This is bbc news, im kate silverton, the headlines. Unions representing doctors and nurses in england express concerns about new guidelines allowing the reuse of personal protective equipment. Amidst a global shortage, some hospitals in the uk warn they may run out of the equipment this weekend. It is worrying and concerning situation, but these new guidelines have come out to help get through this situation until new gowns come this situation until new gowns come this country. The department of health says over 15,000 patients have now died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the uk an increase of 888. Council leaders in england have warned the government that they need urgent extra funding to tackle the challenges caused by the pandemic. And President Trump angers democrats after tweeting in support of protests against stringent lockdown measures in three democrat run us states. Hello and welcome to viewers on bbc one, as we build up to todays Coronavirus Briefing from the government, to be led by the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government robertjenrick, alongside the National Medical director for nhs england, professor Stephen Powis. A further 888 people have died of coronavirus in the uk, taking the total number of deaths tojust under 15,500. 0ver114,000 people have tested positive for the virus. It comes as unions representing doctors and nurses have expressed concerns about revised guidance that allows personal protective equipment to be re used in hospitals in england. An official from the Doctors Union the bma said the change could lead to some front line staff deciding theyre unable to treat people with covid 19. The government inists the guidance is safe. The head of nhs providers, a body which represents Hospital Trusts in england, has warned that some hospitals could run out of Safety Equipment over the weekend. And in another development, the head of the World Health Organization has questioned whether tests for covid 19 antibodies are effective in showing immunity to the disease. Some countries hoped the tests would be a way to end lockdowns. Well bring you that downing street press conference when it starts in a few minutes time. But first, heres our Health Correspondent helen briggs on the shortage of protective equipment in england. The government has been under fire over ppe shortages and there are fears that stocks of medical gowns used in intensive care could run out at some hospitals this weekend. Public Health England has issued new guidance on what to wear instead, which may involve washing and reusing some protective clothing. But saffron cordery from nhs providers, which represents trusts, says its in line with what has been advised around the world. This is a temporary change in guidance until the supplies come through. However, what i would say is that everybody is concerned about this situation and none more so than Hospital Trust leaders and chief executives who are responsible for keeping their staff, their frontline staff, safe. The government says its working round the clock to source extra items, with textile manufacturers being mobilised. Hundreds of millions of masks, aprons and gloves have already been delivered up and down the country, but gowns are in short supply globally. New clinical advice is being issued today to make sure that if there are shortages in one area, frontline staff know what ppe to wear instead to minimise risk. This has been reviewed by the health and safety executive and is in line with who and cdc guidance. I dont think any Health Care Worker should be expected to expose themselves to potential risks to their lives during the course of their work. Its a real disappointment to us that the government has been unable, even after a month, to address this progressively worsening shortage of ppe. The pandemic is proving a massive test for the nhs, with more uncharted territory ahead. Helen briggs, bbc news. With me now is our Political Correspondent jonathan blake. We will pick up on ppe, but we are expecting to hear more about local government funding in the press conference today. So, what are we expecting to hear . The communities secretary, robertjenrick, expecting to hear . The communities secretary, robert jenrick, will expecting to hear . The communities secretary, robertjenrick, will be leading the press conference. He has responsibility for local government ata uk responsibility for local government at a uk level and especially councils in england. He will face questions on the provision that councils are receiving from government and the help that they have had to this point, which has been welcomed, but councils have said that it does not go anywhere near far said that it does not go anywhere nearfar enough. Today, said that it does not go anywhere near far enough. Today, we said that it does not go anywhere nearfar enough. Today, we learned ofa nearfar enough. Today, we learned of a letter written by the local Government Association to the secretary of state outlining the concerns of councils talking in quite stark terms about the situation they are facing, effectively having to consider rationing services and being on the brink of bankruptcy in some cases. They point out that not only due to coronavirus are they under huge pressure and strain to deliver services such as social care, helpful people with disabilities and the homeless, the logistical challenges that the virus has brought in delivering those services, on top of the strain they we re services, on top of the strain they were under in the first place, and added to that, their income has seen added to that, their income has seen a huge fall because of things like Parking Charges and fines, revenue from leisure centres, public transport use, which has all fallen away because of the lockdown measures in place. So they are feeling it on two fronts. So they have written to the secretary of state welcoming the help which they have had so far but frankly asking for more of the same, and quickly. And if and when that comes from the government, it wont be soon enough for these councils, who are having to make some very difficult decisions about rationing services. And one suspects there will be many questions on that to date and also with regard to ppe. In the interview that i just with regard to ppe. In the interview that ijust did with Colenzo Jarrett Thorpe from unite, staff calling format hahn cock calling for matt hancock to consider his position, because he says theres staff have been so undermined by this situation with ppe. And i think those calls are a measure of the strain which people on the front line fighting this virus are facing. The government will talk about a global shortage, about every country battling coronavirus trying to get its hands on enough ppe and there simply not be enough to go around. They say in a Statement Today that they are working around the clock given the global shortage to get enough supply through, and also the hotline that they put in place for hospitals to call if they are facing shortages and saying that the advice has been changed to deal with shortages should they arise. But as you say, those representing doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers are nurses and other healthcare workers a re clearly nurses and other healthcare workers are clearly running out of patience with this issue, it has been a problem for the government from the start and whilst they have put in place huge measures to get the supplies to the frontline, i think we are seeing that simply there is not enough available. And the change in the guidelines which may see doctors and nurses using substitute ppe, rather than the gold standard, and also potentially reusing it, is and also potentially reusing it, is a reflection of the concern that those supplies are running critically low in some cases. Lets pick up on Council Funding with councillor richard watts, chair of the local Government Associations Resources Board whojoins us now from north london. Can you paint a picture for us in terms of where we are with resources and what youre hearing in terms of the Biggest Challenges being faced on the ground . Well, for many other residents, councils have become the fourth emergency service. As your correspondent said, we are faced with this double whammy of spending money which in normal circumstances we would not have to spend, on things like adult care, housing the homeless, providing food and support for residents who are personally in financial crisis, at the same time as losing money hand over fist because of a loss of income from Parking Charges, rents, where we rent out our own buildings and people arent using leisure centres for obvious reasons. So, councils who were already struggling financially given ten years of pretty ha rd financially given ten years of pretty hard spending cuts imposed on us over pretty hard spending cuts imposed on us over the last decade are really teetering on the edge and without further government backing. It is really welcome that we got £i. 6 billion from government a few weeks ago but my own counsel in islington in north london and many others have pretty much spent all of that money already. Some other councils are in slightly different circumstances and are spending it a bit slower, but everybody will have spent the first slice of cash within one or two months, and i think everybody thinks this crisis is going to last at least that, so councils will start to either go bankrupt or they will have to start heavily rationing services jet we hear very quickly that more money is coming our way. So, i would that more money is coming our way. So, iwould imagine that more money is coming our way. So, i would imagine you would say that there is very little capacity to cut services further, given what you have outlined 7 to cut services further, given what you have outlined . I think that is absolutely right. Council services have been heavily cut already in the last decade and councils have responded very well, i think, to this enormous National Crisis that we face now. Councils have set up help lines, weve rapidly got Homeless People off the streets, weve set up a emergency accommodation, the whole of the effort of local government in this country is focused on the response to this unprecedented pandemic. However, that will rapidly stop. At the moment, were only being allowed by our finance directors to spend money at the rate we are going, because they are confident the government will stand behind us. And i think if confidence in that drops, then quite quickly, councils will be issuing these things which is called a section 114 notice, which is effectively the bankruptcy notice where a council says it cannot afford to carry on spending at its current level and it will introduce these emergency spending controls which will mean so much of the lifeline our residents are dependent on will have to be taken away. How Many Councils do you think are in that potential position . A number. I speak to counsel leaders across the country and they are all relatively confident that with some further support, they can avoid that very difficult position. But we dont know there were a handful of councils teetering on the edge before this crisis started. We do know. Clearly more councils are now spending at a rate which is unsustainable without further backing. Clearly, every council would have to cut back their spending without further guarantees of financial backing. So, i am very hopeful about what the secretary of state is going to say when the briefing starts shortly. I hope the government is listening to councils but certainly, councillors across the country and Senior Council staff will be listening to the words of the state at very closely because we are to have to start taking some pretty quick decisions, if we dont get the support we think we need. And what exactly would you like specifically to hear . Well, we need to hear that the government is going to hear that the government is going to carry on standing behind local government. We have got about £i. 6 billion, to the whole of local government, about three or four weeks ago. Many councils have already spent all of that money on emergency responses and reflecting our lost income. I think we will need to hear something similar again, and we are very hopeful that the government is listening to that and we are very hopeful that the secretary of state will do the right thing, and if he does, i really welcome. I think we need to be clear, though, that at the rate we are going, we are probably going to need a similar size further tranche of money again at some point down the line, because. It is a really challenging situation for us. Indeed, thank you very much for joining us. At this point we would like to welcome. Well, we will be welcoming viewers from bbc world. A at this point wed like to welcome viewers from bbc world news. We are building up to todays Coronavirus Briefing from the uk government. Iam i am keeping an eye on our screens now on downing street. With me now is our Health Correspondent philippa roxby. 0ne imagines we will be hearing a more questions on ppe and the challenges there . That is likely to bea challenges there . That is likely to be a big question today. Many hospitals in england are running short of gowns and are waiting for this updated advice from Health England to reuse aprons and other long sleeved bits of clothing and wash them instead. That is a concern for doctors and nurses and im sure some questions will be post about that today. The government is saying it isa that today. The government is saying it is a worldwide problem, supply is low around the globe and it is difficult to get hold of this kind of stuff. Philippa, the problem, as i was talking to a doctor this morning, is that the confidence in the government is at an all time low so theyre not trusting whether this guidance can be trusted or whether this is asking them to go above and beyond because of the issue with supplies and that is really going to be crucial now moving forward, the question of confidence with clinical staff . Yes, doctors and nurses are quite disappointed by this guidance. They feel they have been let down and they feel already they are putting their lives on the line and they have close contact with infected patients and it is already a very difficult situation in busy intensive units. Lets join that press conference now. Good afternoon and welcome to the Coronavirus Press conference from downing street. I am joined this evening by steve palace, the National Medical director of nhs england. Steve will provide an update on the latest data on coronavirus shortly. But first, let me update you on the steps we are taking to defeat it and the decisions we have taken today. Our fight against this virus is happening all across the country. In every home and in every community. The data shows that 460,400 and 37 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out across great britain, including 21,389 tests carried out yesterday. 114,217 people have tested positive. That is an increase of 5326 cases since yesterday. 17,759 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus in great britain. Down from 18,711 yesterday. And sadly, of those hospitalised with the virus, 15,464 have now died. That is an increase of 888 fatalities since yesterday. These are heartbreaking losses for every family affected. Every part of our government from whitehall to your local town hall, is working together in this national effort. And nowhere is that clearer than on the front lines of our communities. And today as Community Secretary i want to provide an update. Councils are delivering essential supplies to clinically Vulnerable People, those that we have asked to shield themselves. They are paying out Financial Relief to businesses to enable their local economies to weather the storm as much as is possible. They are ensuring our bins continue to be collected, they are ensuring that schools remain open for the children of key workers and that vulnerable families are kept in regular contact. And they are helping rough sleepers off the streets to protect them from the virus. This effort, alongside the endeavours of all our public serva nts endeavours of all our Public Servants is making a difference in this fight. But i know it is our responsibility in government to make sure that those front line workers have the resources that they need to keep up this essential work. At the beginning of this emergency i told local councils that we would give them the resources they need to do them the resources they need to do thejob, andi them the resources they need to do thejob, and i meant it. And that is why today i am providing an additional £1. 6 billion of new funding to support councils with the pressures that they face as they respond to covid 19. This funding ta kes respond to covid 19. This funding takes the total amount given to councils to help them through the pandemic to over £3. 2 billion. We are backing councils to ensure vital services, such as adult social care, childrens services, support for the most vulnerable and Waste Collection continue despite the increased pressures. Continue despite the increased pressures. We are also helping councils with the inevitable cash flow challenges by deferring £2. 6 billion in business rates, payments to central government. And paying them £850 million in social care gra nts them £850 million in social care grants up this month. Working with councils and charities weve made huge progress in protecting the most vulnerable during this national emergency. 0ur vulnerable during this national eme