This is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. President Trump Defends his handling of the coronavirus pandemic as infection figures begin to stabilise and the us sets out plans to reopen after the shutdown. January 31, not one person has died and i issued a travel restriction from china. Think of it. So, nobody died and i issued. You cant get earlier than that. Frances president announces he will begin to lift the countrys lockdown on may the 11th. The number of deaths in the uk passes 11,000, but the government says the lockdown measures are working. Bernie sanders endorses joe biden for us president as democrats unify against
donald trump. Good evening to viewers in the uk and around the world. President trump has defended the white house use of virus mitigation measures after announcing that us cases have now begun to flatten out. Nationwide, the us has recorded over 570,000 virus cases and 22,000 deaths so far. Well bring you more on that in a moment, but first, some other major developments from the uk and internationally. French president Emmanuel Macron has extended the countys lockdown for an additional four weeks. Measures will now remain in place until at least may the 11th. In the uk, the government has
revealed that virus outbreaks have been detected in over 2000 care homes, including 92 outbreaks in the last 2a hours alone. Six states in the northeastern us have begun to draw up a regional strategy to reopen, with new York Governor Andrew Cuomo saying he believes the worst is over. Spain has seen lockdown measures begin to ease. People in construction, manufacturing and some services have returned to work as new daily deaths continue to fall. Italy has become the second country after the us to record more than 20,000 covid 19 deaths. Its preparing to lift some limited restrictions on tuesday. Back to the us. Top heath expert Dr Anthony Fauci has said that President Trump listened to his advice when he recommended that mitigation efforts should be taken to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Dr fauci made the comments after saying in a separate
interview that lives could have been saved if the country had shut down sooner. The first and only time that dr birx and i went in and formally made a recommendation to the president to actually have a shutdown in the sense of not really shutdown, but to really have strong mitigation, we discussed it. Obviously there would be concern by some that in fact that might have some negative consequences. Nonetheless, the president listened to the recommendation and went to the mitigation. The next second time that i went with dr birx into the president and said, 15 days are not enough, we need to go 30 days. Obviously there were people who had a problem with that because of the potential secondary effects. Nonetheless, at that time, the president went with the Health Recommendations and we extended it another 30 days. So, i can only tell you what i know and what my recommendations were, but clearly, as happens all the time, there were interpretations of that response to a hypothetical question that ijust thought it would be very nice for me to clarify because i didnt have the chance to clarify. Earlier, i spoke to our washington correspondent Barbara Plett usher about why dr faucis comments were controversial and the reason he brought out to speak at the white house briefing. This is based in a New York Times article published over the weekend which went into some detail about the failures of the Trump Administration in responding to the threat of the coronavirus and arguing that it had been incoherent, uncoordinated and that medical experts had urged much earlier on for strict social distancing measures which had been rebuffed. And basically saying the Trump Administration was to blame for some of the chaotic
approach to dealing with the coronavirus. And then dr fauci was interviewed on the back of that and he was asked if there had been action earlier on, would ther have been more lives saved, and he essentially said, yes, that that is logical if we take a stronger mitigation earlier on the more lives would have been saved. And then comments he made after that were interpreted to understand as criticism of mr trump and his actions so so he came out now at the press conference and said maybe the words i chose werent the best words but basically there was a lot of talk about medical experts about the pros and cons of a strict social distancing but the first time i and my counterpart went to President Trump with a formal request, he said yes,
15 days of distancing. And then the second time we went with a formal request, that was the 30 days of a shutdown order and again he said yes. So dr fauci came out and basically sort of defended donald trump and said his comments have been taken out of context and after that President Trump really has used that to kind ofjustify his own actions. He has shown video clips of people praising him and of course taking out the clips of those people who also criticised him and saying that hed done a job that was a good one. There was talk over the last 2a hours that dr fauci could be sacked by President Trump. How much do you think there is a feeling he was pressurised by the white house to come out this evening and say what he said . He denied that, didnt he . He denied that quite strongly actually. One of the journalists said are you doing this voluntarily and he sort of stopped and looked at her and said yes. He said everything i do is voluntary. So perhaps the question youre asking and many others are also wondering, but he does have a strong reputation for decades of dealing
with Infectious Diseases and also of dealing with president s. Six different president s and he has a reputation of speaking truth to power. So that is all standing behind the words he said to thatjournalist. 0n the other hand, you did have a Trump Administration that at the podium you could see was downplaying the risks involved and did take slow steps to order quite strict distancing measures and did quite late respond to the need for various equipment and medical resources. So you have that as well. But it is an interesting drama playing out on the podium today. President macron of france says the country will begin to come out of lockdown in four weeks time. After may the 11th, schools, nurseries and universties will progressively re open. People will gradually return to work, though cafes, restaurants and cinemas will remain shut. The president says it will be possible because there will be enough tests available for anyone showing coronavirus symptoms. 0ur paris correspondent Lucy Williamson reports. After a month, the unthinkable has become the barely thought about. And the extension of frances quarantine restrictions tonight caused little surprise. In a televised address, president macron said there would be no end to the lockdown here for another four weeks. Translation from the 11th of may, we will gradually open nurseries and schools. Its a priority for me as the Current Situation is widening inequality. Too many children, especially in our poorer districts and rural areas, dont have Digital Access and cant be helped by their parents in the same way. Marcel runs several bars, including this one in central paris. Its been very hard, he says. First, they had to close for the yellow vest protests, now for coronavirus. He agrees with a suggestion put forward by frances Business Association that people will need to work more
than usual after the lockdown is lifted to rebuild the economy. Translation i agree, even if it was a bit brutal, itll need effort from all french people. I think if you were to ask everyone to work perhaps one hour more each day, maybe work 40 hours week for a year or two, but then who will pick up the bill . Businesses, bosses, workers . Everyone must make an effort, a war effort. The french finance minister has already said the country is probably facing its worst recession since the second world war, and despite some signs that the crisis here might be easing, tonight, president macron said the lockdown would be extended again. In spain, meanwhile, europes first glimpse of rush hour after covid. Faceless commuters more than just a cliche now. The demand for protection suggesting a certain nervousness. Few of those Wearing Masks already refused the offer of a spare. Construction and manufacturing firms are among those allowed to start work again in spain, but most of the population still remains in quarantine. Italy is due to relax the rules for a small number of firms from tomorrow as its death toll passed 20,000. After the challenge of enforcing national lockdowns, countries across europe are now beginning to face the equally delicate task of how to end it. Lucy williamson, bbc news, paris. The uk government says the country is still not past the peak of the coronavirus emergency and the number of deaths is expected to increase further this week before they may start to plateau. 717 people are reported to have died across the uk from coronavirus in hospital the latest 24 hour period. 0ur science editor David Shukman reports. The grief is personal, but the pain can touch millions. When ann mccook from preston died, her smiling face was shared around the world a source of comfort to her daughter emma, who until the end had been looking at research into her mothers chances. 0n the left, it was how many people had been admitted. And at that point, she was on the left, she was in that figure. But then, when she passed away on the 10th, she was on the right. She was one of the figures of death. And. Its heartbreaking. Because to everyone else, thats just a number, but that number was my mum. And. I dont think people are connecting numbers and graphs and figures to real, living people, people that arent going to come back from this. And emma is desperate, like so many whove lost loved ones, for people to follow the rules. Over the holiday weekend, many usually popular spaces have been much quieter. But because of the impact of the lockdown on the economy, there are constant questions about when the measures will be relaxed. And at todays government briefing, the first secretary, dominic raab, standing in from the Prime Minister, said it was still too early. If we let up now, the virus will only take full advantage. It will spread faster, and it will kill more people. If we refuse to give in to it, if we keep up this Incredible Team effort, we will beat this virus and we will come through this national test. In spain, badly hit by the virus, there is a slight relaxation of the rules. Factories and construction sites are allowed to reopen. Many worry itll lead to a resurgence of the disease, so to minimise the risk, the police are handing out masks. Until now, the world health 0rganisation hasnt recommended this, but it is now recognising that wearing a mask is becoming more normal around the world. Itll become, i believe, a kind of badge of responsibility, along with the other forms of behaviour that are going to be so necessary. So, you would expect mask wearing to become more common . Absolutely, im sure. Its a way in which people themselves can take action, and its also a sign to others that theyre taking this threat seriously. The British Government view is that the best masks must be reserved for Health Workers on the front line, that if Everyone Wants them, supplies will be even harder to find. But more and more countries, including the United States, believe that because people can have the virus without showing symptoms, they should cover their faces. Is it possible that you would change your advice to the British Public about Wearing Masks when theyre out of doors . The evidence on masks is much more persuasive for masks stopping you giving it to somebody than it is for you. Preventing you from catching it. We are continuing to look at new evidence as it emerges, and if theres evidence that looks like we should change our advice, we would do so. In thailand, even newborn babies are being given specially made face shields, an effort to protect them from the virus on the journey from the hospital to their homes. And today, more faces behind the mounting british death toll. Two nurses. Melujean ballesteros, originally from the philippines, died in london at the hospital where she worked just two days after being admitted. And this nurse had spent for 50 years as a nurse after arriving in the uk from trinidad. Age 68, shed refused to retire in the midst of the crisis. Her son described her as a nurse until the end. David shukman, bbc news. As we saw there, in spain, construction and factory workers are being allowed to return to work. The rest of the population must still remain at home. More than 17,000 people with covid 19 have died in spain, but the rate of new infections has been falling. Jake threadgould is a journalist based in madrid, i asked him if this relaxation of restrictions is something new or simply going back to what they were in march. That is about what it is to me. I think when Pedro Sanchez announced the lockdown on the 14th of march, so almost a month ago, these people were still allowed to go out and work, the nonessential
workers who could not work from home and then people who were then told on the 30th of march that actually know you have a stay home at a point when the government was trying to make sure the intensive care units in the country were not overwhelmed by the rising infections at the time so it feels more like sort of going back to the original lockdown rather than stepping or progressing forward into a gradual de escalation of it. The expectation is allowing manufacturing sectors to start working again, construction workers to get back to work on that will help in some way to kick start the revival in the economy again. I think so. Spain is obviously one of the more cash strapped nations of europe, and will be hit particularly hard by any lockdown measures that it put on. They lost 200,000 jobs i think it was last month and the government is preparing a package of 200 billion euros to try and keep the economy afloat so i think it is definitely on Pedro Sanchezs mind that he has to at some point get the engines revving again for the country. Whether it is too soon
is a gamble he will have to take at this time. How much support is there for the government in the way in which they have dealt with this . It has caused a bit of a stir. I think even some of his Coalition Partners were kind of wary as they were trying to urge him to be kind of flexible as he saw an uptick of infection rate for him to be able to immediately go back on the new decree. And its obviously being opposed quite strongly by the leader of catalonia who has come out completely against it, as well as other parties. So i think it is a bit of a political as well as sort of a government and health gamble there for sanchez. 0k, thank you, jake, in madrid. Stay with us on bbc news. Still to come, the parents of one of the nurses praised by borisjohnson for helping to save his life say they are exceptionally proud of their daughter. Pol pot, one of the centurys greatest mass murderers, is reported to have died of natural causes. He and the khmer rouge movement
he led were responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1. 7 million cambodians. There have been violent protests in indonesia, where playboy has gone on sale for the first time. Traditionalist Muslim Leaders have expressed disgust. The magazines offices have been attacked and its Editorial Staff have gone into hiding. It was clear that paulas only contest was with the clock. And as for a sporting legacy, Paula Radcliffes competitors will be chasing her new world best time for years to come. Quite quietly, but quicker and quicker she seemed just to slide away under the surface and disappear. This is bbc news, the latest headlines donald trump has angrily defended his handling of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States which has killed 22,000 americans. Frances president announces he will begin to lift the countrys lockdown on may the 11th. The World Health Organisation has warned against the early lifting of restrictions imposed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Its director general said easing measures too quickly could lead to a resurgence in cases as the virus spreads very rapidly, but is slow to decelerate. While covid 19 accelerates very fast, it decelerates much more slowly. In other words, the way down is much slower than the way up. That means control measures must be lifted slowly and with control. Mr tedros also said the who would be updating its advice on tuesday for countries
who are considering lifting lockdown measures. To support countries in making these decisions, who will tomorrow be publishing its updated strategy advice. The new strategies summarise what we have learned and charts the way forward. It includes six criteria for countries as they consider lifting restrictions. First, that transmission is controlled. Second, that Health System capacities are in place to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact. Third, that outbreak risks are minimised in special settings like Health Facilities and nursing homes. Fourth, that preventive measures are in place in workplaces, schools and other places where its essential for of people to go. Fifth, that impartation
risks can be managed. And sixth, that communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to adjust to the new norm. Turning to us politic