Ambulances queue for more than nine hours to drop patients at hospital. And in the midst of the Pandemic Police in hong kong arrest 15 high profile democracy activists and lawmakers after last yea rs protests hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. Were covering all the latest coronavirus developments, both here and globally. First more than 15 thousand people in the uk have died in hospital from coronavirus with 888 new deaths recorded in the last 2a hours. It comes as the communities secretary robertjenrick said, what he called, a very large consignment of personal protective equipment, or ppe, is due to arrive in the uk tomorrow from turkey. That follows criticism from doctors unions over new advice, that some gowns could be re used. Mrjenrick also said local councils in england will be given extra funding of one point six billion pounds, to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. There will be extra funds for the other uk nations through the barnett formula. Elsewhere, doctors injapan have warned that the countrys medical system could collapse amid a wave of new coronavirus cases. And in spain, deaths from covid 19 have exceeded twenty thousand, making it the third country after the United States and italy to surpass the figure. But first, with the latest in the uk. Heres our Health Correspondent dominic hughes. John coker, a detective constable for British Transport Police who leaves a wife and three children. Retired paediatrician judith darmady, founder of a childrens charity, awarded an obe, who dedicated her life to the care of others. Two of more than 15,000 deaths caused by covid 19. It is hitting families across the country, but the really sad thing for people is when someone dies, they are dying alone. It is a bad way to go. They are feeling alone, probably scared, and their family are not able to console them, not able to know how it happens. And, as someone said, after all of this is over, there are going to be many stories required to be told by nhs staff who were the last people with loved ones as they died. More lives are being saved than lost, but medical staff are worried they are being put at risk because of a continuing shortage of personal protective equipment, ppe, especially gowns worn when treating the sickest patients. As hospitals face the possibility of running out of some kit, Public Health england changed its guidance. Some gowns could be reserved for the most high risk procedures, or staff could reuse washable clothing. And today, a promise that fresh supplies are on the way. 84 tonnes of equipment, including 400,000 gowns. We are trying to do everything we can to get the equipment that we need. We are trying to source more internationally. That is difficult at times. There is a great deal of demand for it. And the security of that supply can prove challenging. But we are making progress bar. But we are making progress there. But medical workers are anxious about where this leaves them. A e doctor nick works directly with covid 19 patients. Back on shift tomorrow, he does not know how much ppe will be available. There are apprehensions about, you know, what might there be, what might there not be, or how much has deteriorated and changed. And especially when we see the news reports now saying that stocks may be close to zero, nationally, it is really worrying, especially being on the front line. We have to do what we do, and it comes with the job. It would just be good if, you know, we were adequately protected. The new guidance is in line with World Health Organization advice, and hospital managers are facing a global shortage of ppe. We have to really focus on what we can do because there is a shortage of gowns. In that situation, following World Health Organization guidelines has to be the way that we go. They are saying that if other stocks are not available, this is the way to go and this is safe to use. The new guidance only applies when ppe stocks are running low. The picture across the uk is mixed. But the patience of Health Care Workers is also in short supply. Doctors injapan are warning that the countrys medical system could collapse because of a new wave of coronavirus cases. Japan initially appeared to have the virus under control but there has been a recent surge and there are now more than ten thousand confirmed cases. Reged ahmad reports. A much quieter tokyo in the wake of the state of emergency declared by the government. Japan had its first recorded covid i9 infection injanuary and, since then, the government has been criticised for not doing enough to prepare for an increase. Now, two medical association say the outbreak is reducing japans ability to treat other serious medical emergencies, even strokes. It is understood one patient with a fever was turned away by 80 medical facilities before he was accepted by a tokyo hospital. Like many countries, doctors are complaining of a lack of protective equipment too. Critics have taken aim at the Prime Minister, saying he has delayed restrictions in favour of the economy. Shinzo abe says he is trying to effectively reduce people to people contact. Translation people out on weekdays in city areas like shibuya in tokyo have been reduced by about 60 . In umeda in osaka, its been reduced by about 70 . But we have not yet reached our target level. Japan is facing a new wave of infections, and with it, a push to increase relatively low testing levels. It now remains to be seen if the country has done enough quickly enough to protect its medical system and head off a major outbreak. Councils across england will receive anotheri point 6 billion pounds in additionalfunding from the government as they continue to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement from the local government secretary came after Council Leaders warned they may have to consider extreme measures to cut costs. This report from our political correspondent, nick eardley. Closed, like many parts of the country. Councilfacilities have been shut, starving local authorities of cash, just as they face extra pressure to pay for things like social care, and to support vulnerable communities through the crisis. This afternoon the government said it would make extra money available for councils in england. Today, im providing an additional £1. 6 billion of new funding to support councils. We are backing councils to make sure Vital Services such as adult social care, children services, support for the most vulnerable, and waste collection, continue, despite the increased pressures. There will be extra cash to spend in scotland, wales and Northern Ireland, too, but money is being spent quickly. Council leaders say a similar amount of emergency funding announced last month has already gone. Everyone will have spent the First Tranche of cash in one or two months, and i dont think anyone thinks this crisis is only going to last a certain amount of time so councils will start to either go bankrupt or will have to start heavily rationing services. This is another reminder of the massive Economic Impact the shutdown is having, both on individuals and communities, and the bill the government is facing is mounting, with huge amounts of money already promised to businesses and to try and keep people injobs. But with those extra pressures on local authorities, and fears that some wont be able to pay their council tax compounding the funding problem, some fear the extra money announced today will not be enough. The streets being cleaned this afternoon may be quieter but important local services continue. In one way or another they have to be paid for. Well we can speak now to leader of Greenwich Council danny thorpe. How is your council coping and where would you use the new funds that the government is allocating . But we wa nt to government is allocating . But we want to encourage is the same as any. Protect the Vulnerable People in our communities so we can make sure that the nhs is protected and we can make sure that those essential services are being provided and have come under incredible strain in these past five weeks. We also trying to support local economies that we know are really struggling with the impact of this crisis and trying to get that money out to support them as quickly as possible so that we can save jobs and boost local economies. This is great news today that this money is coming, but this means we can keep going for another couple of weeks and where we can see up and down this country is so essential we are fighting back against this crisis. Germs across the country, was the situation in greenwich we have homes to he may care homes, and we support the effective discharge of patients out of the hospital and ensured that the impact on the local hospital is as minimalas the impact on the local hospital is as minimal as possible and obviously haveissues as minimal as possible and obviously have issues with supplies and protective equipment. We have businesses that help us with that immediately and i think clearly we are working with everyone in the system to make sure that everyone is doing their bit and we know that testing remains an issue and my colleague is doing a lot of push forward and getting testing right in getting that in significant numbers really help the wider sector. Its got ones because parks was subject to fund extra enforcement patrols when there is good weather . Absolutely. For someone who does not have a garden or balcony, ive been making use of my local parks and ive been out in the park and last weekend in the hot weather, we had a significant enforcement operation in place to help with the social distancing. If at the close off parts of the river path, which we do not want to do at all. But in this crisis and to ensure that social distancing is maintained that pressured does not build on the nhs, we had to do that and clearly, warmer weather and we will see more of that and theres a whole range of services that we have also been involved in providing just this week alone, packages are to families in greenwich, Valley Community hub centre in the past five weeks along to the Community Hub in greenwich and a 20,000 phone calls of people asking for help. So it is really is asking for help. So it is really is a phenomenal response that we are seeing but it demonstrates how important local councils and local properly funded Public Services are to this country. They also talked about the importance of allowing families to attend funerals. Is that something that greenwich is already able to organise . Absolutely yes. In relation to our services, like many other councils, we have at the limit the number of mourners to five. If increase that to ten and recognise that this is a really awful consequence of this whole pandemic and restraint of thinking greenwich will become out of this, what we may do and to properly honour and pay respect to those people who have not been able to have that ending in the appropriate way. It is the simplest things. What about rubbish collectors . Things. What about rubbish collectors . Was able to go to work oi collectors . Was able to go to work or do you have to hire in volunteers . Our Waste Services still functioning in the thing that i really love about this is just how well received they have been. We have residents leaving notes in rainbows and signs on their bins and i hope it continues because as the secretary of state said today, it is oui secretary of state said today, it is our work forces locally, those Council Workers that are the unsung workers of this crisis and of course, we have staff absence issues in the same way that everyone is experiencing it up and down the country as more people contract this virus, but im really proud that we kept the Services Going and im really proud of just kept the Services Going and im really proud ofjust how valuable they proved to be the residence and greenwich across the country. Thank you so greenwich across the country. Thank you so sure greenwich across the country. Thank you so surejoining us. Vladimir putin has warned russians that, as the number of coronavirus cases rises, covid i9 continues to pose a high risk to his country. Russia has seen its biggest daily increase in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, up nearly 5 thousand from yesterday. Our moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg has this report. Rarely has moscow felt so calm. Bells chime. So quiet. So empty. In lockdown, a city of 12 Million People so peaceful. But not everywhere. On the edge of moscow, ambulances queue outside a hospital thats treating covid i9. The crews had to wait more than nine hours to bring in their patients. This is a Health System under pressure. At another facility, doctors are preparing for their shift in the coronavirus ward. With moscow the epicenter of the outbreak, the hospital is already overcapacity. But its head doctor is used to emergencies he was a paramedic in chernobyl. Translation the pressure on us has increased. Were getting around 150 new patients every day. Were not at breaking point yet, but were getting close. When georgiy got sick with suspected coronavirus and was struggling to breathe, twice he called for an ambulance, but none came. The system was overloaded. Translation when i did get to hospital, it was like watching a Conveyor Belt ambulances constantly coming and going, bringing in new patients. The strain on the system is close to catastrophic. I decided to go back home. Most of the patients were sicker than me. But coronavirus isntjust a medical challenge. It is a political one too. In the 20 years he has been in power, Vladimir Putin has never faced the challenge of this magnitude. A virus, an invisible enemy that is totally threatening lives, but the entire russian economy. And with it, the image that Vladimir Putin has been keen to cultivate, mr stability. The epidemic has already forced the president to postpone the annual may ninth victory day parade on red square. Huge celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the end of world war ii now on hold. And in moscow, the lockdown is tightening. To use a car or public transport, you now need a digital permit. The aim, to slow the spread of the virus by keeping more muscovites off the streets. Now away from coronavirus 15 prominent members of hong kongs Democracy Movement have been arrested for organising illegal protests last year, in whats being seen as a fresh attack on Anti Government activists. Britain has expressed its concern over the arrests, calling the right to peaceful protest fundamental to hong kongs way of life. Earlier this week beijings most senior official in the city called for a new security law to deal with dissent. David campanale has more. Its the biggest crackdown on the Democracy Movement since the outbreak of mass protests last year. Those detained in a coordinated swoop by the police include several who have, for decades, been important figures in hong kongs campaign for greater freedom. Among them, the 81 year old barrister martin lee, known in the territory as the father of democracy. Translation i am proud to have had the chance to walk along our road to democracy with hong kongs excellent young people. The publishing tycoon jimmy lai was also arrested. He runs the apple daily newspaper which is frequently critical of the hong kong and Chinese Communist leadership. The detentions relates to a series of Anti Government protests last year. The first of these was attended by 1. 7 million hong kong citizens. The authorities have not said why it is the high profile figures, among them former members of the legislative council, who have been targeted for detention. Peaceful protest is protected in both the joint declaration between britain and china and the basic law. But Hong Kong Police maintain that the rounding up of the suspects is simply the impartial application of the law. Translation they were arrested on charges of organising and participating in Unlawful Assembly at Hong Kong Island and kowloon on the 18th of august, the ist of october and the 20th of october 2019. Before the coronavirus outbreak, hong kong had witnessed almost weekly demonstrations for greater democracy and less control from beijing. Over recent days, chinese officials seeing the city have been making increasingly belligerent noises. Some think beijing is worried about losing ground in local elections later this year. In this climate, it is hard not to see this coordinated series of arrests as anything less than a warning of beijingss intention to tighten its grip on hong kong. A global concert to support Frontline Healthcare workers and the World Health Organisation to raise funds for equipment to help fight the spread of the coroanvirus is being televised and live streamed around the world. The one world together at Home Features a range of musicians performing from their homes. The pre show for the gig, which has been pulled together by lady gaga, is currently underway, while the main event takes place later. Among the artists who will perform are the rolling stones, stevie wonder, billie eilish, Paul Mccartney and the concert pianist lang lang, who spoke to us earlier. The musicians were talking about, they re absolutely the best of their field. And to be with them, its a really. I think its not hard to find the position because piano has some sort of a good bridging effort. You can really fit into all sort of instrument and voice. And to get more o