Good morning, hello, im Victoria Derbyshire with you this wednesday morning, 2a hours into this partial lockdown how are you doing . Welcome to bbc news. Let me bring you the latest headlines. Stepping up the fight against coronavirus a huge makeshift hospital is to be opened in london but theres a stark warning from these a e doctors. We are seeing patients in their 20s, patients in their 30s. We dont know what the outcome of some of these patients will be. They will go to intensive care, they may be in intensive care for some weeks. In some of them will die. And its completely heartbreaking and harrowing. Overnight 170,000 people answer the governments call
for a volunteer army to help tackle the crisis thats 3 a minute. In times like this, as the chief medical officer has already said, we see outbreaks of altruism, people wanting to help. So its a wonderful response, in the same way that all those doctors coming back, nurses saying they will come back, i am bowled over by it. The government resists the pressure to stop construction work saying it should continue if it can be done safely. In scotland, the first minister says sites should close. The government is considering the Early Release of some prisoners in england and wales, to ease the pressure placed onjails by the pandemic. Boris johnson will answer questions from mps at midday in whats expected to be the final session of Prime Ministers questions before parliament is likely to shut down this evening. India goes into a three week lockdown. 1. 3 billion people nearly a fifth of the worlds population have been told to stay home. And well be answering your questions about the virus and staying fit and healthy with two doctors a gp and a Global Health specialist in around half an hour. Good morning, this morning id like to ask you is your boss expecting you to work when you dont think you should be working either because you dont believe its safe or you dont think your work is essential . Do message me on twitter, vicderbyshire, or email victoria bbc. Co. Uk. And were going to talk to the childrens commissioner for england who has worries during this partial lockdown about children who live in homes
where there is Domestic Abuse. Lets take a look at some of the latest developments. Around 170,000 people have already signed up to help the nhs tackle the virus outbreak, just hours after the Health Secretary called for an army of volunteers after yesterdays pictures of a crowded London Underground the mayor has just reported that tube travel in the capital today is down by a third compared to yesterday, and bus travel is down by an additional 20 . Called the nightingale, the nhs is to treat up to 4,000 patients in a temporary Field Hospital at the excel Exhibition Centre in east london. Prime ministers questions will be taking place this afternoon, but following that, parliament is expected to be suspended for at least four weeks. There are plans to release some prisoners in england and wales to help ease the pressure caused by the pandemic. And the government
is facing growing calls to stop non essential Building Work to help tackle the spread of the virus. Lets have a look at the latest advice from the government. The latest government Restrictions Mean you can now only leave your home for very specific reasons. They are to shop for basic necessities, like food and medicine. You can go outside for one form of exercise a day, alone or with members of your family all gatherings of more than two people are banned. You can leave home for any medical need or to care for a vulnerable person. And finally, you can travel to and from work, but only where absolutely necessary, and if you cannot work from home. You can find out more about the symptoms of coronavirus and how to protect yourself, thats all on the bbc news app and also on our website, bbc. Co. Uk news. With the latest on the uks response to the coronavirus, this report from charlotte rose. We have all of these people who are incredibly critically unwell and people are dying alone, people have no company. A stark warning from those on the front line. Three Junior Doctors from a London Hospital want people to take this illness seriously and to warn the rest of the country whats coming their way. Patients in their 20s, patients their 30s. We dont know what the outcome of some of these patients will be. They will go to intensive care, may be in intensive care for some weeks and some of them will die. And its completely heartbreaking and harrowing. Warnings too from families who have seen what covid 19 can do. Sushilas 73 year old father, michael, died on sunday after contracting the virus. He had underlying conditions but wasnt diagnosed until he collapsed and was rushed to hospital. He was in hospital in intensive care in a coma for a week. Prior to that, he was at home ill, with what they suspected was pneumonia. We are all going to be totally fed up with having to stay in, for sure. I know i definitely am, but we need to be looking at italy which is quite terrifying. But they are really struggling. Shops have been shut and the streets are almost silent, after the Prime Minister told uk citizens to stay at home. Yet there is still confusion as to who should be going to work and who shouldnt. Change here for piccadilly line. Pictures of packed tubes prompted the Health Secretary to give this advice. I want to be clear that where people absolutely cannot work at home, they can still go to work. Indeed, its important they do to keep the country running. Key workers for example, in the nhs, social care, pharmacists and medicine supply chain should go to work unless, as weve said before, theyre self isolating. In the daily press conference, mr hancock said construction work could continue. But in scotland, Building Sites are being shut. Shadow chancellorjohn mcdonald said the governments approach was irresponsible, dangerous and self defeating. As hospitals across the country prepare for a surge in cases, the government has announced its creating a new temporary hospital at the excel Conference Centre in london. The nhs nightingale will provide an extra 4,000 beds specifically for coronavirus patients. The army is being brought in to run the centre alongside nhs staff. The government is also calling for an army of 250,000 volunteers to support the health service. The battle against this virus is ramping up. Charlotte rose, bbc news. This morning weve been told that there has been an incredible response to the call for a quarter
of a million volunteers. A staggering 170,000 people have got in touch overnight to offer to help. We have seen incredible responses throughout this. This is a health emergency, as the government has said. We can all play a role in ensuring we get on top of coronavirus. And at the same time, that we expand capacity in the nhs. Yesterday we sent out a call to arms for an army of nhs volunteers, looking for 250,000 volunteers. 0vernight, we have already had 170,000 people signing up. Thats three a minute signing up to help the nhs. It is an astonishing response. I think at times of crisis, people come together. The vast majority of people in the country are doing what the government has asked us all to do. Its important everybody does that. Because that is what will save lives. There are vast numbers of people looking to help neighbours, Vulnerable People who live close by. So, no, it doesnt surprise me at all. In times like this, as the chief medical officer has already said, we see outbreaks of altruism, people wanting to help. It is a wonderful response, in the same way that all those doctors coming back, nurses saying they will come back, i am bowled over by it. The mayor of london. Sadiq khan, has said that early data from tfl, which runs the capitals Public Transport network, suggests that tube travel by passengers is down by a third compared to yesterday with a 20 fall in bus passengers. But some london commuters have again posted photos on social media showing packed tube carriages this morning, saying that many people on the trains do not appear to be key workers. The mayor has been criticised by some for reducing Tube Services too much, forcing people to cram onto fewer trains. But mr khan says nearly a third of tfl staff are now sick or self isolating. With me now is our assistant Political Editor norman. He is at home. Good morning. So, parliament is going to break up a little bit early for easter . It is. Imean, little bit early for easter . It is. I mean, parliament has been scaling down for some days now, with fewer mps in the chamber, fewer boats taking place, people trying to self distance. But it is going to close tonight, once they have emergency legislation through. It was meant to close next tuesday, so it is shutting up shop a week early. It will come back on april 21, about four weeks away. The signs are that it may not come back in the usual manner, there may be a limited number of mps who come back. It matters, obviously, because we are in hugely Uncertain Times and there are many, many questions that have to be asked about the governments handling of the crisis. That will be harder to do because mps wont be
there. I suppose, harder to do because mps wont be there. Isuppose, you know, we harder to do because mps wont be there. I suppose, you know, we have seen that already with a lot of questions in the past 2a hours over the position regarding construction workers, who are still pretty much being left to go into work if their bosses are convinced that they can ensure they are two metres apart. A lot of construction workers are saying, how on earth do we do that . We travel in together, we work close, next to each other. There are a lot of questions about their safety. There is also a real issue, i think, about the tube system. This morning, the communities secretary, robertjenrick, was defending the governments stance. A number of employers have concluded that they cant follow the Public Health england guidance, and are choosing to close down their sites. In some cases, they are doing so over a short period of time, so those sites remain safe, and that is the right thing to do. But if you or your employer believe that you can continue to operate safely, within those guidelines, then it is sensible for you to do so. I think it is worth remembering that there are some functions within the housing and construction
industry that are absolutely essential to all of us. Keeping building safe, ensuring essential maintenance is done to peoples homes and workplaces. Where are we with the number of tests being done . This is a huge issue that hasnt really dominated the headlines in the way that construction workers have. But perhaps it is the most important issue. Some leading scientists and epidemiologists are going to be questioned this morning by the Science Select Committee of mps. We are way off the pace when it comes to testing. The amount of testing we are doing is pretty much the same as we we re are doing is pretty much the same as we were doing about a week ago. In other words, there hasnt been the ramping up that the Health Secretary has promised. We are still testing around 5000 each day. And we know
the government promised to increase up the government promised to increase up to 10,000, going up to 25,000. The Prime Minister suggested 250,000. We are nowhere near that, and it is a huge issue because those countries who have got on top of this in asia, like south korea and so this in asia, like south korea and so on, their strategy has been to test, test, test, and then Contact Tracing people who have coronavirus have come into contact with. It is a week since the who issued their advice to test, test, test, and we are not at the races. Although matt hancock has repeatedly talked about ramping up the number of testing, talking about buying more tests, they are not available at the moment. It is a real priority. They are not available at the moment. It is a real prioritylj wa nt to moment. It is a real prioritylj want to ask, finally, about people self employed. I have so many m essa 9 es self employed. I have so many messages from self employed people, including those from david metcalfe. My including those from david metcalfe. My wife is a self employed hairdresser, 100 of her income has gone, with no indication of
government help. Now, helpful self employed people is coming, we hear, we are told, when . Help for self employed people. Hear, we are told, when . Help for selfemployed people. My best guesses it is moving towards the back of the week before we get any announcement. We all know the problem is, it is difficult to assess how much the self employed are earning. Difficult, but it requires a lot of mental brainpower on the behalf of the treasury to come up with a scheme that doesnt mean very wealthy self employed people, i dont know, celebrities and the like, dont suddenly get bucketloads of state cash. You have to have a means of ensuring the cash goes to the deserving. Some people have suggested may be the way to do thatis have suggested may be the way to do that is you have a uniform, flat rate for the self employed. And then you strip out a means testing, because if you earn over, i think somebody said if you had over £6,000, you would not be eligible. There is all sorts of nitty gritty
to be worked out. In terms of timeline, i would expect a proposal and announcement at the end of the week. When it will be implement it . Well, that could still be several weeks away. Thanks, norman. Good to talk to you. Norman smith, at home. Some prisoners could be released early to help alleviate the pressure caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Prisons in england and wales have been placed on lockdown, as thousands of staff are off work because they are ill or self isolating. 13 inmates have tested positive for the virus. The outbreak has also led to tight restrictions on visits to jails in scotland and Northern Ireland. With me now is our Home Affairs Correspondent danny shaw. What is the situation in prisons at the moment . Well, the justice well, thejustice secretary described the situation yesterday as acute. You have a problem injails whereby they are already overcrowded, many prisons. So, if you are trying to isolate prisoners
who have got symptoms, or who have been confirmed to have the virus, but i dont have to go to hospital, then you are going to run out of spaces, you are going to run out of safe 5 pa ces, spaces, you are going to run out of safe spaces, wings that can be used. So, mr buckland is now considering some kind of Early Release. In addition to this, you have the problem of staff. 3500 prison staff we re problem of staff. 3500 prison staff were off yesterday, self isolating 01 were off yesterday, self isolating or showing symptoms of the virus. So, again, youve got problems of stretch in terms of resources. That is why they are considering some possible Early Releases. Thank you very much. Danny shaw, Home Affairs Correspondent. A grandmother who went to hospitalfor a gallbladder operation is believed to be the first british person to die by catching coronavirus. 80 year old Marita Edwards passed away in hospital on friday. Her son, stuart loud,
says his mum was fairly fit and had no Underlying Health problems. He hopes her death will make people follow the new government restrictions to stay at home. Stuart loud joins us now. Im really sorry to hear about the loss of your mum. Tell us about her . She was just an amazing lady. You know, a normal grandma, mum, happy go lucky lady. She enjoyed life, fit and healthy. Up to the point she went into this operation. As far as you know, she contracted coronavirus in hospital, after that gall bladder operation . Yes, we were visiting, as normal, like a normal family would. That was for a couple of weeks previously. And then she took a turn for the worse, her
breathing was quite laboured. I spoke to the nursing team and i was very concerned about this. Eventually, she was tested, swabbed for coronavirus, and that was confirmed on thursday the 19th that she was positive for it. How did you react, is a family . We were all shocked and absolutely beside ourselves. We asked how things went forward , ourselves. We asked how things went forward, and what happened next. U nfortu nately, we forward, and what happened next. Unfortunately, we were told that mum was not a good candidate for being put on a ventilator. Unfortunately, if that was the case, then they would not be able to take her back off the ventilator, and that was a decision we were able to make, we agreed if that was the way it was, thatis agreed if that was the way it was, that is the way it was. We had to watch her pass away. When you were told she was not a good candidate for a ventilator, what does that
mean . Well, the way it was explained is that if she was allowed to go into a ventilator, she would not be able to come off the ventilator ever, it would kill her to come off it. So, it was obviously very serious. Some people are going to contract corona and not get a ventilator is, they will not get the ca re ventilator is, they will not get the care that they need. It was explained that she was not a good candidate for this. Do you think she should have been tested for coronavirus earlier than she was . M is my belief that this was contracted in the hospital. She was suffering with shortness of breath, laboured breathing, at least a week earlier. I wish now that i had pushed for an earlier test, yes. When she was labouring with her breathing, what did the medics say they thought was wrong with her at that point . Because she had been in a hospital bed for nearly three weeks at that point, it was the fact that she wasnt moving around, she hadnt had any exercise, she had been running a fever and was not eating properly. So, we all assumed that it