food parcels being delivered in the bronx. When youre in one of the poorest communities in the country, it already was a challenge. Small businesses, they cant wait weeks for the fed to help them, they need it in days. And so, what people are watching right now is what happens when you dont invest in addressing poverty for generations. As it confronts this invisible enemy, there is a martialfeel to life in much of the city. A war footing as america faces what could be its greatest ever peacetime challenge. Nick bryant, bbc news, new york. Well, at his daily coronavirus briefing, donald trump celebrated the fact the us has now carried out over 2 million tests. Thats more in raw numbers than any other country, however mr trump does say he wont guarantee that the us will establish a nationwide testing system. We want to have it and were going to see if we have it. Do you need it . No. Is it a nice thing do . Yes. Were talking about 325 Million People, and thats not going to happen, as you can imagine, and it wouldnt happen with anyone else either. Other countries do it, but they do it in a limited form. We will probably be the leader of the pack. David willis is our north america correspondent. He took a look at the viruss Economic Impact and how President Trump responded. Those jobless figures reveal the devastating impact that the coronavirus has had on the Worlds Largest economy. 6. 6 Million People have lost theirjobs in the last week. On top of the 10 million americans who lost their jobs in the previous fortnight. Now, that means roughly one in ten of the workforce year, the labour force here, is currently out of work and economists are predicting that in this month, april, 20 Million People here will lose theirjobs. Now compare that to the figures from 2008, the financial crisis back then, when 9 Million People were thrown out of work in the United States. Little wonder then that donald trump is itching to get this country back to normal and get the economy back on its feet. He reiterated that desire today, touting the stabilisation in the number of hospitalisations, despite the very grim death figures. He said that he hoped this country would be back on its feet opening up again, as he put it, very, very soon, simon. And a big ongoing spat between donald trump in the World Health Organization. He criticised them a few days ago and they had recently. Tell us about that. Resident trump believes the who is minimised the threat of the coronavirus. He believes that it is biased towards china and he is calling for his administration to conduct an investigation of the who and threatening to withhold millions of dollars in us funding for it. The who of course criticise Donald Trumps decision to impose a ban on travellers from china to the United States back at the end of january and that is a move that mr trump is touted as being among his most successful to date as far as controlling the virus is concerned. A lot of people, even his own supporters, are questioning, though, the timing of this threat to withdraw funding to the who at a time from worldwide pandemic. Eu finance ministers have agreed a 500 billing you a rescue package for European Countries hit hard by the virus pandemic. Loans will be provided to help countries pay healthcare provided to help countries pay healthca re costs provided to help countries pay healthcare costs as well as supporting companies and unemployed workers. In south africa is to extend its nationwide lot down until the end of april as it rattles the coronavirus. The president there said there was clear evidence the restriction is already limiting the spread of the disease. He also announced senior politicians would donate a third of the salaries to help those worst affected by the pandemic and urged Business Leaders to do the same. Here in the uk, the prime minister, borisjohnson, whos been receiving treatment for coronavirus, has been moved out of intensive care at a london hospital, but a spokesman said his recovery was at an early stage. Dominic raab, who has been deputising for the pm, ruled out easing the lockdown. The latest figures show another 881 people have died in uk hospitals in the last day. Heres our Health Editor hugh pym. It was just so dreadful that no one was able to visit him for three weeks and furthermore, no one was able to be with him during his final hours and minutes. Emily remembers her grandfather tony, who died yesterday. Hed gone into hospital with another health issue, and then contracted covid 19. She told me visitors werent allowed because of the virus risk, but shes reassured to know two nurses were with him in his final hours. For me and my relatives, it is really comforting, just to picture those two amazing people at his bedside, comforting him and saying all the right things at the right time, and well forever be in their debt. We are just so grateful for everything they did. I raised the issue at the downing street Media Briefing today. Weve heard some harrowing stories of people dying alone because family cant be with them, for understandable reasons to do with the virus risk. What do you say to the British Public about how things will develop from here . We dont know conclusively that were beyond the point at which we could start considering whether the measures will be relaxed, so we must keep it up. The key thing is for people to understand how much of what theyve already done has helped contribute to avoiding an even worse situation, in terms of the spread of the virus and the number of deaths, and how important it is that we dont slow up ortake our pressure off at this critical moment before weve come through the peak. There was a clearer prediction than before how long deaths would go on rising. In general, id expect the deaths to continue to keep going up for about two weeks after the intensive care picture improves, and so were not there yet, in terms of knowing exactly when that will be. The latest analysis of data in england and wales suggests that death rates go up with age in both men and women, but men are ahead of women in all age groups. Alex died in hospital with the coronavirus ten days ago. None of his family could be with him. But staff did set up a video call, and his son says that made all the difference. It felt like we were together. It was really rich, it was really real. He was weak. But we also connected as a family, so often thered be three orfour of us on the telephone, a group video call, and we could speak with each other, comfort each other, make plans. We felt together, which is. Ive not really experienced that before. This is what patients will be aware of around them staff like these in Papworth Hospital in masks, visors and gowns. Its confusing and communication is difficult. Thats tough for doctors and nurses, as well as those who they care for. Dr rachel clarke, who specialises in end of life care, says it can be an emotional drain. Sometimes at the end of the day, you know, you take off your gown and mask, and you just cry your eyes out in the car on the way home, because you have seen things you dont want to see but, at the same time, youve tried your utmost to be there at a time when perhaps a loved one, a son or daughter 01 spouse, cant be there, and youre literally all the patient has and with every fibre of your being all you want to do is support that patient. The upward trend in deaths appears to be slowing. But whatever the statistics say, there are life and death issues for thousands of families to confront every day, in every part of the country. Hugh pym, bbc news. According to new research, People Living in areas with high levels of pollution are more like me to die on the coronavirus pandemic than people in cleaner parts. The Harvard School of Public Health Research Found a large overlap between covid 19 deaths and other diseases related to long term exposure on pollution. I am joined long term exposure on pollution. Iam joined now pollution. I am joined now by professor francesco dominicci in boston. Make this down frost, perverse, if you may. What are the Main Findings of your study . Yes, good evening and thank you for having me. The takeaway of the study is that historical exposure to air pollution is associated with higher risk of death for covid 19. We have conducted a National Study in the United States that quantified the potential increase in covid 19 mortality that is associated with historical exposure to air pollution. 0ur with historical exposure to air pollution. Our study accounts for over 90 of the debts that have been occurring in the United States as of april four, 2020. In summary, we found that a person that has been living for decades in a county with high level of fine particulate matter is 15 more likely to die from coronavirus than someone die from coronavirus than someone in a region with much less exposure to air pollution. And isnt therefore simplistic to say that Capital Cities like new york, like london, london for example, or paris, are they seeing such high levels of debts because what you have just been talking about, because of the pollution . Well, thats a possibility. I mean, we know from the study conducted in the United States that if you compare a city like new york with, for example, the suburb, which has a little less exposure or historical exposure to fine particulate matter, you consider population that is similar with respect to Socio Economic status, obesity and smoking in a very large metropolitan areas with a higher level of pollution, there would be higher risk of death from coronavirus. Talk about smoking there. Is the science simply behind the immune system and the stronger the immune system is, the better it can cope with the viruslike coronavirus . Well, what the science that is behind our study and helped us develop the policies behind the study is that there is very solid science that shows that the historical exposure to air pollution and particulate matter increased all of the series of diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and these are all of the diseases that we called preclinical conditions that make covid 19 much more serious and cause death. So we made an important observation that all the diseases that are affected by historical exposure to fine particulate matter are the same diseases that increase the same diseases that increase the severity of the Health Responses of coronavirus patients and therefore deaths. Professor francesco dominicci expect professor francesco to, thank you so much for your time. Do stay with us here in bbc news. The lawmaker and the loo roll. We meet the man behind the latest online fitness video. 25 years of hatred and rage, as theyjump up on the statue. This funeral became a massive demonstration of black power. The power to influence. Today is about the promise of a bright future. A day when we hope a line can be drawn under the bloody past. I think that picassos works were beautiful. They were intelligent and its a sad loss to everybody who loves art. Welcome back, this is bbc news. 0ur our top story. A further 6. 5 million workers filed for unemployment as President Trump announces plans to reduce the Economic Impact of coronavirus. Street traders in south america say they are unable to have a government orders to stay indoors because doing so would leave them to feed their families. While official vendor is in chilly are closing their doors, unofficial sellers are trying to make a living with some in mexico saying the pandemic in their business of top for decades, 76 year old maria has made ends meet by selling from this spot as well as making money to survive, she also supports her family. Translation i have to live. I have two eat. The coronavirus has affected me and sales, look how it is affected me. Since it arrived i have not sold anything and i must be here until three orfour anything and i must be here until three or four p. M. Anything and i must be here until three orfour p. M. Look what i have sold. God today gives me no more sales but for these little legs. These ones puzzling streets of santiago are now home to a trickle of passing trade, parts of the city have been put under quarantine for several weeks but maria says the restrictions will not stop her translation i raise my children, my granddaughters, great grandchildren, i have raised them all here on the street. Chile is reporting 6000 cases with some deaths. Official traders have obeyed government orders were Shopping Centres closing their doors. Adriana sells cosmetics in mexico city. She says that stopping is not an option. Translation they told us that from monday were not going to be to go out. Those of us who sell cosmetics, clothes it puts us in a very difficult situation because. Iam difficult situation because. I am sorry. My son depends on me. Mexico is reporting over 3000 cases of coronavirus with 174 death. When a customer fails to come, some take the trade to them. Daniel buys old items to sell for a profit. Translation it affects all of us. It is true for me personally. We have to go out to work and if we do not we do not have a salary, we have nothing. We work day today. We are going to eat we must sell a mattress, a washing machine. We have to do this every day because we work daily. But while quarantine restrictions remain in place, so does the question faced by these traders. Obey orders or feed theirfamily . Millions of people on lockdown are being urged to stay active by the World Health Organization but we do know thatis organization but we do know that is easier said than done. Fitness gurus are posting videos online to help out with classes in everything from yoghurts assaulted dancing online. One of them is tony, a politician who has swapped a business suit for trainers and using everyday household products like toilet paper to stay fit. Hejoins products like toilet paper to stay fit. He joins me products like toilet paper to stay fit. Hejoins me now from her. Thank you for taking a breakfrom her. Thank you for taking a break from your exercise routine to speak to us. How important is for people to stay active moments like this . Incredibly important. As we know if you are fit you will be healthy and in trying to fight any disease or any flulike symptoms, the fitter and healthier you are it will help and it is also good for your mental health. We have to stay inside and we stay inside we tend to be inactive, eat and drink more so it is important to try and stay active. We are looking at pictures of you eating a kebabs now and running. Tell us about that. The premier of Western Australia had a bit of a laughing fit when the pressure was laughing fit when the pressure was question was put to him about being fine to go down to the shop and buy a kebabs. He said he didnt know how to run and put it either kebabs and i put that to attest and i think you can run on the spot and eat a kebabs full and since you have begun, what is the reaction been . What do your collea g u es reaction been . What do your colleagues say . It has been amazing. I started to try and connect with my local community and it has gone haywire. And im being stopped in this street and my colleagues are saying that they will try and follow the exercises. At the moment they enjoy watching it but the next task for them is to follow what i am doing. Is this something you have always been doing or did you just think now was the right time to start doing these videos . This is the beginning. All the time we have to spend in time but i have always been active and done a lot of running. Have always been active and done a lot of runninglj have always been active and done a lot of running. I am tempted to ask for a demonstration but for viewers who are watching now, one of the many things you think they should do to stay at eve and keep a good healthy presence at the moment . A consistent routine. Every day they should put away five or ten minutes and really a combination with a bit of cardiovascular, running on the spot or doing some shuttle running and a few stretches and a few strength exercises. People often think about this as being physical but its mental as much as anything, isnt it . When you are cooped up inside and been told not to leave it is important to get the endorphins going. Certainly. If you did this two or three times a day you would be amazed by what endorphins are released and help makes you feel the rest of the day. Thats all we have time for. I need to go and do 4000 press ups but thank you for joining 4000 press ups but thank you forjoining us and the best of luck with those videos. I assume they will continue to go viral. If you are looking for somewhere coronavirus free you may need to find a Russian Space rocket. A new crew has blasted off to the International Space station and one of the cosmonauts on board say right now it is the safest place to be. With a pandemic sweeping the world, here is an idea. Leave the planet. A russian soyuz rocket blasts into space. Confirmed separation of stage two. Strapped inside are cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and ivan wagner and a nasa astronaut chris cassidy. The new crew for the International Space station. Coronavirus had affected pre flight preparation. The three men have been in a tighter quarantine than usual before a launch, with contact to a bare minimum. And that meant no family members present for liftoff. Obviously we would love to have our families here with us but we understand we have to do this to be safe. You do not want to come down with covid 19 up here. But assuming they stay healthy, the crew will be well away from the dramas back on earth. Translation although spaceflight always carries a particular risk we understand that for the next few months the International Space station will probably be the safest place on earth. Of course, self isolation comes naturally to a spaceman. No popping off to the shops orjogging in the park up here. 250 miles above the surface of the earth, the crew will be setting an example to us all, on the International Space station they will be staying home for the next six months. That is all from the bbc newsroom for now. Plenty more on our website. You can also get more information on our app including information on all the coronavirus stories we have seen over the course of this programme. We are currently looking at pictures of people clapping early on today. We will leave you with these emotional pictures of people clapping the nhs across the country. Bagpipes play cheering, horns honk hello there. Most parts of the country will be dry and warm today. Yesterday was the warmest day of the year so far in wales with temperatures of 23. 5 degrees in cardiff, similar temperatures again today and some parts of southern england may reach 25 degrees. Yesterday under the cloud in newcastle was only 9 degrees so today will be warmer, a bit warmer across central and southern parts of scotland. Over the weekend we will see the High Temperatures getting squeezed down towards the south east of england, it will start to seem cooler from the north, significant change for all of us on monday with cool and northerly wind. These are the temperatures that we start off with on friday so mild even in the south where we have clearer skies. Much milder across northern scotland this time but there will be rain to clear away from the Northern Isles and then we see some sharp showers coming in across scotland, perhaps the far north of england before it brightens up and we get sunshine, the rain holding off until the evening. Sunshine across england and wales and the High Temperature is likely to be in the midlands, wales towards the south east of england 24 maybe even 25 degrees. Some of that heat could trigger thundery downpours late in the day across north wales moving to Northern England and there is also wet weather coming into parts of scotland as well. There will still be showers around on saturday morning across scotland and the north of england. Those should tend to fade away and they should all brighten up again and for much of the country should be dry into the afternoon. A few sharp showers developing in wales in the south western that means the High Temperatures are more likely to be in the south east of england. 26 degrees as possible. More significant changes are coming in on sunday. Northern parts of the uk will be cooler and cloudier, further south we will have some sunshine but there is more likely to be showers developing across more southern parts of england and wales. Those could be heavy and thundery. 22 degrees still possible in the south east with the heat is beginning to ebb away. And that is because we have a change in the wind direction. While we will see the back of the showers eventually it is a cold area of High Pressure moving down from the north and bringing with it more northerly wind and some stronger wind overnight and into monday. It may blow in more cloud across the eastern side of the uk, sunshine further west but the High Temperature this time is 14 degrees. For many, those temperatures are below average for the time of year. Welcome to bbc news. Im simon pusey. These are the main stories in the United States, another 6. 6 million workers have filed for employment in the last week. That brings the number of claims to almost 17 million injust three weeks. New figures also show that up to 60,000 americans could die with coronavirus, downscaling the earlier estimates. Here in the uk, there is being another massive rise in reported deaths. But the prime minister, boris johnson, who is receiving treatment for coronavirus, has been moved out of intensive care at a london hospital. A spokesperson said his recovery is at an early stage. A new Research Suggests People Living in areas with high pollution are more likely to die from the coronavirus pandemic. The study from researchers at the Harvard Public School of health found an overlap between deaths and other diseases associated with long term