Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Six 20200331

Could be thrown away in the coming days. And george alagiah, whos being treated for cancer, reveals he tested positive for coronavirus but thankfully is now well on the way to recovery. We, those of us living with cancer are stronger because we kind of know what it is like to go into something where the outcomes are uncertain. And in sport on bbc news. What pay sacrifices will top footballers make as the season stays on hold . Clubs and players meet tomorrow to discuss all the options. Good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. There has been a significant rise in the uks daily death toll. 381 people have died including a 19 year old with no Underlying Health conditions. Nhs england said latest figures did show a slight plateauing in new cases but urged the public to stick to social distancing rules and said the next two weeks were critical. Meanwhile, nhs workers on the front line say they still dont have access to tests which would allow them to keep working. The government has said theyre doing all they can to expand Testing Capacity but acknowledged there were problems obtaining the materials needed. Todays figures show that a total of 1,789 people have died in the uk with coronavirus. Thats an increase of 381 in the reported numbers since yesterday and the biggest so far. Almost all of them had Underlying Health conditions. 0ur almost all of them had Underlying Health conditions. Our Health Editor hugh pym reports. Drive through coronavirus testing for some nhs staff has begun in england. But this is a limited trial and it isnt clear how quickly it can be expanded. Elsewhere, tests on patients analysed in hospital and Public Health laboratories like this. They are based on swab samples. Nhs staff are frustrated they cannot be tested, which means they cannot be tested, which means they cannot be tested, which means they cannot find out whether it is safe to return to work. Hospitals in england have been told to test key workers if they can. Doctors like this, a consultant, says a lack of testing keep staff away from work just when they are most needed. Testing keep staff away from work just when they are most neededm testing keep staff away from work just when they are most needed. In a week or twos time, as we have seen in italy and spain, it is going to be all hands on deck. If we are losing people because we have the kind of things they experience all year round because they have a cold 01 year round because they have a cold or something else, testing, even with the imperfect nature of those test, has got to become readily available for health care professionals. I raised the issue todays downing street press conference. Many nhs staff are saying that testing for them is not obviously available in their of work or somewhere accessible, even after pledges made by officials and ministers in recent weeks it was a priority. What do you say to them . We wa nt priority. What do you say to them . We want to increase the number of tests, we a re we want to increase the number of tests, we are increasing the number of tests. I mentioned earlier one of the constraints on capacity to increase testing overall is the supply of the specific chemicals that are needed to ensure tests are reliable. It is also the case, as i am sure you are aware, we reliable. It is also the case, as i am sure you are aware, we have reliable. It is also the case, as i am sure you are aware, we have been working with the private sector and academics and boots the chemist have increased the number of drive in centres for nhs and front line workers to be tested. The number of people tested in the uk rose rapidly after la p people tested in the uk rose rapidly after lap capacity was expanded. It was above 8000 a couple of days ago, but has slipped back a little. How does that compare with other countries . This graph shows the number of tests per 100,000 people since the first coronavirus death in each country. South korea with an extensive testing regime is well ahead of the uk and the us. 39 years old. Karen, who is pregnant was in hospital with covid 19 and pneumonia and was very ill. She was fighting for her baby. She is now recovering. Iam very for her baby. She is now recovering. I am very lucky. So grateful to be home and to see my family. Now, it is just home and to see my family. Now, it isjust a home and to see my family. Now, it is just a case of waiting and seeing how my baby is. No one knows, no one is going to know how he is. 0r how my baby is. No one knows, no one is going to know how he is. Or if he is going to know how he is. Or if he is ok is going to know how he is. Or if he is 0kfor is going to know how he is. Or if he is ok for sure. Not until he is here. Stewart is also recovering 110w. Here. Stewart is also recovering now. He says being hit by the virus was terrifying. My lungs were losing function and they were really struggling with the disease in them. I really had to call on a lot of my reserves and prayers at that moment in time. It was really a question, i think fundamentally, do you want to live . Preparations are set to begin at the principality stadium in cardiff, which will be used as an nhs field hospital. The Welsh Government began testing nhs staff later this month. The authorities in scotla nd later this month. The authorities in scotland and Northern Ireland have also started doing that. Hugh pym, bbc news. 0ur chief political correspondent, vicki young, is in westminster. The Media Press Conference hasjust finished and the message, very much the next two weeks are critical . Yes, and a couple of elements to that. This ambition of 25,000 tests a day which some feel is going too slowly. I think the first public acknowledgement from a cabinet minister, there has been an issue and it is about getting the chemicals required to make the tests and make it happen. Because there is Global Demand for this. 0verall, what was interesting about this press c0 nfe re nce , what was interesting about this press conference, the message there is some hope, saying to people who are and during these difficult measures that have been put in place, saying, they are starting to work but it is very early signs. Green shoots, is how they put it. What they dont want to do is for people to think it is fine, all over and we can go back to a normal way of life. That is absolutely not the case. Dont take your foot off the pedal, it is a united, national efforts, cabinet ministers are saying, but he has to continue and it could continue for some time. Thank you. Our Health Editor hugh pym joins me. What did we learn about how fast the virus is spreading . At the press conference we picked up a couple of interesting things. Hospital admissions in england have gone above 9000. They are rising faster in london than anywhere else, but in the north west of england and the south east, the rate of growth has picked up. But this chart about new cases being reported overall across the uk. They went up pretty rapidly in the past couple of weeks in the hundreds, between 2000 and 3000 each day. But steve paris of nhs england was making the point, they have been static for a few days at the new level of cases each day. That is what led to his remark about green shoots that vicki young refer to. But he did stress, we are not out of the woods and we are still in the woods. So no room for any complacency here, but that chart are new cases will certainly want they wa nted new cases will certainly want they wanted to highlight. Thank you. One of britains most Senior Police officers has admitted that mistakes have been made by officers in their enforcement of the new Emergency Powers. Critics say some tactics have been heavy handed. Last week Derbyshire Police came in for criticism after using drones to film people walking in the Peak District they then posted the footage on social media. Our Home Affairs Correspondent Daniel Sandford reports. At what is normally a busy station in east london abbas khan you shouldnt be travelling, that is the advice from the government. British transport police asking passengers why they are travelling. You shouldnt be going to your girlfriends. My advice is, go back home. Using three of the rules, engaging, explaining the laws, and try to avoid enforcement. All the time, allowing essential workers through. With such drastic laws having come in so quickly, it is leading to Different Police forces interpreting them differently. That has led to tensions behind the scenes, as chief co nsta bles behind the scenes, as chief constables try to work out a common approach. Lancashire police has already issued more than 100 fines. The uks largest force, the metropolitan police has issued non. Ahead the head of the National Police Chiefs Council agreed there needs to be more consistency. We are bringing in new roles that have never been in existence before and we are having to learn as we go along. I think people ought to accept that mistakes will be made as we work our way through that. The law says people can only leave home for basic necessities, medical needs, essential work or to exercise once a day. And police can issue on the spot fines if people have no reasonable excuse to be away from home orfor any reasonable excuse to be away from home or for any social gathering of more than two people not from the same household. But Derbyshire Polices decision to use drones and social media videos to shame people exercising in the Peak District has worried others in policing. When i saw it on the television and i saw the footage, i have to say it was a bit of a facepalm moment for me. I feared the kind of criticism that then and she would. But today, the chief constable of derbyshire defended the decision. The purpose of putting the video up was the weekend after we had had the nice weather, where frankly the Peak District was inundated with visitors from across the whole country, putting some vulnerable communities at risk and stretching the emergency services. But in this upside down world, where park benches are taped off for Public Safety and people are asked to exercise away from each other, the growing consensus among Police Chiefs and police and crime commissioner is is that some of the strongest laws ever introduced in this country need to be used wisely and not over zealously. Daniel sandford, bbc news, east london. Scotlands first minister has set out sweeping Emergency Powers, ranging from protecting tenants to changes to the Justice System, as part of the response to the outbreak. Nicola sturgeon said she couldnt put a time scale on how long the measures would last, but said they wouldnt be kept unnecessarily. 60 people have died in scotland with coronavirus, 13 in the past 2a hours the biggest rise so far. 0ur scotland editor sarah smith reports. 0ne one of the special covid awards, treating patients with the virus. This is the front line for nhs staff. They know there will be more cases. 0ver staff. They know there will be more cases. Over 1000 staff. They know there will be more cases. 0ver1000 coronavirus patients are being treated in scottish hospitals. Beds are ready for 2000 more. The lockdown measures are being pretty well observed in scotland, but the virus continues to spread. There are more positive cases. That is notjust because more tests are being done, the worrying thing is the proportion of tests coming back positive is increasing. In response, the government has announced sweeping Emergency Powers. Covering rights for tenants, who cannot be evicted and making major changes to the criminalJustice System. Are you concerned about being the first minister who brings in some of these Emergency Powers and can you guarantee they were all, eve ryo ne and can you guarantee they were all, everyone of them be repealed as soon as possible and when might that be . I dont underestimate the damage to the economy being done right now. I dont underestimate the impact of restricting peoples liberties in the way we are doing right now. But all of these things, however difficult, we can repair and get back to normal. What we cannot do is bring people back to life and that is why the absolute focus here must be on reducing, as far as we possibly can, the numbers of people who die from this virus. Most controversial is a plan for scottish courts to hear serious cases without a jury. Welcome by the countrys mo seniorjudge, criminal lawyers think it is an attack on the basic principles of basicjustice. We are concerned at the draconian measures that have been suggested. Are you worried after this crisis is over the government might not restore jury the government might not restore jury trials . We are concerned this bill is something of a trojan horse and is really the thin end of the wedge. Because once we are through this virus, what is to stop the government saying, actually, while covid 19 was going on, the criminal Justice System operated without a jury. Justice system operated without a jury my Justice System operated without a jury. My goodness, it was quicker, it was certainly cheaper so why dont wejust go it was certainly cheaper so why dont we just go back to that . That is our concern. Small signs of optimism in glasgow windows as people try and adjust to the new normal. Prepared, it seems, for now to do what is deemed necessary as we concentrate on supporting the nhs. Sarah smith, bbc news, glasgow. Efforts are continuing to bring back tens of thousands of britons stranded abroad. Ba, easyjet and Virgin Atlantic are among airlines working with the government to fly britons back to the uk. The government has also pledged £75 million to charter special flights to bring home uk nationals from countries where commercial flights are unavailable. Caroline hawley has more. Ive left three children behind. Two children are asthmatic. I shouldve been home, thats the bottom line. I should have been home. Tabassum is one of hundreds of thousands of british people stuck around the world right now. Pakistan is in lockdown. There have been no flights out for two weeks, and there are many others in this country alone desperate to get back to the uk, some with pressing medical needs. My mum is a diabetic so medication is low, its hard to get hold of. We just need some intervention, to be honest. But how to get people back when the world is closing down. This is 0rly airport in paris. Today it is shutting indefinitely to commercial flights, just one illustration of the vast logistical challenge of getting people home. This is tom ram on holiday in morocco. The Foreign Office says its helped to get more than 8,000 travellers home on commercial flights after travel restrictions came into force, but tom is still stranded. We were only booked here for four days, and now we have been here 17 and now weve got no idea when we are getting home. 0urfamilies have got no idea. I dont know how we are going to pay for it, and, yes, its extremely stressful times. Tyne samuels trip to south africa has also turned into a nightmare. She came to volunteer, now she cant get out and she says the British Government has been slow to respond. Its nerve racking, its very scary. I live next door to a supermarket and for two days running weve had riots. I can see on facebook there are people throwing bricks at the staff that work in the supermarket, so itjust kind of makes me feel unsafe. I dont know, being so close to it as well. Safely back in the uk, a planeload of british travellers arrived at gatwick from peru this morning on a special charter. The government is urging people to take commercial flights where they can, and its promised to organise more charters in the coming days and weeks to bring people home. Caroline hawley, bbc news. Germanys chief Health Adviser has warned that the rate of deaths from coronavirus is rising there, and will continue to do so. They say early testing has help to keep the rate relatively low until now. Germany has the capacity to conduct half a million tests a week as our berlin correspondent, jenny hill reports. They are working day and night in germanys laboratories. This country tested early and it tested a lot. An approach which, it has been believed, has saved lives. There we re believed, has saved lives. There were many positive cases picked up early so people were asked very early, months ago, to remain isolated, Contact People who were traced and were repeatedly isolated as well. But some say germany had luck on its side as well. Many of its early cases were skiers, young, fit, coming back from their winter breaks. The average age of an infected person in germany is a7. But that is changing. This week, a ca re but that is changing. This week, a care home made headlines. 17 people, elderly, vulnerable, died here. This morning, the governments Health Adviser acknowledged that the death rate is rising. Older and very old people did not appear in our tests, but now we see cases in care homes and old peoples homes and u nfortu nately we have and old peoples homes and unfortunately we have to expect that the death rate will rise. Germany is relatively low death rate has intrigued experts and politicians alike around the world. Scientists here say the outbreak has yet to peak, and while the suggestion is there, it is still far too soon to say whether mass testing strategies will pay off. On french soil, a patient, bound for germany. Medics here keen to help and to learn as well. Because for germany, these are still early days. The real crisis yet to arrive. Jenny hill, bbc news, berlin. The death toll in the United States has reached 3a15, more than the number of people who died from a coronavirus in china. New york has been particularly badly hit with over 900 deaths. The governor of new york state has made a plea for medical staff across the us to come to the aid of doctors and nurses there. Charities are expecting to lose about £a billion over the next few months because of coronavirus. Fundraising has been hit hard. And Charity Shops have also had to close their doors. Officials say Many Charities are now facing imminent collapse and theyre now calling on the government for urgent help as Michael Buchanan reports. Good afternoon, is that marion . L human voice to break the loneliness of the lockdown. At this age uk centre in north london are getting 500 calls a week asking for help, five times the usual demand. Although theyve never been busier, they estimate their income will be down by as much as 50 over the coming months. The furlough situation does not apply to us. We have too much work and people are working long hours and everybody is working, and in fact, working long hours and everybody is working, and infact, im having working long hours and everybody is working, and in fact, im having to pay for more hours. So you have increasing costs and reducing income . Yes, exactly, and i think thats a very typical picture across the country. Lift off for the London Marathon. With most major fundraising events like the London Marathon either postponed or cancelled, the pandemic is fast becoming a threat to the very existence of some organisations. While others are scaling back on their core activities. Cancer research uk says the fall in donations means they will have to cut back on research, which they say could well delay new breakthrough treatments against the disease. Each charity is affected in a different way. But all of them are saying that they need government help. During a virtual meeting, mps examine the problems. We are estimating based on a mix of survey data and data we collect on charity accounts that you would expect in the next Quarter Charity to income generate about 12 and a half billion pounds, and we are expecting the loss in the next quarter to be in the region of ea billion. Charities want ministers to eva divide emergency grants or speed up eva divide emergency grants or speed up payments from the gift aid scheme. Discussions are said to be ongoing. Emma cantrell currently ru ns ongoing. Emma cantrell currently runs an Emergency Food Bank having been forced to virtually mothball her charity which was founded to help poor families in her charity which was founded to help poorfamilies in berkshire. She fears a 50 income drop would close the charity. If we cant access the funding we need to simply pay our bills and our staff, we will not be able to deliver our service and we will not exist. And im faced with this paradox where there is going to bea this paradox where there is going to be a huge demand for the service we previously offered and we might not be there to offer it. Charities have increasingly picked up the pieces when the state has walked away in recent yea rs. When the state has walked away in recent years. But can that can can you as many go under but that but can that continue as many go under . Some supermarkets are beginning to ease restrictions that were introduced earlier this month on some products aldis now scrapping limits on all but a few items, while morrisons and waitrose have also removed some limits and changed others. It comes as Grocery Sales in the uk were at record levels in march reaching £10. 8 billion as the country prepared for the coronavirus lockdown. The average household has spent £63 more in the last four weeks, the equivalent of an extra five days of groceries, and sales of alcohol were up groceries, and sales of alcohol were up by groceries, and sales of alcohol were up by 22 on the same time last year. We spent an extra £200 million on wine, spirits and beer. 2000 2000 Garden Centres have had to close which means millions of plants, shrubs and trees could be thrown away in the coming days. And there are warnings that the industry could collapse. Our Business Editor simonjack reports. Across the uk there is a growing crisis in the horticultural industry. With Garden Centres closed, growers of trees, shrubs, and bedding plants are facing financial ruin. This year, we have our best crop ever and its got nowhere to go. Neil allcock runs a nursery in north wales, one of thousands of nurseries which are bursting with spring stock. We have order cancellations coming from everywhere. Basically, the whole Retail Supply chain has stopped for us. This week alone weve had a downturn in somewhere in the region of £100,000 of orders. Gardening industry bodies say the situation is critical. Were talking about anything between £500 and £1 billion worth of stock being wasted and that has the capability, in terms of Balance Sheet and asset value, of wiping out a huge chunk of the sector. So we need immediate government assistance, of the order of £250 million, if this sectors going to survive. This crisis comes at a time when the industry is most vulnerable the beginning of the peak of the march july gardening season. For those people lucky enough to have their own garden, its a boon at a time like this, its good for their physical and mental well being. But those people who hope britain will be back in bloom comejuly may be disappointed. Its notjust millions of plants, trees, and shrubs that may wither and die, they may take huge sections of the gardening economy with them. One of britains best known gardeners has added his voice to industry pleas for help. Those plants, millions of them, will have to be allowed to die. Unless a rescue package of sufficient magnitude is put in place to save our growers, the british garden is going to suffer for many years ahead. This is also the time of year when the industry is most financially extended, leaving most unwilling or unable to take on new loans, with government guarantees extended to the lender, but not to the borrower. The uks plant growers and its 23 million gardening customers are facing a potentially very cruel spring. Simon jack, bbc news. Across the uk, local authorities are stepping in to help get vital supplies to the vulnerable or those who are self isolating. Wolverhampton council has identified nearly 35,000 people in the city who they think need help getting food and medication. And so theyve turned a Leisure Centre into a distribution hub as our correspondent phil mackie reports. Shelley smith normally works on the Councils Events management team, but her new dayjob is as a van driver delivering food packages to Vulnerable People stuck at home. Hello . Mrand mrs malone . Hello. Im shelley from city of wolverhampton council. Just delivering your food parcel today. Seamus malone has an Underlying Health condition. He and his wife, helen, are in their 80s and cannot get out. It is grim, it really is. I have a daughter in brisbane, australia and she gets in touch and keeps telling us we mustnt go out. We mustnt go out. I do a walk, because ive had a new knee, and thats important to me to do a bit of exercise, but, it doesnt do us any but i hope doesnt last forever. Its taken just over a week for Wolverhampton City Council to transform a Leisure Centre into a Food Distribution hub, which is capable of delivering supplies to nearly 35,000 people. Helping them out is a man with considerable experience in this kind of thing. In the 90s, he organised Food Distribution in africa and in the balkans. Very surreal. I could never have dreamed that id be doing the same kind of thing within the uk, but i think, as we all know, these really are unprecedented times. If i can take your temperature . The facility has to be secure, not just protect the food, but to keep the virus out. Local businesses, including pubs and restaurant chains, have donated their stock to get the ball rolling. Beyond here is a sterile zone. We cannot get any nearer than this. The food is unloaded and then parcels will be packed in cardboard boxes and delivered to 35,000 people. Boxes include pasta, rice, tinned food, as well as bread and milk. I just think this is just a fantastic project for the city. I think it will be a lifeline for these vulnerable residents who will really rely on us for that support. And itjust feels really good to be able to help them. So you look after yourself, 0k . You keep safe. The council is contacting people they think it will need help. The roll out started today with volunteers ensuring no one goes without during the next crucial weeks. Phil mackie, bbc news, wolverhampton. And finally some good news for you about someone who tested positive for coronavirus and has recovered. Its george alagiah. And, as many of you will know, he has stage four cancer, he has undergone more than 60 rounds of chemotherapy and is still having treatment. It puts him, of course, at a much higher risk than most people. Two weeks ago he went into hospital, and tested positive. Thankfully, hes now back home and this afternoon, i spoke to him about his experience. They did loads and loads of tests for all kinds of things, one of which was covid 19 coronavirus, and a few days later, i think three, four, five days later, my oncologist phoned up and said, well, youre fine as far as the chemo side effects are concerned but you do have covid 19. And actually my first reaction was, well, actually, if that was it then ive got away with it, because i had a temperature but i didnt have all those other really nasty things that people talk about. Right now, the last couple of days, i feel. Not back to normal but i certainly feel well. But you were one of the people we were most worried about when all this began. Youve got stage iv cancer. Ive had numerous conversations with you here in the newsroom and we were really worried about you. It seemed a very anxious time. Actually my friends, like you, were getting more anxious, i think, than i was. To be honest, if you have been living as i have for six years with scans every three months and the whole uncertainty, and sometimes in a very life threatening way, this didnt seem so bad to me. And there was almost a part of me that thought, well, maybe i could get it and if i could get what the chief medical officer talks of as being a mild or moderate case of it, then i can actually get it out of the way. The thing with you is you obviously are. Youve got cancer, youve been treated for cancer and there are a lot of people out there who will be watching you now who are really frightened of getting this thing. What is your message to them . For all those people out there living with cancer, my message is firstly we all know what uncertainty is about, we all know what being in a life threatening situation is about, and this neednt be like that. I dont want to trivialise it, simply because i seem to have had a mild or moderate case of covid 19, but actually the very fact that were living with cancer i think gives us an edge. We have confronted those kind of difficult, dark moments