Set to remain closed. And well ask why the uks black and ethnic minority communities seem to be more likely to become infected with, and die from covid 19. Hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. Were covering all the latest coronavirus developments, both here and globally. The uk government says its doing all it can to get as much personal protective equipment as possible from around the globe to Front Line Health Workers here. It comes as a further 596 people have died in the uk from coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths tojust over 16,000. Over 120,000 people have tested positive for the virus in the uk. A delivery of vital protective equipment for Health Care Workers to the uk has been delayed. The government said it was working to ensure the shipment from turkey which includes 400,000 gowns would reach front line staff in the coming days. The education secretary has said he cannot give a date for when schools in england might reopen and argued that maintaining lockdown was the best way to save lives. And the government has defended the Prime Ministers leadership as focused and determined, following reports borisjohnson missed several emergency meetings on coronavirus in the build up to the crisis. Elsewhere, south korea has reported just eight new cases of coronavirus in 2a hours. The country had a major outbreak in february but has managed to control it with aggressive testing and tracing measures. Restrictions on social gatherings will now be eased. Frontline workers in india have told the bbc that they dont know the trule scale of the coronavirus outbreak as the country is not carrying out sufficient testing. And, new yorks governor, andrew cuomo, says hell launch an aggressive Antibody Testing Campaign Next week, to see how many people have had the virus. He also said the coronavirus outbreak there is on the descent. 40,000 people have now died of the virus in the us. Well have more on the stories in a moment but, with the latest in the uk, heres our health editor, hugh pym. A vital consignment of masks and other personal protective equipment arrives from china at Prestwick Airport near glasgow this weekend. It is ready for distribution to health and care workers around scotland, at a time when the kit known as ppe is in short supply in different parts of the uk. Some hospitals in england have warned theyre down to the last few days of supplies of the gowns used in intensive care. A planeload of equipment due in from turkey did not arrive as expected today. Shortages of ppe have been reported by frontline staff for several weeks now. I raised the issue at the downing street media briefing. Can you comment on reports today that stocks of ppe were allowed to run down in the couple of years before the pandemic, and why was more not done to get hold of more ppe in march and early february, including using British Companies . It is important to remember that although there may be elements of distribution problems across the uk at different times and in different places, this is a huge pull on services which we have never seen before. And we have managed, actually, despite signalling many potential shortfalls, to continue to supply, going forward. We are doing absolutely everything we can to bring as much ppe in, right from across the globe. We recognise its a big challenge, we recognise we have got to be supporting the people who are supporting our nation in terms of the health service. But labour argues that the government should do more to find supplies in the uk. Every mps inbox, certainly mine, is awash with small firms across the country saying they have tried to help the government with ppe, they have tried to tell the government they can manufacture a ppe, and they hit a brick wall, they dont get anything back from them whatsoever. Stephen was a Mental Health nurse who had worked for the nhs for 30 years. He died with coronavirus last weekend. Other members of the family were infected. His daughter made this plea to the public. Please stay at home while you can. My dad couldnt, and he lost his life. So, if you can, i know its horrible, no one wants to be stuck at home 24 hours nearly every day, but it is what we need to do right now, and if it saves one life by staying in the house, then its absolutely worth it. With social distancing in force and empty streets, speculation and debate about when the lockdown will be eased intensifies. There have been reports today that some schools might reopen in the middle of may. The reporting in todays newspapers today regarding 11th may, that is not true, we have not made that decision. And the other inference in your question, which is that areas in hospitality will be among the last to exit the lockdown, yes, that is true, they will be among the last. And at the new Nightingale Hospital in londons docklands, their first patient to be successfully treated for covid 19 was moved to another hospital to continue his recovery. There was applause from the staff who had volunteered to move to work there. Hugh pym, bbc news. More now on the problems around the distribution of personal protective equipment in the uk. 0ur economics editor, faisal islam, explained the complexity of getting to the brunt of the problem. It can be both true to say, as the government is saying, that hundreds and millions of items of ppe have been distributed up and down the country, and it can also be true at the same time to say that some nhs trusts or gps or certainly care Home Settings havent got the ppe that they need, or they are assessed as needing, and there is a separate issue of what they want as well, because some individual doctors and nurses look at the guidelines and say, well, we want to be more protected than the guidelines are saying. So that starts to explain why you are getting, yes, on the one hand, hundreds of millions of items being distributed, and on the other hand the regular throughflow of medical professionals saying, we need more, or we need a slightly different type. And so, yes, there were also big stockpiles that emerged from pandemic flu planning and also no deal brexit planning, and the real question is how quickly are they being used day to day, and how much are they being replenished . So you can say that there are a billion items that have been released, but what is the rate, the flow of that into the system . I think the first thing to say is that this is not a flu pandemic, its a coronavirus pandemic, and coronavirus has been shown to be more contagious and potentially will be more long lasting than a flu pandemic would have been, so you need more. So we dont have that data on usage, except for the fact that a government ministerjust this afternoon has tweeted out one individual hospitals usage stats. I then tweeted out that. To give you a sense, this is the United Hospital trust of lincolnshire. It gives you an idea ofjust how much ppe is required in a setting, actually, where covid i9 is less spread than, say, the capital city or birmingham or wherever. You can see, if you tot it all up, its that middle column, usage per day, 72,000 items per day for a three hospital trust, and thats a lot of ppe. And you scale that up, you scale that up across the nhs, across the uk, and we are obviously talking about millions of items of ppe a day, and then suddenly hundreds of millions over 50, 60 days doesnt look quite as significant as it might otherwise do, so you need to know how much is being used. Weve only got scarce data for that, with the example ive just given you, but one also needs to take into account the fact that its difficult to replenish, so you have this demand, you have supply problems, because the whole world wants it, and that is where you get the problem of, yes, lots of distribution, but also the fact that the people on the ground are telling us incessantly that they cant get enough. Spains Prime Minister says he hopes to relax some rules of the countrys lockdown so that children can go outside. Its weeks of stringent measures for the country are set to continue despite a drop in daily deaths. Other parts of europe too are considering the way forward out of lockdown, as reged ahmad reports. Nurses at la paz hospital, in madrid. Paying tribute to their chief of surgery, who died from covid i9, after being infected at his own hospital. As heavily protected intensive care nurses give a thumbs up, its a stark reminder of the sacrifices made and the toll the coronavirus has taken on European Health systems. Its also why the decisions around how to reduce lockdown measures are so important and difficult. Although spain believes its over the peak of infections, the Prime Minister is seeking to extend the countrys lockdown for now, with an exception. Translation from the 27th of april, the Spanish Government will take measures to alleviate the lockdown if i can call it that of our children, so they can go out and benefit from those statistical improvements that we are seeing in the evolution of this pandemic. France, too, says its seeing a slow improvement in the number of serious cases, although the Health Crisis remains. Even so, the french president has already set a may date for the end of lockdown. Italy, though, is still considering its next move. Entering its seventh week of strict measures, with the highest death toll in europe, the country is seeing fines for illegal Outdoor Activity increasing, as people are wooed by the warmer weather. For some, though, the journey through this pandemic may bejust beginning. Russia has registered another sharp rise in infections. Officials say its due to an increase in testing. President putin said the situation was in hand. Translation all levels of government are working methodically, smoothly and responsibly. The situation is under complete control. Perhaps a sign of germanys improved situation as it prepares tentative steps out of lockdown, the country took some unaccompanied migrants from greece. 0verall, virus cases in greece remain relatively low, but some mainland refugee camps have had to be quarantined. And pope francis, too, showed a small sign of emerging from lockdown himself, delivering mass at an empty church away from the vatican for the first time in more than a month. His message was that selfish indifference was worse than the virus, warning that the recovery from covid i9 should not leave anyone behind words many may consider, as europe ponders its next steps. Reged ahmad, bbc news. The uks education secretary Gavin Williamson has said he cant give a date for when schools in england will reopen. During the daily downing street news conference, he denied reports that the government hoped to send children back to class in a few weeks time, and added that there were no plans to open schools over the summer. Mr williamson also said the government would provide laptops and internet provisions to some disadvantaged children to help them keep up with their school work during the crisis. Labours Seema Malhotra is the shadow minister for employment and an mp in west london. She has led similar initiatives within her constituency and has called on the government for national solutions. Shejoins us now live. Seema malhotra, i understand there isa Seema Malhotra, i understand there is a scheme in your constituency called connecting kids at home. How does it work . We started it two weeks ago after head told me that they were sending schoolwork to children who didnt have access to the internet, so a local charity and slow promise partnered up with the cancer education partnership, the consortium of head teachers, to start a scheme where computers, la pto ps, start a scheme where computers, laptops, i pits that can be used are donated by public members and are cleared down, reset and given to schools to give to those children. Its a very targeted scheme because those teachers know who those children are who are not getting access to the internet. I was shocked because, on the first ring round of head teachers, the estimate we had was that there were 1000 schoolchildren in hounslow alone that were not able to get access to their online classroom, and many of those also didnt have access to broadband at home, so there is a huge challenge and, with the demands there are four computers and i pits and technology across the country, including in the nhs, we want to do something local to start to make a difference quickly. Where do you get the laptops and i pits customer donations from businesses or organisations and residents and the first week we had an amazing response, 100 laptops that we expect to be in by wednesday, and we want to be in by wednesday, and we want to encourage businesses and residents to do the same, because many people will have an old laptop 01 many people will have an old laptop or computer at home that they no longer use, if they booked anyone in the family, but every computer donated that helps a child get safely onto the internet is a child thatis safely onto the internet is a child that is going to do better. Kids need laptops but also Internet Connections to connect to the schools lessons. What happens if the parents cant afford broadband . Thats an important point, and its over inequality, because these are families that might well have been able to see their children stay longer at school or to go to the library to do their homework and they are unable to do that now. What iam hearing they are unable to do that now. What i am hearing our kids are able to do their getting frustrated about that, healing disconnected from their school but also disconnected from theirfriends. We school but also disconnected from their friends. We have school but also disconnected from theirfriends. We have to roam that this is an unsettling time for children as well and anything that can be done to help boost their confidence and learning and help them keep up with what they would have been doing in the classroom is incredibly important. We cant afford to see inequality continue to grow while kids are forced to be away from school. I think, on this point, its really important to the government gets together with industry. Its a small price to pay to help industry get children online, and ive heard estimates of around 400,000 children across the country who are in homes without internet access, so a huge challenge. If everyone is connected, when you speak to head teachers, do you get the impression that they would be able to continue online lessons almost indefinitely, for as long as the crisis may last . |j lessons almost indefinitely, for as long as the crisis may last . I have to say, ive been astounded at how teachers and School Governors have really risen to this challenge, because teachers are also, many of them will be vulnerable through other Health Conditions, so they may not have been able to stay in work full time as well. Schools have really innovated so much. They did the best they could to get kids ready to be able to access the online classroom. It isntjust about homework, its about the normal online classroom at home. The initiative Gavin Williamson outlined today with eight National Academies is good but if you dont have access how will you take advantage . That is why labour has also been writing for a number of weeks to get more support for children who are going to be at home. So these things will make a difference but the key thing we have to focus on is that children dont fall behind in their studies because, whenever school opens, they will have to be ready and what we dont want is kids who have fallen well behind their peers because of something that could have changed by government and industry coming together. Thank you, Seema Malhotra mp. Public Health England is to Start Recording coronavirus cases and deaths by ethnicity, bbc news understands. It comes after Research Suggests people from black, asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill with covid 19. Downing street has commissioned an investigation into the issue. 0nly14 of people in england and wales are from these backgrounds. Yet they currently make up 34 of patients in Critical Care units. Dr riyaz patel is a Consultant Cardiologist and associate professor at University College london. He works on the front line in the nhs, treating patients with coronavirus. Dr patel, why might minority patients be more at risk . There are potentially several reasons that this could be the case, and various hypotheses have been put forward. I would break these down into two main categories, and the first is a Socio Economic factor. We know that many black and minority patients come from areas that are very deprived, there is overcrowding in homes, intergenerationalfamilies. There are also people having jobs which operates public facing and at the lower end of the pay scale. All of these factors combined increase the exposure for bame patients for the exposure for bame patients for the virus and potentially they might mean more severe illness. Underneath all of that is the question of health and social inequality, and we know before covid 19 that these inequalities and Health Disparities lead to worse outcomes. With cardiovascular disease and heart disease, we know that the most deprived parts of the populous and suffer the most. Potentially there are also biological reasons. As a cardiologist, what strikes me most is that the most severe illnesses seem is that the most severe illnesses seem to happen particularly in people with high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, and all of these risk factors are very common and prevalent in the minority population. There are other potential explanations, genetic markers and other things like vitamin dand markers and other things like vitamin d and tuberculosis. Those are not clear vitamin d and tuberculosis. Those a re not clear yet vitamin d and tuberculosis. Those are not clear yet but they divide along ethnic grounds. We know if we see this pattern in other developed western countries . In other countries we havent really had the data. We dont have significant data from ethnic minorities. We wait for more data but hopefully in weeks to come we will see more data from other countries. In the us, there is significant data that black African American patients are at significantly elevated risk and are dying much more frequently than would be expected by their population representation. How should the uk go about protecting those in minority communities who might be at extra risk . The first thing is we need to look at more research and really drill down into why this is the case. If we can confirm that this is indeed a real risk factor that needs to be addressed, the first thing we can do is, for example, identifying and targeting all these people who are at high risk, offer them extra protection, and for those who get taken to hospital, we should identify that they might be at risk of deteriorating quite early and keep them closely monitored. Thank you forjoining us. Businesses can apply from tomorrow for a grant to help pay the wages of workers who are being furloughed placed on a temporary leave of absence. The government will fund 80 of wages up to £2,500 a month for employees, to help prevent people being laid off. Money is expected to reach firms within a week. But businesses say the scheme, likely to cost tens of billions of pounds, should go on as long as necessary to prevent future redundances. Heres our business correspondent, katy austin. From Major Airlines and high street retailers to tiny local businesses, its estimated two thirds of firms have put at least some staff on furlough, including this temporarily closed cafe in shrewsbury. We just werent sure if we would be coming back to a job, and then when that was announced, it obviously hopefully means that we can all get back to normality as soon as possible. Livvys boss owns three cafes in all. We employ 22 people. The chance to claim back his furloughed staffs wages from government cant come soon enough. We desperately need that money as soon as it can come through, because weve been paying out from our own savings, thats taken us into the red, and obviously we need to try and recover that money. Thejob retention scheme has been extended by a month until the end ofjune, but business as usual is still a long way off. Key cutting and shoe repair chain timpsons first furlough claim will be for nearly £7 million. Predicting low sales when the shutdown ends, its boss thinks tapered support should continue so furlough doesnt turn into redundancies in a few months time. I wont be opening up every shop on day one. A month after that, maybe it should go down, instead of the government paying 80 , it could be 50 and employers make up the rest, because if we dont have this runway of support, i really fear that businesses will lay off people in their millions. Thejob retention scheme was announced on 20th march, and tomorrow is the first opportunity for firms to make their wage funding claims online. There will be anger from some who are not eligible to be furloughed, but feel they should be. However, take up is expected to be huge, with the scheme costing the government tens of billions of pounds in total. 0ne hr expert says firms should only claim taxpayer funds if they cant afford any other options. Its almost impossible to put in all the checks and balances, there arent the resources, it would delay payments and other things, so we have to trust that businesses are doing the right thing. Businesses have got to weigh up the financial, legal and ethical considerations. The chancellor has said he will keep reviewing the scheme so it supports the countrys economic recovery. Katy austin, bbc news. The governor of new york says the state is continuing to see a reduction in both covid 19 hospitalisations and deaths. Andew cuomo said that all indications are that the infections have passed their high point. He added that the state would now begin aggressive Antibody Testing to identify people whove had the virus. We are going to start in the state of new york with Antibody Testing, which means you test a person to find out if they have the antibodies, which they would have if they were infected with coronavirus. And we are going to do that in the most aggressive way in the nation. We are going to sample people in this state, thousands of people in this state, thousands of people in this state, thousands of people in this state, across the state, to find out if they have the antibodies. That will tell us for the first time what percent of the population actually has had the coronavirus and has now come at least short term immunity to the virus. I want to bring you some live pictures from denver, colorado. There is a small protest outside the state capital. Its called reopen colorado, people who want to and lockdown measures in that state. Elderly people and those with existing Health Conditions are among those most vulnerable to the coronavirus some are isolating without having relatives nearby to help out. In holland on sea, north east essex, michael buchanans been to see how one community is coping. Theyre neighbours and friends. Theyre healthy and active. But theyre lonely. And theyre bored. I know im 88, but, i mean, i can getaround. And ive got clubs and little bingos and i go out a lot, so im missing a lot, really. Pauline greenhalgh hasnt ventured beyond her front door in the last three weeks. Are you scared for yourself . Iam, because, you know, i dont feel i can even go to the doctors. Ive got this pain in my ear and, i mean, ive had pneumonia twice in a year, so i think i might be a bit vulnerable. The residents on this close, in all 18 houses, are elderly and self isolating. Like other pensioners in the area, many moved here from elsewhere, so, their families, children, grandchildren, even great grandchildren often live far away. Well, i need a lot of help, because im on my own. And i lost my husband, so ive got no one to help me. And ive got family, but they live in london. But i have got some friends around, but then they are in the same position as me. Local charity Tendring Eldercare has become a lifeline to the close, and indeed the wider area. Its day centre transformed into a Food Distribution point. This is my office and this is where ive been sleeping for the past couple of weeks. The chairman, 28 year old edward bell, has taken to sleeping here, even spending his own money to ensure people receive help. Very young guy involved in this. Whats the motivation for you . Well, ive always absolutely adored the older generation. I had a lot of elderly great uncles and my grandparents meant the absolute world. And to see clients that we see, it brings it all back to me, because sadly theyve all passed, so its important that we help them, because they cant help themselves. This food parcel, the third the charity has delivered to the close in two days, is for 83 year old ron kant. His bowls games have been cancelled. He doesnt use the internet, so hes trying to create his own entertainment. Boring. Boring, to be honest with you. I go into the garden and mess about in the garden and do two or three things to keep me occupied. And how can i say it, ive got a shoot, what i do, with guns and things like that, pellet guns, and i put the box outside in the garden and have a practice out there, so. He laughs practice with pellet guns . Ive been in the army, so. The area is known locally as gods waiting ground. Almost 40 of the population is over 65, one of the highest proportions in europe. Many of the people on the close have lost their husbands or wives, but for one resident, the lockdown has led to her partner moving in. Since this started, i said, you either stay in your home alone for a few months or you can stay here, and he stayed here. How are you getting on . Lovely you know, we help each other. We got things in the garden he can do that i couldnt do, i cant lift. A kind word, a friendly wave, and a gracious gesture are all helping the close to cope. But like us all, the residents want their freedom back. Just because youve lived your life doesnt mean you dont have a life to live. Michael buchanan, bbc news, holland on sea in essex. Now its time for a look at the weather with nick miller. Hello. Much of the week ahead is looking dry and sunny, though an easterly breeze will at times make it feel cooler then youd think otherwise. And there is enough of the breeze around overnight to stop temperatures falling as low as they would. 0therwise, largely clear, a bit of cloud running in toward southern england. The Channel Islands may squeeze out an isolated shower, and temperatures will fall below freezing. The coldest parts of highland scotland getting down to 5, perhaps a touch of frost in the coldest parts of northern england, especially the further north you are. But for much of the uk, a few degrees above freezing as we start the day tomorrow, any cloud, a chance of a shower towards the far south west will disappear, and then it isjust about across the uk a sunny day, but that brisk easterly breeze does make a difference. These are average speeds, gusts are going to be higher,