Alive, they are isolating, we cannot necessarily be one of them and say thank you in the way that we will would have hoped today. thank you in the way that we will would have hoped today. I think its very harder generation finds itself in harms way again on this anniversary. I talk to a 99 year old sas veteran. He is isolating at home, he told me 75 years ago, he met up with the soviets trying to get him to think petrol from their engines to celebrate. I spoke to him, he was talking about it being another challenge he has faced over his long life. Its pretty remarkable. Thank you for bringing that alive. Thank you very much for joining us here on the 75th anniversary of ve day. We will have plenty of coverage and we will have more remarkable people to sweetie over the course of the afternoon on bbc news. To speak to over the course of the afternoon. Scotlands first minister Nicola Sturgeon is giving her daily government briefing. Lets get all the very latest details from edinburgh. Iamjoined i am joined today by ian livingstone, chief constable of Police Scotland and professor ian leach. We are starting a bit later because of the commemorations for ve day. At 11 oclock, with members of oui day. At 11 oclock, with members of our armed forces here, i observe the two minute silence, im sure many of you watching at home did the same. Or that the 75th anniversary of ve day, scotland remembers all those who lost their lives during the conflict. We think of all the men and women who serve at home and abroad, we give gratitude for the incredible legacy of our one war ii generation. Their sacrifices ensured the freedoms that we enjoy today. The challenges they face lane is of course a very different to the ones we face today, we are not fighting a war. We should nevertheless raw strength and inspiration from their example. They show to the necessity and value of personal sacrifice for the common good. They demonstrated the common good. They demonstrated the resilience of the human spirit and what ability to overcome adversity. As we pay tribute to them for the bravery, dedication and idealism that they showed 75 years ago, wes also thanked them for the inspiration they give us today. Our challenge may be different, butjust as they did then, we will overcome it. There are a few items i want to cover today. First, as i always do, i will update you on some of the Key Statistics in relation to covid i9 in scotland. As of nine oclock this morning, there have been 13,149 positive cases confirmed, that is an increase of 200 25 cents yesterday. A total of 1584 patients are in hospital with the buyers, either confirmed or suspected, that is a decrease of three mike from your city. A total of 84 people were last night in intensive care with confirmed or suspected covid 19, thatis confirmed or suspected covid 19, that is a decrease of two since yesterday. I can confirm today that since the 5th of march, a total of 3016 patients who had tasted positive and has been hospitalised have been able to leave hospital. I wish them and all the family as well. U nfortu nately wish them and all the family as well. Unfortunately though, i also have a report that in the past 24 hours, 49 deaths have been registered of patients confirmed as having covid 19. That is that of the deaths in scotland to 1811. As i was, i boast stress that these numbers are not just was, i boast stress that these numbers are notjust statistics, they represent individuals. Human beings whose loss as a sort of grief to many people. I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who is grieving a loved one lost to y wide us, our thoughts are very much with you. I want to thank our health and care workers. Last night, i joined in with the applause at eight oclock. That has become a very important moment of our weekjust 110w. Important moment of our weekjust now. Just one small, albeit symbolic, but nevertheless important gesture in which we as a country can show deep gratitude for your extraordinary efforts. Before i move onto the main item today, i want to provide a very quick update on elbow Testing Capacity, which is important 110w Testing Capacity, which is important now but becomes even more important as look ahead. Since i updated last week, our Testing Capacity within the National Health service has risen by more than 2000. With the capacity from the Lighthouse Laboratory at glasgow university, that brings scotland boss mike total Testing Capacity to know over 10,000 Testing Capacity to know over 10,000 test a day. We expect that number to exceed 12,000 tests a day by this time next week. We should remember that we started at the outset of this coronavirus outbreak with a capacity of 350. This is a significant step forward and i want to thank everyone who is playing their part in making that progress possible. The main issue that i want to talk about today is the decision i communicated to you yesterday to extend the lockdown for a further period while of course keeping the situation under on the going, indeed daily, and review. Yesterday, iwith the first ministers of wales and northern ireland, spoke to the prime minister. I reiterated that scotlands lockdown british agents will stay in place for now. I think there was a recognition and not call that form that for nations may move together. The spread of the viruses thatis together. The spread of the viruses that is necessary to suppress it. We would of course continue to coordinate our planning and messaging as far as possible. I think that is helpful and welcome. In line with that, i confirm the only change we are considering in the immediate term is to the guidance on outdoor exercise. I mention that yesterday and it will give you a further update on that over the weekend. I also emphasise the importance, in my view, in maintaining a very clear stay at home message and the Scottish Governments intention to do so for the immediate future. That decision is based on our assessment of the evidence on what we think is right for the protection of people in scotland. As i said yesterday, we are not yet confident that the all r rate is far enough below one, in fa ct, rate is far enough below one, in fact, we think the r rate here in scotla nd fact, we think the r rate here in scotland may still be a bit higher than in other parts of the uk. That is why sticking with the lockdown measures at the state is so important. It is key to driving down infection rates and driving down the r rate. That in turn is a prerequisite for what we all want to do, that is begin easing the restrictions. For now, my message to you remains of the same. You must stay at home, please stay at home. Except for essential purposes such as exercise or buying food or medicines, you should not be going out. If you do go out, you should stay more than two metres from other people and should not be meeting up with other people from other households. You should wear a Face Covering if youre in a shop or public transport, you should isolate com pletely public transport, you should isolate completely if you or someone else in your household her symptoms. I know how difficult the symptoms are and i know they will feel especially tough over the long weekend when the sun is out. However, im very confident that the vast majority of you will continue to comply with these rules. After all, you have been magnificent over the past few weeks. By doing the right thing, you have helped howes to make really significant progress, and i know that you will not want it, any more than i do, to prove that progress away at this stage. I am joined prove that progress away at this stage. Iamjoined by prove that progress away at this stage. I am joined by the chief co nsta ble stage. I am joined by the chief constable who will say a little bit more ina constable who will say a little bit more in a moment about compliance and how these restrictions are being enforced. I want to take this opportunity again to thank all of the Police Officers and staff who are helping scotland through this crisis you are all doing a difficultjob what crisis you are all doing a difficult job what you crisis you are all doing a difficultjob what you are doing it exceptionally well and i am hugely grateful to each and every one of you for that. None of us, including me, iwant you for that. None of us, including me, i want lees rejection is to be in place for a minute longer than they have to be, but we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent to get virus. My easing restrictions prematurely, we were at risk and do all the progress we have made and alarmingly wide widest spread out of control, that would cost lives. We need to comply with these restrictions, it remains our best chance of can seem to slow this disease, protecting the nhs and of saving lives. Finally, ourto disease, protecting the nhs and of saving lives. Finally, our to cover concerns of the Economic Impact of covid 19. This morning, i chaired the cabinet subcommittee on the economy. As usual, one of the key themes discussed was support for our businesses. We are determined to do everything we counties helped scotla nd everything we counties helped scotland ins businesses through this crisis, a crisis not of their my kitten. Yesterday, we launched a new loan fund for house builders, it is aimed at small, medium size firms facing liquidity problems. We know smaller house firms have been hit by the temporary hold in construction activities. This will help others to ease cash flow problems that they have and help to safeguard jobs for the future as we work with the Construction Industry to look at a safe restart of their activities. Today i can announce further support for further today i can announce further support forfurther support for today i can announce further support for further support for the businesses. Over a week ago, we lodge a £45 million new pivotal Enterprise Resilience funds. We lodge. That will provide grants to small and medium size businesses that are potentially vital to our future economy and local areas, which have been made vulnerable by this crisis. We have on the receipt ofa this crisis. We have on the receipt of a significant number of applications, today i am announcing we will double the size of that fund to £90 million. That is a direct response to feedback from business and it is part of our commitment to ensure that every penny of consequential funding ensure that every penny of consequentialfunding coming ensure that every penny of consequential funding coming from ensure that every penny of consequentialfunding coming from uk government decisions is passed on to support the economy here in scotland. I hope it demonstrates our determination to support businesses who are suffering through this unprecedented crisis. I want to close today by reiterating my main message, which is about the importance of staying at home. I know it will be tempting to think that this weekend, after so many weeks of lockdown, we cant allow ourselves perhaps one little slip. You might even think given recent unhelpful news headlines, that have already these are and they are somehow less at stake. I want to emphasise to you as strong as i possibly can today about, that is absolutely not the case. The risk remains too high for us the ease up now. If we do, all we would do, as well as put lives at risk, is delay the moment when we can start to see that using. The one time you ignore the guidance, i want you to remember this, could be at the time that you get infected with the virus, or it could be at the time that you pass it onto a loved one knowing it. So please do not throw away all of your good work. Dont put your or your loved ones at risk. The fact is, these restrictions are working. They are helping us to slow the spread of the wider so we do to stick with them for a bit longer. By doing that, it is no exaggeration to say that, it is no exaggeration to say that we will save lives, we hasten the day when we will return to some semblance of normality. As i said earlier, personal sacrifice for the common good is a lesson we can learn from those whose courage 75 years ago we are remembering today. I want to thank all of you for making the sacrifices you are making right now and for doing the right thing. I hope you all stay safe, i do hope in these most trying of circumstances, you have the best possible weekend. Iam going you have the best possible weekend. I am going to ask the chief co nsta ble i am going to ask the chief constable now to say a few words before i head over to professor leach. Good afternoon from the beginning of this emergency, policing has an important supporting role to play in helping the National Effort to combat coronavirus. Police scotlands response and the service will be assessed against three things. Ill be work of our officers and staff to support physical social distancing contributes in some way to reducing the mortality rate in scotland. Secondly, whether through our actions we can maintain, possibly even enhance, they are very strong relationship of trust policing has with the public of scotland. Firstly, in doing this, we protect the health, welfare and safety of all our officers and staff and their families. Thirdly. What we have seen in scotland today is that communities have stepped forward collectively and as individuals to do their duty to help each other. I want to acknowledge and highlight in particularly significant sacrifices which children and young people are making during this important stage of their lies with many Milestone Events arising. Of their lives. This reflects the fact that my officers and staff our experience and high levels of cooperation and consent from our fellow citizens. As policing does our part to support the application of what i acknowledge as our very respective measures on personal freedoms. We have seen some early indication for independent Service Commission by the Scottish Police authority that Public Confidence in policing in scotland remain scotland during this time and is perhaps even higher than it had been prior to this emergency. Going forward, we will continue to value the trust of the public and support them during these difficult days. I am extremely grateful for the public support for policing. It is my plea today, underlining what the first minister has said, for everyone to continue to exercise self discipline, commitment and common sense which has thus far served is all well. It is essential to protect the National Health service and to save lives. Please stick with it. The first minister discuss how things may change in the future when it isjudg safe to do so. We do not know exactly where any changes to come, what they will be or how they will be viewed. What i can tell you is that the Police Service of scotland will continue to act with courtesy and common sense and in line with our values to public service. As i have explained previously, i have commissioned an independent expert assurance led by a leading human rights lawyer, to better understand the effects of the emergency legislation and our communities and help us to discharge our duties consistently and fairly. At the remains crucial that everyone right across the country continues to play the part. Stay home, stay safe and follow the guidance. Officers will remain visible in communities across scotland i may speak with you to explain restrictions, and encourage you to adhere to them. Where necessary, and bluntly as a last resort, we will e nforce bluntly as a last resort, we will enforce the law. At the same time, i wa nt enforce the law. At the same time, i want to reiterate that Police Scotlands remains are to support and help our fellow citizens to keep them safe in all aspects of their lives. Sadly, for some people, the stay at home guidance makes close to a greater risk of abuse, harm and neglect. I know that private spaces, indeed virtual spaces, are not always safe spaces for everyone. If you need police assistance, if you need our support or intervention, or if you are concerned about someone else contact us and we will help. We are here 24 hours a day you to support those in need, to support those who may be vulnerable, and to ensure fairness in the rule of law. Police scotland officers and staff are working around the clock, at times, putting himself in harms way to respond to coronavirus and day to day policing demands. I reiterate my respect as chief constable add my thanks for all that they are doing and will continue to do. I ask you, the they are doing and will continue to do. Iask you, the people they are doing and will continue to do. I ask you, the people of scotland, to please continue to Work Together during this emergency. It isa together during this emergency. It is a shared mission for everyone in scotland to reduce the spread of the virus, protect each other and save lives. I thank you for your forbearance and your commitment. Stay home, look after yourselves, look after each other and look after your families. Thank you. Professor leach, if you want to conclude . The public applause every thursday night allows communities to come together up allows communities to come together up and down the country to show their value and appreciation we have in our health and social Care Services across scotland every day. Today, i wrote to say an additional thank you to everyone who is working in the nhs and social care. Working today, a bank holiday, too can all get the treatment we need, this includes staff in hospitals and care homes, gp practices, given to pharmacies and income into settings where they are providing care to people in their own homes. These nhs that cannot spend their day with their loved ones because they are working to take care of us. We should recognise and thank them for that. The nhs is open and there for you. Please do not ignore early cancer signs and symptoms. Do not delay getting checked. If you or anyone in your house or notice a rapid deterioration in health, seek help immediately. Please do not ignore the Early Warning signs of serious conditions such as heart attacks, stroke, asthma or diabetes. Immunisation appointments are a legitimate reason to leave your home. Now, more than ever, vaccinations in children and pregnant women should be up to date. Alba child immunisation programmes continue and we urge parents to take their children to be vaccinated. So that they can be protected against a very serious disease, including meningitis and measles. Statistics tell us there is nowt more Public Confidence in going to hospital or a gp practice to beauty than a few weeks ago. Reassuringly, less people would now delay going to the hospital or route going to the gp like mid april. But attendance levels are still lower than normal. In the week beginning 26th of april, the numbers attending casual two was 15,000. We need urgent cancer affair are down significantly, but have improved. At their lowest, they were 7296 improved. At their lowest, they were 72 down, the recent data suggest they are now 59 down. So if you need to see your gp, then you should call. If you need your community pharmacist, you should go. If you wa nt pharmacist, you should go. If you want to speak to your midwife, committee nurse or Health Visitor about something worrying you, then call. If you need help out of hours or if you have covid symptoms that we re or if you have covid symptoms that were or last more than seven days, then call 111. Of course, if you have an emergency, then called 999 and the nhs will be there for you, just like it is everyday. All of this information is therefore you ought nhs inform doctor scotland. This information is therefore you ought nhs inform doctor scotlandlj ought nhs inform doctor scotland. now go tojournals ought nhs inform doctor scotland. now go to journals who are online to ask questions. Donna mccaskill, the chief executive of scottish care has express care that home care workers and having to travel long distances to be tested, men of them dont have cars, is there something you are aware of and what will be Scottish Government be doing to address that . I have read the comments from Donald Mccaskill earlier today, we work very closely with scottish care. They Health Secretary is not with us today, but she has said for that she talks to donald on a regular basis so we look to pick up these issues i addressed them as we go along. On testing in particular, home care workers are employed by the nhs and social Care Services, therefore, they should be tasted within the that Health Boards have not required to travel long distances. We consider looking to travel long distances. We consider it look into making sure that particular issues raised are addressed. When we will book a test, which key workers can do through the online portal, are then directed to one of the drive through centres. They will be allocated to the drive through centre closest to their own postcode. Clearly, for some people, that can involve more distance than others. It is also why with the assistance of the military, we are trying to get mobile testing centres entered communities as soon as possible. The Central Point is that for home care workers, that access to testing should be available through that local health board, which avoids the need to go to a there are which may be some distance away. We have been told by two different organisations in the last 24 hours that not all the care home staff are eligible are going for testing. That is because their marriages are so worried that f may be 50 of staff test positive, they will have two self isolate. There seems to be a trade let in symptomatic, positive staff is less risky than most staff looking after residents is that i am just wondering what you make of that, given the numberof wondering what you make of that, given the number of people still dying in ourcare given the number of people still dying in our care homes. It is not myjob to criticise the media and i dont want to be read as that. But any concerns raised via the media, please make others aware of these things as quickly as possible, even confidentially what kettles you are talking about so that we can image at look into it and try to rectify these issue. I will hand over to jason in a second. One of the many things we have been learning and developing on or around a while is asymptomatic people and the likelihood of them spreading the virus. We do now test some people who are asymptomatic, we have always taken care to who are asymptomatic, we have always ta ken care to stress who are asymptomatic, we have always taken care to stress that the test we use we know it is most reliable when somebody has stamped and symptoms. If there is a care home with an outbreak, all residents and staff will be tested. On the point of not wanting staff to be off work. If somebody has the virus, even if they are not asymptomatic, they should not be at work because light increases the risk of transmission. We do not think that people who are asymptomatic may be able to spread the virus to others. As the Health Secretary has said on many occasions before, we are working with care home providers to make sure that if they have staffing difficulties, then through the returners and its stu d e nts then through the returners and its students that we have had volunteer to come in to help, we can provide staff to cover that. There are already nhs staff working in care homes where that is necessary. Somebody should not be at work if they have the virus because that is a worry that his staffing. Safety and reducing the spread of this virus is the absolute priority, that is why we have put arrangements in place to help care homes where necessary. Studio we will leave the briefing there from scotlands first minister for now. The message could not be clearer from nicola for now. The message could not be clearerfrom Nicola Sturgeon, making it Crystal Clear that it is too early as far as she is concerned to loosen the restrictions, to listen the rules around lockdown. We must stick to the rules, listening those guidelines will risk weakening what we have achieved so far. A very interesting, all of that tying in with the politics of other lists at the moment. Some are suggesting that different nations of the uk are seeing things slightly differently. The fighter is they did refer to what she described as unhelpful recent height lines, which might have suggested there is a bit way listening on the way. As rightly first minister there. Nicola sturgeon is saying that the risk remains to how to listen the rules. You can go out for an element of exercise and to go out to buy food or medicine but there cannot be a general listening yet of the rules says Nicola Sturgeon. Very interesting all of that, of course, borisjohnson will be making a statement on sunday evening. More on that and we will talk to our correspondent in scotland about that after that like at. Now its time for a look at the weather with tomasz. Many of us marking ve day today outside and on the front doors, in the balconies, in the gardens, perhaps just a walk. The weather is mostly behaving itself but there are a few heavy showers looking around, also the possibility of a thunderstorm. So do not be surprised if it is sunny out and then the heavens open. It is a very warm afternoon, in fact, in london, up to 24 degrees, 21 in the midlands, even hitting 20 degrees in newcastle. Some showers may linger into the evening, perhaps the odd thunderstorm. After midnight, it does dry out and the skies clear. Then our focus is to the north of scotland, here we are starting to see a big change in our weather pattern, a cold front is approaching bringing change to northern scotland on saturday. Increasing winds coming from the north, very cold winds, rain and even mountain snow. Stornaway, 10 degrees, glasgow is still at 18 degrees, to the south of glasgow, it still feels like summer. For some of us, sunday will not be a great day. Cloud, perhaps some rain and pretty cold winds. Saturday night into sunday, the cold front sweeps across the country, chilly northerly winds, particularly a screamer down the north sea coast. Rain early in the day. Then there are really gusty cold winds. They will be a big temperature drop because the air has come all the way from the polar regions. We are down into single figures in some areas, a huge drop in newcastle and in london, you really will feel that chill on sunday and monday. Monday, cold winds are blowing off the north sea coast, norwich feel particularly chilly, temperatures only around ten degrees on monday. That chilly weather will continue for the first half of the week, from around wednesday, thursday, it does tend to warm up and those winds will be easing as well. Thats it for the first half of the week, from around wednesday, thursday, it does tend to want what and those winds will be easing as well. Thats it from me, enjoy your day. This is bbc news. The headlines. The prince of wales has led the uk in remembrance as locked down communities fell silent for two minutes to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in europe. Victory in europe was announced on this day in 1945 by the prime minister, sir winston churchill. Winston churchill this is. Your victory in all our long history, we have never seen a greater day than this. The red arrows flew over central london,