coronavirus infections stop falling and begin to level off, and there's a rise among some pupils in secondary school. behind—the—scenes access to a company in wrexham which has taken on the mammoth task of preparing almost all of the uk's supply of astrazeneca jabs. and the boy whose year—long adventure in his own back garden raises hundreds of thousands for hospice care, earning him high praise in the process. this is bear grylls here, and just to say, well done for all you're doing. what an incredible achievement. hi, max, it'sjonny wilkinson here, and ijust wanted to send you a little message, really, just to wish you well, especially for this amazing thing you're doing at the moment. and coming up on bbc news... england have a big job on their hands if they are to save the one—day series in india, after the hosts set them a total of 337 to win. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. thousands of asda supermarket workers have won a major victory at the supreme court in their battle for equal pay. the court upheld an earlier court ruling that lower—paid shop staff, who are mostly women, can compare themselves with higher paid warehouse workers, who are mostly men. the judge stressed the ruling did not mean the a4,000 claimants had won the right to equal pay but are now free to take further action in one of the largest equal pay claims in the uk. emma simpson reports. it's a legal question that's taken years to answer — can workers on the shopfloor at asda be compared to workers in its distribution centres when it comes to equal pay? the highest court in the land has ruled that they can. this court dismisses the appeal brought by asda. this is clearly a very substantial case for asda, however, the court's conclusion does not mean that those claimants have won their equal pay claim. at this stage, all the court has determined is that they can use the terms and conditions of employment enjoyed by the distribution employees as a valid comparison. that is a big win for the a4,000 current and former asda shopworkers. they say they should be paid the same as their colleagues in the depots, who are mostly men and receive up to £3 extra an hour. we are all so excited about this and it is such a big thing for us. ijust can't put in to words how much this means to me and every other claimant has well, because it'sjust... we never could have dreamt it would go this far, but we've kept going and we've kept fighting and we're going to see it through to the end. asda insists this is only one stage of a complex case, saying... the ripple effects of this ruling could be huge. tesco, sainsbury�*s, morrisons, co—op and next are all defending similar equal pay claims. if ultimately successful, lawyers reckon the overall bill could hit £8 billion for back pay and compensation. it is certainly a landmarkjudgment. the supreme court's decision basically means that companies can no longer rely on the fact that they've got workers in two different places in order to avoid paying them equally. and it is made very clear in the judgment that the purpose of the legislation is to allow these types of comparisons to happen, rather than to try and avoid them. their next legal hurdle is to prove these roles are of equal value, and that there is no material factor which justifies their differences in pay. arguments which may take several years to reach a conclusion. and emma is with me now. you make it clear there, this is just one step in what could be a very long process, but how significant is it? it very long process, but how significant is it?— significant is it? it is significant, - significant is it? it is significant, kate. i significant is it? it is| significant, kate. no significant is it? it is - significant, kate. no doubt significant is it? it 3 significant, kate. no doubt about that. that is why asda has fought this legal battle and lost every step of the way, and it has wound up to the supreme court today to make that final ruling. of course, what we have seen is, equal pay has been a big battleground in the public sector. you may remember the female cleaners and dinner ladies taking action against birmingham city council. now, this has hit the private sector, and this is a very big, high—profile case. but as i said, this could take years to conclude, there is a long way to go. emma simpson, thank you. borisjohnson has said he stands "firmly" with the nine british people including five mps who have been sanctioned by china after they criticised beijing's treatment of uighur muslims. borisjohnson has said he stands "firmly" with the nine british people including five mps who have been sanctioned by china after they criticised beijing's treatment of uighur muslims. it follows measures taken by the uk government on monday over human rights abuses against the muslim minority group in xinjiang province. our diplomatic correspondent james landale reports. china has long been accused of human rights abuses in the north—west of the country. the arbitrary detention of more than a million ethnic uighurs, the forced sterilisation of women. there has been a backlash against western companies, questioning the use of forced labour in cotton picking in the region. and after britain, with america, canada and the eu, announced sanctions on four top chinese officials, beijing has hit back, imposing travel bans and asset freezes on nine british citizens and four organisations. for freezes on nine british citizens and four organisations.— freezes on nine british citizens and four organisations. for some time, certain forces _ four organisations. for some time, certain forces have _ four organisations. for some time, certain forces have fabricated - four organisations. for some time, certain forces have fabricated a - certain forces have fabricated a large amount of lies of the century about xinjiang and used these lies to demonise china and interfere in china's internal affairs. the sanctions — china's internal affairs. the sanctions were _ china's internal affairs. the sanctions were aimed - china's internal affairs. the sanctions were aimed at vocal critics of china, accused by the foreign ministry of spreading lies and disinformation. they are five tory mps, including the former party leader sir iain duncan smith, two peers, a lawyer and an academic, along with campaign groups, some of which have accused chinese officials of genocide. i which have accused chinese officials of genocide-— of genocide. i was elected to chair the foreign _ of genocide. i was elected to chair the foreign airfare _ of genocide. i was elected to chair the foreign airfare committee - of genocide. i was elected to chair the foreign airfare committee by l of genocide. i was elected to chair. the foreign airfare committee by the whole house of commons, opposition and mps alike, and so i view this as and mps alike, and so i view this as a direct assault on british democracy, and an attempt to silence the people the british people have chosen to speak for them. if that isn't an assault on british sovereignty, i don't know what is. borisjohnson said those sanctioned by china are performing a vital role shining a light on the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against uighur muslims and he said we stand firmly with them. irate against uighur muslims and he said we stand firmly with them. we stand in total solidarity _ we stand firmly with them. we stand in total solidarity with _ we stand firmly with them. we stand in total solidarity with the _ we stand firmly with them. we stand in total solidarity with the nine - in total solidarity with the nine individuals who were is today. it is not going to stop them and it is not going to stop the british government speaking up about industrial scale human bites abuses taking place in xinjiang. if the chinese government want to continue with these blanket denials that anything wrong is taking place in xinjiang, the obvious thing for them to do would be to allow access to the united nations. ., ., be to allow access to the united nations. ., . ., , ., nations. today sanctions were not unexoected _ nations. today sanctions were not unexoected but — nations. today sanctions were not unexpected but they _ nations. today sanctions were not unexpected but they mark - nations. today sanctions were not unexpected but they mark a - nations. today sanctions were not l unexpected but they mark a further deterioration in uk china relations and will make the positive trade relationship the government wants harder to achieve. james landale, bbc news. coronavirus infection rates are no longer falling and have begun to level off. figures out today estimate i in 330 people would have had the virus last week. that news comes as wales prepares to end travel restrictions within its borders tomorrow for the first time since december, and self—catering accommodation reopens, but only for visitors from within wales. katharine da costa reports. mass testing in schools is helping to reduce some of the risk of passing on the virus without knowing it. but inevitably, opening up will see more cases. there are signs infections are rising in secondary schools, but it is less clear in primary schools. it's hoped the easter holidays next week will help to slow the spread. the latest survey from the office for national statistics suggests infections have levelled off in england, wales and northern ireland. in scotland, infections have increased. estimates suggest about 197,000 people in the uk had the virus in the week to last saturday, that is one in 130, with little change from the previous week. . , , little change from the previous week. ., , , ., ., little change from the previous week. , ., ., ., little change from the previous week. ., ., ., week. cases are flat now, and if so, then further— week. cases are flat now, and if so, then further opening _ week. cases are flat now, and if so, then further opening could - then further opening could potentially lead to increases, and with the vaccine supply being a bit narrow in april, it also means that we are now slowing the rolling out of vaccines to under—15s, who are often the parents of people in school. a , often the parents of people in school. , ., , ., often the parents of people in school. , ., , ., school. many european countries are now facina school. many european countries are now facing a — school. many european countries are now facing a third _ school. many european countries are now facing a third wave _ school. many european countries are now facing a third wave of— school. many european countries are now facing a third wave of the - now facing a third wave of the virus, with growing pressure to boost vaccine supplies. last night, eu leaders stopped short of banning faxing exports but the european commission insisted manufacturers such as astrazeneca must catch up on eu deliveries before exporting doses elsewhere. ., ., , elsewhere. even if and free trade is in the dna of— elsewhere. even if and free trade is in the dna of the _ elsewhere. even if and free trade is in the dna of the european - elsewhere. even if and free trade is in the dna of the european union, | elsewhere. even if and free trade is i in the dna of the european union, we have to take measures if astrazeneca doesn't deliver the quantities, it is sad but necessary.— doesn't deliver the quantities, it is sad but necessary. here in the uk, nearly _ is sad but necessary. here in the uk, nearly 29,000,001st - is sad but necessary. here in the uk, nearly 29,000,001st doses | is sad but necessary. here in the - uk, nearly 29,000,001st doses have been administered to more than half the adult population. while supplies are expected to dip during april, pfizer's uk medical director is optimistic science will defeat the pandemic. i optimistic science will defeat the andemic. . , .. �* pandemic. i actually think we're winnin: pandemic. i actually think we're winning that — pandemic. i actually think we're winning that race. _ pandemic. i actually think we're winning that race. if— pandemic. i actually think we're winning that race. if you - pandemic. i actually think we're winning that race. if you look i pandemic. i actually think we're winning that race. if you look at what's happening in the uk, dramatic reductions in the death rate, dramatic reductions in hospitalisations, dramatic reductions in the number of cases... now, for the cautious unlocking. from tomorrow, people in wales can travel where they want to within its borders, and from monday, people in england will be able to meet outside in groups of six or two households, but experts warn we will still need to keep our guard up to avoid another way. to keep our guard up to avoid anotherway. katharine to keep our guard up to avoid another way. katharine da costa, bbc news. —— another way. another way. katharine da costa, bbc news. —— anotherway. hugh another way. katharine da costa, bbc news. —— another way. hugh pym joins me now. when we look at the figures today, is there because for concern? kate, health officials and experts have always said, as you begin to start easing lockdown, you are going to get more cases, because easing means more people meet up with each other and there will be more of a spread, and the ons survey, which covers those who have symptoms, and those who don't, it is a random survey, which is regarded as pretty authoritative, shows that around the uk, there has been a levelling off for the first time since late january, and an increase in scotland. scotland's schools started opening up in late february. we had the opening up of schools in england on the 8th of march, and the ons survey suggests that in year seven to year 11, there has been an increase in cases. now, i don't think there should be any cause for alarm here, because you get parents meeting at school gates, you have got more children meeting in schools and then going home, this was to be expected. but it will be monitored extremely closely in the weeks ahead, and we've got gradual easing going on from next week in england, as we've heard, in wales. so, officials will want to know where the data is going. the key point that i think we need to keep emphasising is that there is a break in the linkage between more cases, meaning more people getting seriously ill, because of the vaccines. so, if you look at the daily reported case numbers that come out from the government, they are only falling a very small amount at the moment, week on week, whereas hospital numbers, admissions, are falling quite sharply, and deaths falling quite sharply, and deaths falling even more rapidly. basically, people are not getting so seriously ill. so, i think the jury is still slightly out, but no reason at the moment to think this levelling off is a big worry. hugh . m, levelling off is a big worry. hugh pym. thank— levelling off is a big worry. hugh pym. thank you _ levelling off is a big worry. hugh pym, thank you very _ levelling off is a big worry. hugh pym, thank you very much. - borisjohnson called it a "salvation for humanity", and this year alone it's on track to provide 300 million covid vaccinations to the uk. the wockhardt plant in wrexham prepares almost all of the country's supply of astrazeneca jabs. now, the bbc has been given exclusive access to the plant, and jayne mccubbin went to meet the people working there. if you have had an astrazeneca jab, the chances are it came from this place, in wrexham. laboratories previously heralded by borisjohnson. do you remember what borisjohnson said about your labs? i think he said that this lab could be a salvation for mankind? that sounds good, doesn't it, say it one more time. salvation to mankind. yes! wales! and there is huge pride amongst everybody that works here. 0k, guys, keep it up. carl is one of the newest recruits here. i started back in january this year. you were recruited just to get the vaccine out? just to get the vaccine out. so i'm here solely to save the world. before saving the world, what were you doing? so, before saving the world, i was in entertainment, where i do fire—eating, whip—cracking. so, there's still a bit of excitement. part of history now instead. the wockhardt labs have a contract with government to bottle up any vaccine they send their way. right now it's the astrazeneca jab. the raw materials come in from oxford and keele to this secure area. there is a massive weight of responsibility because obviously we're producing the astrazeneca vaccine for uk distribution, so we know that without us, there's people not receiving vaccination against covid. these guys have the capability to get out 120,000 doses every hour, but the pressure is constantly on to make it faster, and more efficient, to get them out into the population much quicker. we can't talk to you properly because you're super sterile, aren't you? yes. you're actually putting the vaccine in the vials. yes. is itjust another day in the office when you're on these lines, or not? i don't know,it�*s just... you know... it is hard to explain but you know you're doing a really good thing, and it's very, very important, and it's actually quite enjoyable. every vial dawn and her colleagues have bottled end up here to be checked. a0 vials checked automatically every single second. so, the machine is using a total of 15 cameras to inspect a variety of angles of the vial. we can't waste a drop, we've got to get as many in arms as possible. and every arm it hits is making a difference. the uk's covid vaccines have helped to cut hospital admissions by around 90%. jayne mccubbin, bbc news. our top story this lunchtime... thousands of asda supermarket workers win a major victory at the supreme court in their battle for equal pay. kew gardens replace the streets of london as olympic hopefuls take part in trials for this year's games. coming for this year's games. up... delight for chris thompson, coming up... delight for chris thompson, who sealed his spot on the great britain marathon team for the tokyo olympics. along with stephanie davis, he claimed victory in the trials at kew gardens. the suez canal authority has stepped up efforts to free a gigantic container ship that's been blocking sea—trade through egypt since tuesday. dredgers are attempting to remove 20,000 cubic metres of sand to free the vessel. freight transport companies are weighing up alternative routes, which could include a lengthy and expensive diversion around africa. the blockage is estimated to be holding up goods worth £7 billion each day. theo leggett reports. one of the world's busiest trade routes blocked by a single giant ship firmly wedged between the bank. eight powerful tugs have been trying to move it, a special suction dredging machine has been brought in to clear away thousands of tonnes of sand and mud. it's a complicated operation and salvage experts from the netherlands have been drafted in. they have done something similar before in the river elbe in february and february 2016, a similar sized vessel also ran aground in sand and they successfully refloated her after excavating and with the support of tugs. it took six days. giant trafficjams have built up at both ends of the canal with more than 230 ships waiting to get through. container vessels, oil and tankers and bulk carriers all going nowhere. some $10 billion worth of trade normally passes through the canal every day, but the costs are mounting up. the business interruption claims and business interruption cost to companies, to factories, to other dependent industries is going to be enormous. i don't even dare to pick a number right now. the ever given is a giant of the seas, capable of carrying tens of thousands of containers. some of them are meant to be delivered in the uk with the ship scheduled to dock in felixstowe early next month. meanwhile, other shipping companies are considering their options. the suez canal is a giant short cut allowing vessels to travel between europe and asia or the middle east relatively quickly. the alternative is a haul round the southern tip of africa. it can take much longer, use more fuel and cost hundreds of thousands of pounds more, as well as exposing ships to the risk of bad weather and piracy. the blockage of the suez canal has raised questions about the risks involved in sending such huge vessels through such a narrow waterway. but it's also placed a renewed focus on the vulnerability of the global supply chains which provide the goods we rely on every day. theo leggett, bbc news. at least 32 people have been killed and more than 60 injured after two passenger trains collided in egypt. dozens of ambulances have rushed to the scene when two carriages were derailed and overturned. in early findings, the egyptian railway authority has said the accident was due to the emergency brakes being activated on one of the trains, causing the other to hit it from behind. police officers are being given resilience training and extra psychological support because they're facing an increasing number of complex and challenging incidents. rising levels of violent crime and domestic abuse has led to officers needing help to cope with round the clock shifts tackling some of society's biggest problems. our home affairs correspondent tom symonds reports. this is a lifestyle, not a job. a 999 shift, with two met pcs. you said it was a lifestyle, is it a healthy lifestyle? probably not. i think it's been proven that it's going to kill us all in the end, with the shiftwork and the stress and the things that we see. gallows humour, possibly, but concerns increasingly being taken seriously. there's a male hanging around in the square watching children... because crime is changing. fewer burglaries, more social problems, like child protection. there are always some things that you will take home, some things that you will think about for weeks and months afterwards. the man watching children is a false alarm, based on social media chat — something else which adds to the pressure. and then there's mental health. yes, you can toa us, and if you could, send this to les. they are called to check concerns about a woman. we can't show the incident to protect her privacy. but nish, a police officer, has to assess her medical condition... we're getting close to 136 at the moment... ..and whether to take her to hospital under section 136 of the mental health act. it takes a couple of hours. officers say incidents like that are tough to deal with, they're stressful and they're increasing in number. but there's another type of callout which can have a serious effect on the mental health of 999 responders. another stabbing... the call they never want to hear, another stabbing. i'lljust check the other side of the... thankfully, they find no sign of it. i was one of two units arriving first on scene to a man who had been stabbed. mish onlyjoined three years ago. she's gone from being an events manager to on one occasion fighting for her life. we found a pregnant woman had been kicked in the head, the partner was there, with two brothers. and all three of them essentially sat on me and my female colleague. and tell me why you accept that as a person? because i believe in thisjob. it's important, ijoined thisjob to help people and i am willing to sacrifice that if i have to. in return, police forces say they will do more to look after the people on the blue light front line. tom symonds, bbc news, north london. a government scheme to house all rough sleepers at the start of the pandemic has seen large differences across england in the outcomes of those supported. new data shows that in some areas, over 80% of those helped are in longer—term accommodation, whereas in others it is less than 15%. adam eeley reports. this is where i used to live under the 12 months before the pandemic. i used to have a bit of carpet underneath the floor to keep me warm, basically, so the concrete doesn't get through you. i used to have a sleeping bag and a pillow, basically. that was all i had under there. if the pandemic didn't happen i would probably still be living under here now. this is martin, before the pandemic he slept rough under a bridge here in shrewsbury. then a year ago, the government launched a scheme called everyone in designed to ensure all rough sleepers across england would have a place to stay during the pandemic. figures compiled by the bbc show among the top 20 best performing councils, on average 82.5% of those helped by the scheme have been moved into long term accommodation. but in the worst performing councils, around just 13% have had the same outcome. you have to move away from this postcode lottery approach which can mean that people aren't getting what they need to end their homelessness. across england, more than 11,000 individuals still remain in emergency accommodation. paul from oxford is one of them. he says having a place to stay over the last year has greatly improved his mental health. all the anxieties and stresses began to fall away. if tomorrow we were to lose the accommodation, it's back to square one, isn't it? the government has provided unprecedented amounts of funding, not least for example, {4.6 billion of unringfenced funding to allow councils to make decisions locally. martin now lives in privately rented accommodation just a few minutes walk from the bridge he once slept under. it's just opened doors for me, like. i'm now able to work again, if i wasn't here i don't think i would be. when you've got a place to wake up in the morning and you're not on the streets, you've got something to concentrate on, you wake up more positive. adam eley, bbc news. it's not quite a stroll in the park, but olympic trials for the marathon and the race walking events have been taking place at kew gardens this morning. as laura scott reports, it's a far cry from the cheering crowds of the london marathon. a picturesque location for olympic dreams to be made and broken with the botanical reminder of what was at stake. britain's top distance athletes had kew gardens to themselves for the delayed olympic games knowing two automatic spots on the plane were available in each event provided they met the qualifying times. by tokyo, chris thompson will be a0 come of age proved no barrier, nor the sleepless nights after welcoming his first child earlier this week. crossing the line with a new personal best, he was overcome with emotion. i have never had such — he was overcome with emotion. i have never had such an _ he was overcome with emotion. i have never had such an explosion _ he was overcome with emotion. i have never had such an explosion of- never had such an explosion of emotion at the end of a race like that in my entire life. to have a kid and make the olympics this week, i am in cloud cuckoo land. i can't wait to get home and give him a cuddle and say, your dad is awesome. stephanie davis had been the leading contender coming into the race and had already achieved the olympic qualifying standard but she needed to finish in the first two and has ensured she is on the plane to tokyo with a dominant display here. i am really happy- _ with a dominant display here. i am really happy- i— with a dominant display here. i am really happy- i am _ with a dominant display here. i —n really happy. i am going to japan! and a small tv for me today, so i feel like i have achieved what i wanted to achieve.— feel like i have achieved what i wanted to achieve. earlier, callum wilkinson and _ wanted to achieve. earlier, callum wilkinson and heather _ wanted to achieve. earlier, callum wilkinson and heather lewis - wanted to achieve. earlier, callum wilkinson and heather lewis when wanted to achieve. earlier, callum - wilkinson and heather lewis when the walking trails, but not fast enough so second placed tom bosworth, who had the qualifying time in the bank was the only one guaranteed selection. they might have been in one of london's most beautiful tourist attraction is, but this morning there was here only had one capital city in mine. rather than medals, they left with a symbol of what is in store this summer. laura scott, bbc news, kew gardens. congratulations to them and from one achievement to another... an 11—year—old boy who has been sleeping in a tent since the first coronavirus lockdown will have his final night outside this weekend. max woosey, from braunton in devon, is raising money in memory of a terminally ill neighbour, who gave max the tent before he died, telling him to have adventures in it. well max certainly did that and has raised more than £300,000 in the process. he's now encouraging children around the world to take part in a "big camp—out" on saturday night. john maguire went to meet him. do you want to leave your sleeping bag here, because it's going to get soaked? through wind, rain and frost every night for almost a year, max has left the comfort of his house and bedded down in the campus. down under canvas. this was storm bella when his dad, mark, joined him for moral support. it's11 o'clock on boxing day 2020. he's fast asleep. so, it was about 11 o'clock he came in. the tent was going on to my face. oh, no. the tent had blown down? yeah. oh, no. i didn't notice, i was fast asleep. max was inspired by his friend and neighbour, rick, who died last year of cancer and gave him his tent, telling him to seek out an adventure. during his final days, rick was cared for by staff from the north devon hospice, so max is raising money for the charity. max's initiative, itjust could not come at a better time. we are unable to fund raise, our shops are all shocked. our shops are all shut. it is absolutely a lifeline to us to continue our care. at this weekend, as he celebrates one year under canvas, he's calling on children around the world to join him either outdoors or to set up camp indoors. and, he's earned some big—name supporters. hey, max, it's bear grylls here. just to say well done for all you're doing. i what an incredible achievement. hi, max, it'sjonny wilkinson here. ijust wanted to send you a little message, really, just to wish you well, especially for this amazing thing you're doing at the moment. i just can't comprehend that max has done this. and he's done it by himself. so it was his idea. i think the thing with children when they do things is a lot of time we tell them what we're going to do. if they do fundraising, we tell them how they're going to do it and we tell them who they're raising funds for. and this is all off of his own back. what made you think, no, i'm going to stay out? one, i thought of all the money i'm raising. two, i thought, if i accomplish this. and three, i forgot the key, so i couldn't really get in. and he's not ready to return to his bedroom just yet. i think i might carry on for a bit and thenjust see where it goes. see what next adventure i do. he's already raised hundreds of thousands of pounds, which will help families cope with extremely difficult times. night—night sweetie, love you. night, mum. see you in the morning. just a couple more sleeps till maximus. john maguire, bbc news, north devon. time for a look at the weather. here's ben rich. it is not the best camping weather this weekend. for clouds like this, never a great sign if you are sleeping under canvas. we have some pretty impressive shower clouds, this one taken by some