To world news today. Severe restrictions on movement are in force in several european countries, as governments struggle to limit the spread of the new coronavirus. To limit the spread the president of the european commission, ursula von der leyen, has annonced measures to pool resources among member states. In spain, a state of emergency is now in force to protect residents from what is the second biggest outbreak in europe, after italy. There are nearly 8,000 reported infections in spain, with almost 300 deaths. 0ur correspondent Damian Grammaticas is in madrid and a warning, you might find some of his report, particuarly the start, distressing. Shes gasping, grief stricken, and infected with the virus. Last night, in this hospital, her husband died. Today, doctors have told her to go home. There arent enough beds to treat her shes not sick enough, not yet. Around her, trying to calm her, are her children, now at extreme risk too. They warn us to wear masks, keep a distance. Spain is in the grip of the virus. Everywhere, its close at hand. Milagros tells me the medics working double shifts are overwhelmed and fearful of being infected themselves. Translation its so hard, you go home and you cannot get close to your child or your husband, but its what we have to do. And this is that frustration boiling over. Dont come to the hospital if your symptoms are mild, the doctor says. People have to stop flooding emergency rooms. And so, spain has ordered everyone off the streets. Madrid, a major European Capital silent. The police tell anyone they see to go home. Unseen, the virus is propagating, and also the anxiety. So, this is what happens when a country really starts to fear the threat posed by the virus. This is part of madrids financial district, and take a look down here, one of the biggest avenues through the city. Just two days ago, this was thronged now, almost empty. Youre only allowed out to buy food or go to work. Petrol stations are one of the few places that are open, and people have to keep a distance. But spain was slower to do this than italy. They should have put up the measures before because, i mean, were neighbours. It was impossible not to. It was going to spread to here, so. And last night, this happened. Applause, all across spain, to thank the countrys doctors. They came out of their clinics forjust a few minutes to acknowledge the gesture. Then got back to work, trying to save hundreds more from succumbing to the virus. Damian grammaticas, bbc news, madrid. In france, polling stations have closed in the first round of local elections a poll that went ahead despite lockdown measures to restrict Public Contact and contain the spread of coronavirus. But while france was voting, it was also announcing new coronavirus measures, including a reinforcement of the border with germany. So far, 4,500 cases have been confirmed in france, and 91 people have died. Lucy williamson reports from paris. Bars, restaurants and schools are shuttered across the country. Museums and cinemas are locked. The only places still open are essential services. Grocers, chemists, newsagents and polling stations. The decision to continue with the first round of this election, in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic, was reportedly questioned until the last minute. Metal railings were installed in polling stations to channel voters along specific routes. Tape markings on the floor kept them a metre apart from each other. Gloves and hand sanitiser were provided. And voters were asked to bring their own pens. But theres a feeling among some people here that the government is sending mixed messages. Turnout by Late Afternoon was sharply down, and some doctors have been advising people not to go and vote, for fear of catching or spreading the virus. In a weeks time, the Government Faces the same decision again the second round of this vote is due next sunday. But what was seen by president macrons party as a chance to establish itself across the country is now viewed by many here as a chance for coronavirus to do the same. Lucy williamson, bbc news, paris. Merci beaucoup, messieurs dames. Italy has reported 368 more coronavirus deaths, a new one day record. Lombardy the countrys worst affected region accounted for 252 of the total. Nationwide, the total death toll is more than 1,800. Elsewhere in europe, germany is the latest country to announce new restrictions. There will be checks at its borders with austria, france, switzerland, denmark and luxembourg. 0ur correspondent, jenny hill, has the latest from berlin. Weve just had the latest official figures released here. They show that nearly 5,000 people have now tested positive for the virus, and 12 people have died. You heard a little bit there about the controls on some of the german border. And there are some exemptions but, by and large, unless youve got a good reason for travelling in and out of the country, you wont be able to, as of eight oclock tomorrow morning. The exemptions, of course, include people bringing goods in and out of the country, people who can prove that theyre commuting for work purposes. But as you heard the interior minister saying, there is a sense too from the government that they know that the real crisis has yet to come, and i think were starting to see more and more measures being put into place as a result. Groups are springing up around the world to help faciliate offers of help after the hashtag neighbourhoodkindness started trending online. The campaign aims to match people with more vulnerable neighbours who need groceries or medicine, or a phone call to check on, to ease the Mental Health burden of isolation. Timm 0pitz is from the german Group Solidarity network, based in cologne. It is quite easy, we just have a leaflet where we are offering we can go to help to go to shops and the supermarket, we can help to take out a dog or get the medicine. And we also think that it is necessary to help workers who are not allowed to leave their working place, to support them with their children. We have to start at a single place and thenit have to start at a single place and then it has to spread. We at Solidarity Network are organised in several cities in germany and we can see that at least on social media, they are organising a lot of groups, thousands of people who are ready in groups, facebook, like corona help. And we think its something that eve ryo ne and we think its something that everyone can do in their own house and their own building. And, yes, its necessary and its possible for everyone. Lets turn to the uk now, where 35 people have died, with nearly 1,400 infected. Unlike france, spain and italy, the uk hasnt ordered widespread closures or quarantines and hasnt closed its borders, leading some to question if the government is moving fast enough. But the government has said that in the coming weeks, it will advise people over the age of 70 and those with Underlying Health conditions to stay at home to protect themselves from coronavirus. Mark easton with the latest. The centre of leeds today, as the government warns we may be just weeks from asking britains elderly to go into self imposed quarantine. To protect those most vulnerable to the virus, ministers plan to encourage more than 10 million pensioners and those with respiratory conditions to consider isolating themselves for what may be several months. We do not want formally to say yet that people should do that, and the reason for that is simply this length of time that theyd need to stay self isolated, stay at home, to protect themselves, is a very big ask, its a very long time. Some Nursing Homes are also restricting visits, but what if you are caring for someone in their home . The Health Secretary says britain will need an army of volunteers. Every Single Person in this country is going to be affected and going to have to do things. If you are healthy and they are healthy, then please go and help them. The plan is based on reducing infections while increasing nhs capacity. This is how the virus may spread without interventions. Advisers hope the peak of the virus can be delayed, allowing time for the Health Service to free up more beds and train the staff and to source more equipment. 0perating theatres with their supply of oxygen may be used as emergency wards. There are not nearly enough medical ventilators in britain for those whose lives may depend on them, so the government is asking Engineering Companies to switch resources to making as many of those as possible. Ministers dont want to spread panic along with the infection, but they do want to prepare the country for some very difficult days ahead. Mark easton, bbc news. Some breaking news on efforts to combat the Economic Impact of the virus the Us Federal Reserve has cut its Interest Rates to near zero. Its also announced co ordinated action with the Central Banks of canada, the uk, japan, switzerland, and the European Central bank. Us Officials Say theyre working to improve waiting times for health screening, after chaotic scenes for returning travellers at some american airports. The trump administrations decision to include the uk and ireland in its european travel ban comes into effect on tuesday. For more on the us level of preparedness, lets go to david blumenthal, president of the commonwealth fund, an American Healthcare research foundation. Thanks very much for being with us. How ready and how prepared is the us . Im afraid we are not very well prepared. We are Getting Better prepared. We are Getting Better prepared but at the moment, we are not well prepared. Why is that, what needs to happen . First, we need to be much better at testing. We are way behind the rest of the world in implementing a testing regime. We also have in our Public Health capacity for years and that leaves us capacity for years and that leaves us ill prepared for a Public Health catastrophe like this. So what needs to happen now, what are the big step she would put in place . Well, as i have been listening to your broadcast, it sounds like we are in line to do things that are being done elsewhere. We need to reduce public gatherings. We need to have people stay at home to the extent that they can, especially our elderly. And we need to test so we know the extent of the virus. We need to prepare our Health Care Institutions for a coming flood of patients needing acute respiratory care, especially intensive care units demanding and needing mechanical ventilation. And what is it about the way the Us Health Care system is setup that might make more challenging . Well, we are very decentralised, fragmented, localised health system. Our state local authorities have enormous control over what happens locally. And we have, we dont have the kind of centralised government direction and control that you have through the nhs, or that the french have through their system. And that leaves us much less prepared to react in a unified and quick fashion to these kinds of threats. So that is the kinds of threats. So that is the kind of systemic challenges, what about the politics and the political will, what do you make of that . Well, it does seem like we have been slow at the federal level to realise the need to put in place a National Testing regime to provide the leadership that is necessary on that score. And to provide the funding at the federal level that is necessary. We know just yesterday the federal level that is necessary. We knowjust yesterday had the president to declare a national emergency, which makes it possible to mobilise some resources. But in the meantime, since january, when the meantime, since january, when the epidemic raised its head, became clear, we have been very slow to prepare it for what is coming. And just finery, and briefly, we need to remember the us is very rich. It is poorer countries presumably that will be hit even harder. Absolutely. We are very fortunate to have the number of intensive care unit beds and the number of hospitals we have and the number of hospitals we have and the number of hospitals we have and the number of highly trained Infectious Disease experts for the developing world, for the less well off world, this is really a potential catastrophe of enormous magnitude. Thank you very much for your time magnitude. Thank you very much for yourtime and magnitude. Thank you very much for your time and for speaking to us, we appreciate it, david. Stay with us on bbc world news. Still to come. Community spirit, how the threat posed by the coronavirus is encouraging people to look after each other. This is bbc world news today. The latest headlines. In spain, a near total lockdown is in place, with strict rules on who can leave their homes. Theres been a spike in deaths from the virus. France has also reported a jump in coronavirus deaths, but local elections still went ahead. Well report from paris. Straight to the united states, donald trump speaking. It is really great for our country. It is something that we are very happy, i have to say this, i am very happy, and they did it in one step, they didnt do it in four steps over a long period of time, they did it in one step. And i think that people in the market should be very thrilled and that brings us, we are the strongest country in the world by far financially and every other way. And that brings us in line with what other countries are. They are actually, they have negative rates. But we got it down to potentially zero. So that is a big step and im very happy they did it. And youll not hear anything bad about me u nless not hear anything bad about me unless it is about a month or two from now. So i congratulate the Federal Reserve, i think it is terrific. It came out as we spoke, i wasnt going to mention Federal Reserve or anything else, but this came out as we were walking up. I wa nt to came out as we were walking up. I want to thank google and Google Communications because they substantiated what i said on friday. The head of google, who is a great gentleman, called us and he apologised, i dont know where the press got their fake news, but they got it someplace. As you know, this is from google, they put out a release. And you guys can figure it out yourselves and how that got out andi out yourselves and how that got out and i am sure you will apologise. But it would be great if we could really give the news correctly. It would be so, so wonderful. Ijust had a phone call with a very impressive person, the biggest in the world, in the world of stores and groceries. I will give you the names. Dave clarke. Whole foods. The ceo of Campbell Soup company. Brian cornell, ceo of target. The chairman and ceo and president of heidi. The ceo of general mills, a great company. The president of cisco. Ceo of costco. Ceo of publics supermarkets. Dani king comet ison foods. The chairman and ceo of cargill. The ceo and chairman of kroger, a big company. Ceo of warm up. He has been fantastic. Douglas was here on friday and he watched the market go up 2,000 points, it went up almost 2,000 points, it went up almost 2,000 points on friday. The ceo of magdala general corporation. Dollar general. These are all phenomenal and Great Companies and we had a long conversation with them. And they are going to work 2a hours round the clock, keeping their stores stocked. I would like to say people shouldnt go out and buy, we will all be great, we will be so good. Look at what has happened with the fed, it is phenomenal news. What is happening with these incredible companies is phenomenal news. You dont have to buy so much, take it easy, just relax. People are going in and they are buying more. Rememberjoin the conversation, dog of warm up said they are buying more than they buy at christmas. Relax, we are doing great doug. It will all pass. The people we spoke to, they have done a fantasticjob and they have done a fantasticjob and they will meet the needs of the public. They are going round the clu b public. They are going round the club if they have two and they are committed to the communities where they are serving and which they serve so they are serving and which they serve so beautifully and have for a long time and they are buying a lot of additional things to sell. But again, they actually have asked me to say, could you buy a little bit less, please . Ithought to say, could you buy a little bit less, please . I thought i would never hear that from the retailer. All of them are working hand in hand with the federal government, as well as the state and local leaders to ensure food and essentials are co nsta ntly ava ila ble ensure food and essentials are constantly available and they will do it, we have no sir shortages other than people are buying anywhere from three to five times what they would normally buy. It is going to be there for a long time. We are doing numbers and there is a pent up demand that is incredible. When this passes, when this goes through, you will see numbers, i think, i predict, i guess i am allowed to predict just think, i predict, i guess i am allowed to predictjust like wall street people are allowed to predict and they are pretty much an agreement you are going to see a pent up demand like a lot of people, including me, havent seen before. But this has to get through. They know they are getting through the crisis and they will require all of america and that is very important, they are committed to remaining open during this crisis, they have to stay open. Those stores have to say open, they supply our country, our supply trains in america are the most powerful in the world and they are working very hard, around the clock, and the stores are stocking up clock, and the stores are stocking up at clock, and the stores are stocking upata clock, and the stores are stocking up at a level that is beyond christmas time. It is great. It was very reassuring speaking to these people, they have it totally in hand. There is no need for anybody in the country to hoard essential food supplies. They said to me, could you please tell them, just go and buy and enjoy it, have a nice dinner, relax because thats plenty. You dont have to buy the quantities because its hard to refill the stores on a basis as rapid as they are refilling them. And we are using the full power of the federal government to defeat the coronavirus and we will do whatever it takes and we are doing i think really, really well. A lot of good things are going to happen. I want to thank all of the people standing behind me. These are phenomenal people. And we have some of them right over here. But the people behind me had been working round the clock and they are doing an incredible job. Working round the clock and they are doing an incrediblejob. We see working round the clock and they are doing an incredible job. We see what is happening and going on in other countries. We are looking, we are learning from watching other countries, frankly. There is a very contagious virus. It is incredible. But it is something that we have tremendous control over, i think very importantly, young people and people of good health and groups of people of good health and groups of people just are not strongly affected. Elderly people that are not well in certain respects are really a very dangerous group, we have to watch them and protect them very much, we have to really watch over them and protect them because they are very vulnerable. And if it is ok, aint going to go and make some calls. Talking about Federal Reserve, it is a tremendous thing that took place just now, i didnt know i would be surprised on a sunday, i dont know if that has ever happened on a sunday before. I would think a lot of people on wall street are very happy and i am very happy, i didnt expect this and i like being surprised. 0ur Vice President is doing an incredible job. He is going to take over and i will see you probably tomorrow. Thank you very much. Well, thank you, mr president. And good afternoon. With more than 2900 cases of coronavirus in 49 states across the country, i want to assure the American People that this administration, all of our partners at the state level and local Health Officials have no higher priority than the health and safety of the american public. At the president s direction, we will continue whole of government approach and we will continue to build on whole of america approach to confront the coronavirus. Across country. The Health Experts continue to confirm to us that based on the latest information, for the American People asa information, for the American People as a whole, the risk of serious illness remains low. But because the risk is. That is mike pence, the Vice President , giving an update from washington at the white house, saying that there is no higher priority than the health of americans. Earlier, we heard from donald trump, the president , giving his reaction first to that news that we brought you about 20 minutes ago, the cut in Interest Rates in the us to basically zero. And his reaction was that people in the markets should be thrilled. Then he said, im very happy. Donald trump very pleased with that economic attempt to mitigate some of the effects of the coronavirus. He said he had a phone call with big store owners in the us and said he wanted to pass on a message to people to buy a little bit less and to relax. We will have plenty more of that of course. Stay with us here. This is bbc world news. Thank you for your company, goodbye. The chances are that you will see some sunshine a little bit later in the morning and the afternoon. This is the Weather Centre that has been approaching us in the last few hours, it has brought wet weather to parts of scotland, Western Areas as well. This is the rainfall in the early hours of sunday across parts of wales, the south west. We have south westerly winds here, so not cold, around nine or ten, the wind is blowing out of the north in scotla nd is blowing out of the north in scotland so a little bit colder here and cold enough for wintry weather the hills of scotland and the mountains. The forecast for sunday suggest that rainfall will linger perhaps into the afternoon across the south east and east anglia, but the south east and east anglia, but the majority of the country is in for a fine day. The sun eventually comes out in places like birmingham, liverpool, york, newcastle and said fine weather there on the way for many parts of northern ireland. And central scotland. Monday, we see two areas of weather. 0n the one hand, and High Pressure building in from the south west, but also a low pressure is sending out a weather front in our direction. High pressure will be more dominant across the uk on monday and that means calm winds and possibly seems like this outside of town. So a bit of mist around with some frost across many parts of england and wales, may be used in scotland. But in the north west of the country, a different story. Low pressure influencing the weather, stronger winds, perhaps gale force in the Western Isles and some outbreaks of rain. But the majority of us, a fine day on monday. That weather front moves through monday night into tuesday and it will introduce again cloud and possibly some rain across the west and the north west of uk. A bit messy cloud amounts on tuesday, a bit of cloud here. But more especially in the north west of the uk. The further south and east you are on tuesday, the better the weather will be. And very mild, i4, 15, 16 degrees. Towards the end of the upcoming week and into the weekend, it looks as though the weather will settle down with High Pressure building. A lot of sunshine on the way. The headlines. In the last few minutes the Us Federal Reserve has cut Interest Rates for the second time in less than two weeks. The Us Central Bank said the coronavirus outbreak posed risks to the Economic Outlook and that rates were coming down to a quarter of i . In spain, a near total lockdown is in place with strict rules on who can leave their homes, but there has been a spike in deaths from the virus. As the european death toll from the virus rises, the continents largest economy germany has announced border controls with its neighbours, france, austria, switzerland, luxembourg. And south korea