Coronavirus - 6th April

Summary for Monday, 6th April

•    Infections and deaths have fallen in Spain and Italy in recent days - suggesting lockdowns have worked
  
•    The slowly improving situation in those countries gives the US "hope", says a key Trump adviser
  
•    At his Sunday press briefing, Mr Trump said "we see light at the end of the tunnel"
  
•    But 1,200 people with the virus in the US died in the past 24 hours and the Surgeon General warned of a  hard week
  
•    UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in hospital after suffering 'persistent symptoms'
  
•    The news was announced on Sunday evening shortly after the Queen addressed the nation
  
•    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to announce state of emergency
  

Welcome to our live coverage

Hello, and welcome to another day of live reporting on the global coronavirus pandemic. Coverage is starting here in Singapore and in Sydney, and later in the day we'll hand over to colleagues in the UK and then North America.
As with every day, news is moving very fast, so we'll be bringing you all the major developments as they happen, as well as useful information to protect yourself and your family, and some positive stories of communities helping each other out as well.

UK's PM in hospital with virus

There was a major political development in the UK last night, as it was announced that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been taken to hospital. Mr Johnson was confirmed to have the virus on Friday 27 March, and has been in isolation.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "On the advice of his doctor, the prime minister has tonight been admitted to hospital for tests.
"This is a precautionary step, as the prime minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive for the virus."
The prime minister remains in charge of the government, but the foreign secretary is expected to chair a coronavirus meeting on Monday morning.
Read more here: PM admitted to hospital over virus symptoms

New York cases drop for first time

Here's a bit of good news this Monday morning.
The number of infections and deaths in the state of New York has dropped for the first time, say officials.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday that the number of patients requiring hospital treatment was down for the first time in a week and that deaths were down from the previous day - from 630 deaths on Saturday to 594 on Sunday.
But he also added that it was too early to know how significant this data was.
There have so far been 4,159 deaths in New York, making it the hardest-hit area in the US.
Read more about what's happening in New York here.

What's happening in Australia?

Frances Mao - Sydney
After a fortnight of tight restrictions on Australian society, the curve appears to be flattening. But officials are urging people to remain vigilant and to stay indoors.
Here's the latest:

• Australia has had more than 5,700 cases, including 37 deaths
  
• Almost 300,000 tests have been conducted, in what PM Scott Morrison says is the highest testing rate per capita globally
  
• The Ruby Princess cruise ship is now the subject of a criminal investigation, after being linked to 11 deaths and more than 600 infections
  
• A limited number of MPs are returning to Canberra so parliament can resume on Wednesday to legislate response measures. Almost half of Australia's 227 lawmakers have been excused - in a bid to limit how many are travelling.
  

Pope speaks in near-empty Basilica

It's the beginning of Holy Week in the Christian calendar, leading up the Easter Sunday. In the Catholic Church this is usually marked by a service in the Vatican attended by thousands.
But it was a very different scene this year, as Pope Francis delivered his Palm Sunday address to only a handful of people seated in the vast St Peter's Basilica.

The Ruby Princess returns with sick crew on board

The cruise ship has docked in the city of Wollongong, south of Sydney

We've been covering the Ruby Princess cruise ship disaster for weeks now - the vessel is the largest source of infections in Australia, accounting for 11 deaths and more than 600 cases.
On Sunday, New South Wales police announced they would begin a criminal investigation into how passengers were allowed to disembark when there were sick people on board.

• How did Australia's cruise ship debacle happen?
  

For weeks now, the ship had been stuck floating off Sydney's coast with about 1,000 crew on board. Last week, officials had to evacuate some who had fallen ill - and that number has now jumped to about 200.
Due to the crew's welfare and the police probe, the vessel was finally allowed to dock at a port south of Sydney this morning. Australia says it will take the sick crew to hospital, but no-one else will be allowed off.

Japan expected to declare state of emergency

Parts of Japan are expected to go into a state of emergency in the coming days. That's according to Japanese media, as the number of confirmed infections continues to rise despite measures to contain the virus.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to announce the move later on Monday though it's thought it won't come into effect that same day. It likely won't be for the entire country but for big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka only.
The decision would give the government the power to implement stricter measures to ask people to stay at home or to close businesses. It will not, though, give Mr Abe the power to impose full lockdowns like we've seen in China, or some European countries, where there are heavy fines for breaking the rules.
Japan has had more than 3,600 confirmed infections and 85 deaths. There's particular concern for Tokyo, where the number of people with confirmed infections has been sharply rising and now exceeds 1,000.

Global confirmed cases close to 1.3 million

The number of confirmed virus cases around the world has reached 1,273,990, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, which has been keeping track of the developing data for months The US still has the highest number of confirmed cases, with 337,274, followed by Spain and Italy at 131,646 and 128,948 respectively.
Italy has reported the highest number of deaths from the virus, a sobering 15,887 people.
There have been 69,444 deaths globally.
But it's worth remembering too that most people will recover. The university says 260,247 people have so far, the bulk of them in China.

No, 5G does not spread the virus

Conspiracy theories around the pandemic are plenty. On the more bizarre end of the spectrum is the claim that somehow, the 5G technology which delivers faster mobile internet is linked to the spread of the virus.
This is obviously not true.
Yet several 5G mobile phone masts in Britain have been set on fire and video clips of that are circulating online - along with the conspiracy claims backed by several influential social media voices.
Medical experts and scientists are branding it as "complete rubbish" and "the worst kind of fake news".
Read our full piece debunking the 5G conspiracy theory here.

Will the virus stop global wildlife trade?

It is thought this new virus - SARS-CoV-2 - originated at a market in Wuhan, China, which was selling wild animals alongside other food and produce.
Eating exotic animals is a sign of status and wealth in some Asian countries. Add to this the use of some animals in traditional medicine and you have a thriving trade in wild animals, some procured illegally, creating a breeding ground for disease and the chance for viruses to leap to humans.
China has already brought in a ban on the consumption of wildlife, which is expected to become law later this year.
So could the pandemic be a watershed moment for curbing the global wildlife trade?
Ready our full story here.

Indonesia makes mask-wearing mandatory

Indonesia has become the latest country to make it compulsory for everyone to wear face masks outside, with a new rule kicking in on Sunday.
Health authorities are urging people to wear cloth masks so that medical-grade face masks will still be available for frontline workers.
There's concern over Indonesia's growing number of cases and deaths, and its capability to handle an outbreak. Officially it has close to 2,300 positive cases. But the country is vast, comprising of thousands of far-flung islands, and there is a serious lack of testing. Some estimate as few as 2% of infections are being reported.
The country also has the highest death toll from the virus in Asia after China, with about 200 coronavirus-related deaths - again, these are only officially reported figures and the true figure is still unknown.
There are also deep fears that the pandemic may overwhelm the healthcare system, which is already considered poor even in good times, particularly in rural areas.
Read more about Indonesia's fears of a hidden virus surge in this piece from the BBC's Resty Woro Yuniar and Aghnia Adzkia.

BA to suspend Japan flights

British Airways will stop all flights to and from Japan this Wednesday 8 April.
Since last week, Japan has not allowed UK nationals to enter the country - along with citizens from dozens of other countries.
The British Foreign Office's travel advice for Japan also says UK residents should avoid "all but essential international travel" and says citizens currently travelling abroad are "strongly advised to return now".
This Wednesday is also the airline's cut off date for flights from Australia via Singapore.
The pandemic has brought global aviation essentially to a standstill with many carriers around the world cancelling almost all their flights.

S Korea and China infections remain low

South Korea has reported fewer than 50 new infections for the first time since late February when the country was the worst-hit outside of China.
Officials said 47 more people had been confirmed with the virus and three had died. Overall, South Korea now has 10,237 confirmed infections although more than 6,400 of those have already recovered. The death toll stands at 183.
The government has extended social distancing rules for another two weeks but the country has so far avoided more stringent lockdown measures seen in Europe and the Unites States - largely through a campaign of thorough testing.
China has seen a slight uptick with 39 new infections compared to 30 the previous day. All but one of the new cases were imported from abroad, officials said. The country also registered 78 new asymptomatic cases.
Imported and asymptomatic cases, who can give it to others but show no symptoms, have become China's main focus in recent weeks.

Is South Korea getting complacent?

The start of Spring in South Korea has brought concerns people may start dropping their guard

Throughout the outbreak, there's been one country that's emerged as a model to emulate - South Korea.
It's been widely praised for its aggressive approach to tracing and testing for cases of COVID19. And today, it reported fewer than 50 new infections for the first time since late February.
But its vice health minister says its too soon to tell if the rate of infection is on a downward trend, based on one day's data alone.
The fear now is one of complacency. Spring has arrived and tens of thousands of people were out in parks viewing the cherry blossom over the weekend – despite the closure of flower festivals and many of the main blossom viewing areas.
There are also images of long queues for nightclubs in Seoul’s trendy Gangnam area.
South Koreans have been warned the outbreak within the country is not over yet and won’t be for some time to come, but that message is not being heard by all.

What's happening in India?

• Good morning from Delhi. We're a day shy of reaching the half-way mark in a three-week shutdown here, prompting many to wonder if restrictions will really ease once we cross the finish line.
  Here's a quick breakdown of the latest news here in India:
  
  
  
  • Some 80% of cases are being reported from 62 districts
    
  
  
  
• , sources tell local media - suggesting that restrictions will continue in affected areas beyond the current lockdown.
  
• The health ministry says 30% of all active cases (3,219) are linked to a weeks-long event organised by a Muslim congregation that sparked a new wave of Covid-19 cases.
  
• Cases in the southern state of Tamil Nadu rose to 571 on Sunday after 86 new infections were reported, making it one of the worst-hit states.
  
• The UK announced the first seven flights that will bring British nationals in Indiaback home, adding that more flights will follow soon.
  
• India may start rapid testing for antibodies needed to fight the virus
  as soon as Thursday in areas considered high-risk, reports say.
  

Tiger tests positive for virus

The latest victim of the coronavirus? A four-year-old female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City.
Nadia, along with her sister Azul, two Amur tigers and three African lions had all developed a dry cough, said the Bronx zoo's chief veterinarian.
The big cats are believed to have been infected by a zookeeper - but all are expected to make a full recovery.
This case is being described as unusual because coronavirus transmissions from humans to animals have been rare and not well understood so far.
For most people, the virus causes symptoms like a cough or fever - but we still don't know much about what symptoms it could cause in animals, or in fact, very much at all about the different ways animals could be affected by it.
Read more about their symptoms here.

Oil slides as Saudi-Russia talks delayed

Global oil prices have dropped after Saudi Arabia and Russia postponed a meeting about a deal to cut output as the pandemic hits demand.
The two countries have been locked in an oil price war for the last month.
Traders are concerned that, with large parts of the world in lockdown, there will be too much crude available, putting pressure on prices.
In Asian trade, the global benchmark Brent crude fell 12%, while US-traded oil, known as West Texas Intermediate, was more than 10% lower.
Read more here

Trump blocks Fauci from answering

US President Donald Trump has been praising a malaria drug called Hydroxychloroquine as a possible cure for Covid-19. His medical advisers though have been somewhat more reserved on this, saying repeatedy there have been no studies to sufficiently confirm this.
At Sunday night's press conference in the White House, Mr Trump again praised the drug - and when a reporter asked Dr Anthony Fauci of the government's Coronavirus Task Force what he thought of the drug, the president cut in and didn't let the expert speak.
Instead, Mr Trump told the reporter Dr Fauci had answered this already about 15 times didn't need to do so again.

India death toll rises to 109

In the past few minutes, we've got confirmation that the number of deaths in India has officially reached109, as confirmed cases climb to 4,067.
We had earlier reported that local media were saying 100 people had died from Covid-19, but this was not yet confirmed by the health ministry.
The country has been seeing a steady spike in cases recently, as the spread has been doubling every 4.1 days, according to officials

Singapore quarantines 20,000 migrant workers

Here in Singapore, we saw the highest spike in daily cases yesterday, with 120 new confirmed infections.
Around 20,000 foreign workers have now been told to stay in the dormitories where they're required to live, after two dormitories emerged as new Covid-19 clusters. These places have now been sealed off.
During their time in isolation, the workers will get their salaries, as well as three meals a day, plus masks, hand sanitisers and thermometers.
But six workers in one dormitory told news outlet The Straits Times that they were living in squalid conditions, with overflowing toilets, cockroaches and queues for food.
There are now 1,300 cases and six deaths in Singapore.
Read more on the virus situation in Singapore here.

Asian ec

As tens of millions of people in the Asia-Pacific region cope with lockdowns and other measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic, their countries' economies are also under extreme pressure.
This week we'll get snapshots of the impact on businesses' and nations' finances with company earnings, economic data and central bank decisions.
On the business front Samsung reports initial first quarter earnings on Tuesday. While smartphone sales are expected to have dropped sharply, robust memory chip demand looks likely to be the brightspot.
On Thursday Japan's Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo, is due to post its second quarter earnings. The company closed some of its Chinese stores in January and is now shutting more outlets in other countries, including the US and Indonesia.
Australia's central bank holds a monetary policy meeting on Tuesday. The Reserve Bank of Australia has already slashed interest rates over the last 12 months to a record low of 0.25% and policymakers have ruled out negative interest rates ahead of this meeting.
It's South Korea's turn on Thursday with expectations the central bank will again cut its benchmark rate, this time to 0.5%.
And as the Chinese city of Wuhan, which was the coronavirus' first epicentre, sees its 76-day lockdown end on Wednesday, we get inflation numbers out of the world's second-largest economy.
They come after China last week released data showing a surprisingly strong rebound in manufacturing activity and economists will be looking for signs that upward pressure on both consumer prices and so-called "factory gate" prices continued to ease last month.

Alibaba's Ma sends medical kit to Africa

Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma has said that another shipment of medical equipment to fight the coronavirus pandemic is on its way to Africa.
The Chinese online retail billionaire-turned philanthropist said in a tweet that the consignment includes hundreds of ventilators, large amounts of protective clothing and other medical supplies.
The first planeload of protective and medical equipment donated to the continent by Mr Ma arrived in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa last month.

UK ambassador appeals to Brits in Philippines

The British ambassador has made a "last chance" appeal to Britons stranded in the Philippines - calling on them to book repatriation flights leaving the country on Tuesday.
"I understand some of you have not yet booked in the hope there will be more opportunities later on," said Daniel Pruce in a video posted on Twitter.
"Let me stress. This is it... something better will not come along."
Four flights from the Philippine tourist spots of Palawan, Cebu, Bohol and Siargao - where the majority of stranded Britons are - are due to leave tomorrow.
They will connect to Manila's main airport and fly onwards to London's Heathrow airport. The total cost per passenger, regardless of where they are flying from, is £1,000 ($1,220).

Day draws to a close in US

As another day draws to a close in the US, here's a round-up of what's happened there over the last few hours:

• The number of new infections and deaths in New York, the worst hit state in the country, has dipped. The state reported 594 deaths on Sunday, down from 630 on Saturday.
  
• President Trump described the cases as "levelling off", saying he saw "light at the end of the tunnel".
  
• US top adviser Dr Anthony Fauci however, said the short-term outlook was "really bad". The US Surgeon General Jerome Adams echoed this, saying the upcoming week would be "the hardest and saddest week of most Americans' lives.
  
• In cities like Washington DC, Detroit and New Orleans, the number of virus cases continue to grow - many governors have warned of a dire shortage of medical supplies, including ventilators and face masks.
  
• Several southern and Midwestern states, however, have resisted enforcing a lockdown.
  
• The US has reported 337,274 confirmed infections and 9,619 deaths from Covid-19, by far the highest tally in the world.
  

Scottish official resigns after flouting lockdown

It's been two weeks since the UK entered a state of lockdown - people have been told to only leave their homes if they have a "reasonable excuse" like exercise or shopping for basic necessities.
And it's clear the country's taking these rules very seriously - with very few exemptions allowed.
Scotland's top medical officer, Catherine Calderwood - who had fronted adverts urging the public to stay home - was found making two trips to her second home, something that's been expressly banned.
She had at first said she would continue in her role but faced calls to step down.
Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman said her actions "undermined Scotland's pandemic response and her own credibility".
Dr Calderood has now resigned.
It's a clear message that Scotland is sending - stressing the importance of everyone following the rules during this critical time.

NZ man in court for coughing on shoppers

In New Zealand, a man has been convicted of "offensive behaviour" after he filmed himself deliberately coughing on other people in a supermarket in Christchurch.
Raymond Coombs, 38, said he had been drunk and did it as a prank. He later said he regretted doing the "foolish, sensitive act". Police arrested him on Saturday after he posted the video to Facebook where it went viral and sparked outrage.
He had faced two criminal charges – including the violation of a public health order - but these were later dropped.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had described him as an "idiot".

Bangladesh unveils $8bn stimulus package

Bangladesh has announced a $8bn (£6.5bn) stimulus package to help cushion the blow to its economy. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the announcement in a televised speech on Sunday, adding that it would support low-cost loans for a variety of businesses. The country has around 70 confirmed cases and nine deaths so far.
Here's more news from the rest of the South Asia region:

• Four men from Sri Lanka have tested positive in India after they attended a weeks-long event organised by a Muslim congregation that's been in the news for setting off Covid-19 clusters across India.
  
• Pakistan's federal health ministry has told the Supreme Court that infections could reach 50,000 by the end of April
  
• - a projection based on how the pandemic has progressed across the world. The country is the worst-affected in South Asia as cases jumped beyond 3,000 on Sunday.
  
• Nepal confirmed three new cases over the weekend, taking the total number of infections to nine. The Himalayan country is under lockdown until 7 April.
  

Race to halt the virus in a vast Indian slum

Soutik Biswas - India Correspondent
On 23 March, a 56 year old man living in a vast, labyrinthine slum in the western Indian city of Mumbai went to see a doctor. He was feeling feverish and had a bad cough.
The garment trader lived in Dharavi where more than half a million people are spread over 2.5 grubby sq km, which is less than a square mile. (Imagine a population larger than Manchester living in an area smaller than Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.)
A few days later, he died - after becoming the first person to be infected from Covid-19 in the slum.
An outbreak of coronavirus in a place where social distancing is an oxymoron could easily turn into a grave public health emergency and overwhelm the city's stretched public health system.
Nobody realises this more than the officials racing to track and contain the infection.
Read the full story here

South Korea deports Taiwanese woman

South Korea has deported a Taiwanese woman who refused to stay at a quarantine facility, reports news outlet Yonhap.  All international arrivals into the country have to go through a two-week period of self-isolation, either at their homes or government-designated facilities. These cost around $81 (£66) a day.
The woman agreed to be quarantined but refused to pay the expenses. She was deported back to Taiwan late on Sunday.

What's happening in the UK?

In case you're just joining us, here are some of the latest developments:

• According to the latest figures, 47,806 people around the country have tested positive, and 4,934 have died in hospital after contracting coronavirus.
  
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to hospital for tests, 10 days after testing positive for coronavirus. Downing Street said it was a "precautionary step" taken on the advice of his doctor.
  
• Scotland's chief medical officer has resigned after making two trips to her second home during the coronavirus lockdown. Dr Catherine Calderwood had initially apologised for her actions and said she planned to continue in the role. But in a statement on Sunday she said that she had quit.
  
• In a rare speech to the nation, the Queen has said Britain "will succeed" in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. She thanked people for following government rules to stay at home and praised those "coming together to help others"
  

UN chief decries 'horrifying surge' in domestic violence

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on governments to act against “a horrifying global surge in domestic violence” in recent weeks, sparked by lockdowns.
Referring to his recent appeal for a ceasefire in conflicts around the world, Mr Guterres stressed that violence was not always confined to battlefields.
"For many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they should be safest — in their own homes,” he said.
The UN said that, since the outbreak began, calls to domestic abuse helplines had doubled in countries like Lebanon and Malaysia compared with the same period last year. In China that number has tripled.
In Australia, Google has also seen its highest rise in searches for domestic violence help in the last five years.
Mr Guterres said abuse had been exacerbated by economic and social stresses brought on by coronavirus. Help for victims has also been undermined as health care providers, police and local support groups face a strain on resources. Many domestic violence shelters have also been undermined by the crisis while others are full
“Together,” said Mr Guterres, “we can and must prevent violence everywhere, from war zones to people’s homes, as we work to beat covid-19”.
Read more about some of the women who are living under lockdown with men they say are abusing them.

Former captain of US aircraft carrier 'tests positive'

The New York Times reports that a US Navy captain has tested positive after he was relieved of the command of a virus-stricken aircraft carrier.
Citing two of his classmates from the US Naval Academy, the Times reported Captain Brett Crozier began exhibiting symptoms before he was stripped of his post on the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
The US Navy has declined a request for comment by the BBC.
Captain Crozier was fired last week for allegedly leaking a letter he wrote to the Pentagon. In the letter, he said the Navy was not doing enough to contain the spread of coronavirus on the ship, and called for help in quarantining the majority of his crew.
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said the Captain Crozier "exercised extremely poor judgement".
"It creates the perception the Navy is not on the job; the government is not on the job. That's just not true," said Mr Modly.
Uninfected members of the ship's more than 4,000 crew are now being quarantined in Guam after spending days restricted to the naval base’s pier.

Spain and Italy 'giving US hope'

The situation in Italy and Spain, where infections and deaths have fallen in recent days, is "giving hope" on what the United States' "future could be", says Deborah Birx, one of President Trump's coronavirus advisers.
On Sunday, New York, the epicentre of the US outbreak, reported a drop in the number of new infections and deaths.
"We're hopeful over the next week that we'll see a stabilisation of cases in these metropolitan areas where the outbreak began several weeks ago," Dr Birx said.
The US has reported 337,274 confirmed infections and 9,619 deaths from Covid-19, by far the highest tally in the world.
On Sunday, Italy reported that 525 people had died in the previous 24 hours - the lowest daily figure since 19 March.
Another 674 people died in Spain - the lowest daily death toll in over a week.

'Nearly a third of under 25s in jobs that are gone for now'

The Institute for Fiscal Studies says "nearly a third of employees aged under 25" are in jobs that "are likely gone for now" during the UK lockdown.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, IFS director Paul Johnson pinpointed closures in the leisure, retail and hospitality sectors as particularly damaging for younger people and lower paid workers.
“We are not talking about students or those in part-time jobs. We are talking about people on the early rungs of their careers, either going to be furloughed or out of work," he said.
“A lot of the jobs will presumably come back when hotels, restaurants and shops return but how quickly will depend on if it is the same businesses that return.
“If they are not able to get back into work there may be longer term consequences. Then there are those finishing school or university that are moving into the labour market in probably the most difficult time in living memory.
“Something like seven times as many of the lowest paid workers are affected by the lockdown than those in the highest 10% of income distribution. It is a very sharp differential.”

'The PM is doing well' - Jenrick

The Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has been providing an update on the health of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was taken to a London hospital on Sunday evening 10 days after he tested positive for coronavirus.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Jenrick said: “The Prime Minister has now had persistent symptoms for 10 days after he tested positive and as a result he went to hospital last night on the advice of his doctor.
"This was not an emergency admission, it was planned admission to have some routine tests. Those tests are under way and he will stay in hospital as long as he needs to. I have heard he is doing well and I look forward to him being back in number 10 as soon as possible.
“He will take the advice of the doctors and nurses in the hospitals that are doing those tests and act accordingly."

'Johnson will be back at Number 10 shortly' - Jenrick

The housing secretary, Robert Jenrick has confirmed that foreign secretary, Dominic Raab will chair a coronavirus meeting on Monday morning in the absence of Boris Johnson.
However, Mr. Jenrick told BBC Radio he expects the prime minister to return to Downing Street shortly.
"He will be updated regularly in hospital as he has been while self-isolating. Dominic Raab is the first secretary of state so he will chair the regular morning meeting however, the PM does remain in charge of the government," Jenrick said.

Residents destroy testing centre in Abidjan

Residents in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, have destroyed a coronavirus testing centre over fears it would pose a contagion risk for the people living nearby.
Videos show the building, which was still under conduction, being demolished by people shouting, "We don't want it".
An official from the health ministry said the site was never meant for the treatment of patients but only for testing.
Judging by official figures, the country has so far not seen a widespread outbreak. Just over 260 infections and three deaths have been confirmed.
Abidjan has already been placed under quarantine and a nationwide overnight curfew is in force. Schools, churches and all non-essential shops have been closed.

First death of a frontline doctor in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has had its first death of a frontline doctor due to the coronavirus, the health ministry confirmed to the BBC.
The ministry spokesperson said the doctor was working in a private hospital in Kabul and 20 of his colleagues will now be tested for Covid-19.
Pajhwok Afghan News reported the doctors's name as Hanifullah Hanif and said he died on Sunday.
Afghanistan has confirmed 367 cases of coronavirus, with 10 deaths. The province of Herat, which borders Iran, is the worst affected.
Afghanistan is among the poorest countries in the world, ravaged by war and with a weak public health system. The health ministry has warned that millions of people will be infected, with a huge loss of life if the country does not receive international support to fight the pandemic.

'We don't want to see parks close' - UK official

A relaxation of social distancing measures in the UK is not being considered at present, the housing secretary, Robert Jenrick has said.
"At the moment we are reaching the peak of the virus, so this is not the time to ease away or take our foot off the pedal. At this moment all of us should be adhering to the advice," Jenrick said.
"We are looking and learning from international examples but this is not the time to begin deploying an easing off of measures.
"None of us want to keep the measures we have in place for a day longer than is necessary and none us want to make them more restrictive.
"We don't want to see parks close but it will require the small number of people flouting the rules to behave responsibly."

The latest from Europe

• The number of deaths in Italy reported on Sunday were the lowest in two weeks, and authorities there are confident that the peak of new cases has passed. So far, 15,887 people have died – the highest national death toll worldwide
  
• Spain’s government is distributing one million kits around the country to step up testing, with plans to quarantine asymptomatic cases in public spaces like sports halls. Over the weekend Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for “unwavering solidarity” between EU nations, and to rebuild economies after the crisis through a new Marshall Plan – the name for the post-World War II US aid programme for Europe
  
• From Monday, Austria has made it compulsory to wear a face mask at the supermarket. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has hinted that this could soon be the case in all public places across the country. You can read Bethany Bell’s report on the new plan here
  
• And German football club Bayern Munich will restart training on Monday. The Bundesliga is suspended until at least 30 April - officials had previously recommended clubs hold off on training until at least 5 April. A statement urged fans not to come to the training ground
  

Britons stuck in Asia with mounting costs

Nick Cross and his partner are among thousands of Britons stuck in Asia, unable to board flights home.
Shortly after their arrival in Cambodia in mid-March, Thailand imposed new restrictions on foreigners, meaning they'd need a medical certificate to be allowed in to the country.
They went to a doctor to get the certificate, and then headed to Phnom Penh to try to connect with their flight home from Bangkok.
But Nick says two of the flights they booked to Bangkok were cancelled. They were then denied boarding on a third because airline officials said their certificates did not show a negative Covid-19 test.
He is now helping organise more than 260 British people trapped in Cambodia, lobbying the UK embassy to find a way out for them.
The embassy is telling them to take whatever commercial options they can. But Nick says they are now short of funds, after booking four flights which were cancelled and getting no refunds yet, worth around £5,000 ($6,150).
Unless he can be sure he won’t lose it on yet another cancelled flight, Nick said he wants to preserve what funds he has left to survive if they get stuck for many weeks. He says there are other British travellers with health conditions who are very low on funds and in urgent need of assistance.
British diplomats in the region say they are exploring every possible option to get stranded UK travellers home, and are lobbying the airlines to lay on extra flights, at a reasonable cost. There are thought to be around 2-3,000 in Thailand, around 70 left in Laos, and a few hundred in the Philippines.

What tests will Boris Johnson undergo?

The UK prime minister will wake up in hospital this morning, 10 days after he tested positive for coronavirus.
Boris Johnson will have a series of routine health tests, a spokesperson said. But what will they include?
Dr Sarah Jarvis, a GP and broadcaster, told the BBC that Johnson would be likely to have his chest X-rayed and his lungs scanned, particularly if he was struggling for breath.
She said he was also likely to have an electrocardiogram to check his heart function, as well as tests on his oxygen levels, white blood cell count, and liver and kidney function.
The PM was "still very much in charge of the government" and is being "constantly updated", Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said.
Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair described the situation facing Mr Johnson as "hellish".
“I wish him well and I hope he has a speedy recovery I have every sympathy and solidarity with him," Blair said. "I know it must be a hellish situation to be in."

Boris Johnson was last seen in public in the doorway of Number 10, Downing Street to applaud essential workers

UK culture secretary wants 'urgent' agreement between football authorities

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has called for football authorities to reach an agreement on financial support during the coronavirus crisis "urgently", adding the public will take a "very dim view" of clubs furloughing low-paid workers.
Some Premier League clubs, including leaders Liverpool, are facing criticism for furloughing non-playing staff.
Players have been urged to do more by Health Secretary Matt Hancock and the Premier League proposed a 30% pay cut.
But the Professional Footballers Association says that may harm the NHS while former England captain Wayne Rooney has called the power struggle a "disgrace" and says players are being treated like "scapegoats".
Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Dowden said "clubs, players and owners should be thinking very carefully about their next steps".
"Leaving the public purse to pick up the cost of furloughing low paid workers, whilst players earn millions and billionaire owners go untouched is something I know the public will rightly take a very dim view of," Mr Dowden said.
"At a time of national crisis, our national sport must play its part.
"I expect to see the football authorities judge the mood of the country and come together with an agreement urgently."

British nurse and midwife died with coronavirus

The death of a third British nurse with coronavirus has been confirmed.
"Long-serving" nurse Liz Glanister, who worked at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool, died with coronavirus on Friday, said the trust which runs the hospital.
Chief nurse Dianne Brown said Glanister would be "sadly missed by all those who knew and worked with her".
The deaths of two other nurses with coronavirus - Aimee O'Rourke and Areema Nasreen- were announced last week.
It comes as the death of a serving midwife was also confirmed in Essex.
Lynsay Coventry, 54, had supported hundreds of women over a decade at the Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust in Harlow. She died on Thursday.
Paying tribute to her, Coventry's family said she was a "wonderful and caring mum, sister, daughter and grandmother".
On Friday, the UK's largest nursing union warned that the deaths of more health workers was "inevitable"

Ecuador city resorts to using cardboard coffins

The authorities in Ecuador's most populous city, Guayaquil, say they are handing out 4,000 cardboard coffins amid a shortage of traditional wooden caskets.
Forensic services have struggled to cope with the number of people who have died in the city of three million since the coronavirus pandemic started and funeral directors say they have run out of caskets.
The official number of those who have died after contracting the virus nationwide stands at 180, but President Lenín Moreno has said that number probably falls short as only the cases which have been tested are included.
Guayaquil, a port city, has been at the centre of the outbreak and residents say they have had to wait for days for the dead to be picked up.
Bertha Salinas told BBC News Mundo that it took four days for the bodies of her sister and brother-in-law to be removed from their home. The family wrapped the bodies in plastic sheeting, which they burned after their loved ones' remains were finally taken away.

Spain deaths drop again

The daily death toll in Spain has dropped for a fourth consecutive day.
The number of new deaths announced by the government on Monday was 637, compared to 674 on Sunday. It's the lowest number since 24 March. New deaths hit a peak of 950 last Thursday.
The latest figures show the country also registered 4,273 new confirmed cases.
Officials believe the virus may finally be peaking in Spain, which has the second-highest death toll in the world at 13,055.

UK chain Debenhams to file for administration

UK department store Debenhams has announced it will file for administration after the coronavirus lockdown forced it to shut its shops.
It described the process as a "light touch" administration to protect it from legal action from creditors while its department stores are closed.
Debenhams boss Stefaan Vansteenkiste said the circumstances of the decision were "unprecedented".
"We have taken this step to protect our business, our employees, and other important stakeholders," he said.
Vansteenkiste said it would allow Debenhams "to resume trading from our stores when government restrictions are lifted".
On the announcement, BBC Radio 5 Live business correspondent Danni Hewson said: "This prevents legal action from suppliers, landlords and people who are owed money - legal action which would push Debenhams into liquidation and effectively see all 142 stores closed completely.
"This buys Debenhams a bit if time. It means they can look at some sort of administration."

US to give India nearly $3m for coronavirus fight

The US government has announced a grant of £2.3m ($2.9m) to India to help its efforts against Covid-19.
Kenneth Juster, the US Ambassador to India, said that USAID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as other agencies will work closely with India to combat the pandemic.
“Covid-19 is a global public health threat that can be addressed best by close collaboration among governments and international organizations," Juster said in a press release.
The funds will be used to support the work of USAID as well as the WHO in India, which involve strengthening its health services.

What positive tiger test means for cats - both big and small

A tiger in the Bronx zoo with a dry cough has tested positive for Covid-19. The tiger, named Nadia, is believed to be the first known case of an animal infected with the virus in the US.
Here, Sarah Caddy, Veterinarian and Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, explains what this could mean both for big cats and our pets.
"A pre-print released last week found that domestic cats can be experimentally infected with SARS-CoV-2 if large doses of virus are administered intranasally. Therefore the report of a tiger with the same virus is not wholly unexpected.
"However, it is surprising that the tiger has become infected with what must have been a fairly low dose of virus – we can assume the tiger did not have continual close contact with the asymptomatic zoo keeper.
"It is also interesting that the tiger showed clinical signs consistent with COVID-19 in humans. Although scientific proof is lacking, the chance this is just a coincidence is low.
"What does this mean for our pet cats? Nothing new – at present there is still only one suspect case where an owner has spread the virus to their pet.
It is possible that tigers in captivity are more susceptible to the virus than household cats as there is a 5% difference between their genomes.
"The bottom line is that there is no evidence that any cat, large or small, can transmit virus back to humans."

Hope that lockdowns are working in Spain and Italy

More now on those latest figures from Spain.
It has the highest number of confirmed cases in Europe, but the data suggests the deadly outbreak could finally be slowing.
Official figures show the daily death toll dropped for the fourth day in a row, down to 637. That's also the lowest number in almost two weeks. The infection rate is also dropping consistently - showing the lockdown measures could be working.
There is however still a long way to go, and the government has suggested people may have to wear masks in public after the quarantine measures are lifted.
Data in Italy suggests a similar trend. The death toll there is the highest in the world, standing at 15,887. But again, infections and daily deaths are dipping, and the number of people in intensive care in Lombardy - the worst affected region in Italy - is decreasing.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte however has said he is not sure when the lockdown restrictions will be lifted.

India 'considering' supplying hydroxychloroquine to US

India is reportedly considering a request by Donald Trump to release stocks of a drug that the US president has called a "game-changer" in the fight against Covid-19.
Trump called India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, a day after India had banned the export of hydroxychloroquine, which it manufactures in large quantities.
Reports in India media, citing government officials, say the country is now considering supplying the drug to the US.
Hydroxychloroquine is very similar to chloroquine - one of the oldest and best-known anti-malarial drugs.
President Trump has touted the drug and claimed the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved it for treating coronavirus - a claim the FDA denied.
Trump later said that it had been approved for "compassionate use" - which means a doctor can give a drug that is yet to be cleared by the government to a patient in a life-threatening condition.
But it's not clear if the drug will even work against the coronavirus. And is India really in a position to help the US?
Read more here

The latest from Latin America and the Caribbean

• Barbados and Haiti have reported their first deaths from coronavirus. The Barbadian health ministry said an 81-year-old man who died had returned from a trip to the United Kingdom on 22 March. The man who died in Haiti was 55 years old and had underlying health conditions.
  
• Guatemala has asked the United States to limit the number of people it puts on planes for deportation back to the Central American countries to 25, down from 60-90. Two people had to be taken to hospital in recent weeks after they tested positive for coronavirus upon getting off a deportation flight. Guatemala says it is concerned deported migrants from the US - which has the highest number of cases in the world - will spread the virus to Guatemala, which has so far only had 70 confirmed cases.
  
• In Mexico, hundreds of waiters gathered outside the National Palace to demand more be done to help them after they lost their income when restaurants closed due to the pandemic. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says his government will create two million new jobs in the next nine months but many say the economic measures he has proposed to help employees and businesses keep afloat do not go far enough.
  

Who would lead the UK response if Johnson were sidelined?

Norman Smith - Assistant political editor
UK government officials insist that the prime minister is still in charge, but if his condition doesn't improve, or worsens, he may have to take a step back.
The UK no longer has a deputy prime minister - the last one was Nick Clegg, under David Cameron. Dominic Raab - as first secretary of state - would be expected to step up.
His position as foreign secretary, however, has not put him at the centre of the fight against coronavirus.
It would seem likely therefore that the two figures expected to take a key role would be Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
Many of the key decisions - including how long the lockdown should continue and what the exit strategy should be - still appear some way off.

France 'facing worst economic recession since WW2'

The French Economy and Finance Minister, Bruno Le Maire has warned that the country is facing its worst post-war economic downturn since the end of World War Two - surpassing the -2.2% slump that followed the 2009 global financial crisis.
Last month, the government estimated that the economy would shrink by 1% in 2020. But at a Senate hearing today, Le Maire said that figure had been revised substantially.
"We will probably be at more than the -2.2% in 2009. That shows the magnitude of the economic shock we are facing," he said.

Sweden opens new field hospital

Swedes remain freer than their neighbours in crisis
Sweden is opening a field hospital at a trade-fair complex in Stockholm, with capacity for 600 patients.
Initially the hospital in Aelvsjoe will take up to 140, to ease the pressure on the capital’s hospitals, as Covid-19 cases continue to rise. Sweden’s armed forces prepared the facility.
In Sweden, 401 people have died from coronavirus and there are 6,830 current cases, Johns Hopkins University reports.
More than half the deaths were in the Stockholm area.
Unlike neighbouring Denmark and Germany, Sweden has not imposed a lockdown, and there were still plenty of shoppers in the capital at the weekend.
The authorities have urged Swedes to: stay at home if they are over 70 or have viral symptoms; work from home if possible; avoid non-essential travel and avoid big groups. Social-distancing has been advised.
But Sweden’s more relaxed policy has left it looking isolated in Europe. Read more here.

Queen's message watched by 24 million

About 24 million people watched the Queen's address to the British public, overnight viewing figures show.
That was more than three times the viewership of her most recent Christmas address, which drew about 7.1 million.
She thanked frontline workers, called on the public to "remain united and resolute" and promised, "We will meet again".
The viewing figures make it the second most-watched television broadcast of 2020 so far, although it is not yet known how many watched online.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's statement announcing strict new measures to tackle coronavirus was watched by more than 27 million people.

Scientists turn coronavirus into music

If you've ever wondered what coronavirus might sound like, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have transposed the virus' structure into musical form.
The tune was generated by artificial intelligence, and the university says it will help researchers to spot details that they might miss under the microscope.
Professor Markus Buehler said he and his team have already used it to analyse the "vibrational structure" of coronavirus' spike proteins - the appendage that makes it especially contagious.
"Understanding these vibrational patterns is critical for drug design and much more," said Professor Buehler.

What's happening around the world

In case you're just joining us, here is some of the latest news:

• UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in hospital after being admitted on Sunday evening suffering from persistent symptoms of the virus.
  
• The daily number of deaths in Spain has fallen for a fourth consecutive day. Monday’s figure of 637 is the lowest recorded since 24 March.
  

• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly considering a request by Donald Trump to release stocks of hydroxychloroquine, a drug the US president has called a "game-changer", though experts are far more cautious.
  
• President Trump says he can see "light at the end of the tunnel", however, adviser Dr Anthony Fauci said the short-term outlook in the US is "really bad".
  
• Sweden is opening a field hospital in Stockholm, with capacity for 600 patients. The country, which is not in lockdown, has 6,830 current cases with 401 people dying.
  
• Barbados and Haiti have reported their first deaths. The Barbadian health ministry say an 81-year-old man has died after returning from a trip to the UK on 22 March. The man who died in Haiti was 55 years old and had an underlying health condition.
  
• Premier League footballers are set to begin negotiations over proposed wage cuts on a club-by-club basis.
  

Johnson in good spirits after comfortable night - spokesman
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in "good spirits" and had “a comfortable night” at St Thomas' Hospital in London, Downing Street has said.
Mr Johnson "remains in hospital under observation", the PM’s official spokesman told reporters.
"The PM spoke with a doctor and was able to set out that his symptoms remained persistent," he added. The spokesman described the symptoms as "a temperature and a cough".
On reports the prime minister has received oxygen treatment, the spokesman said he did not know the origin of those reports and urged caution.
The prime minister remains in charge of the government but the daily COVID-19 response meeting was taken this morning by Dominic Raab as First Secretary of State.
"He is receiving updates in hospital and continuing to receive a box," the spokesman said, referring to the ministerial red box with briefings and papers for sign-off.

England's chief medical officer back at work

England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty has returned to work after recovering from his coronavirus symptoms.
The 53-year-old announced on 27 March that he was self-isolating, shortly after Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock both confirmed they had tested positive.
Prof Whitty has appeared regularly at the government's daily news briefings.

Tube drivers should be given masks, says union

London Underground drivers should be given face masks and gloves to help protect them from contracting Covid-19, union leaders say.
The number of Tube journeys has fallen by more than 90% since the UK government advised people to only travel into work if absolutely necessary.
But amid reports that rush hour carriages remain busy, train drivers' union Aslef said the government should step in to help protect Tube drivers and TfL staff.
“By refusing to close non-essential workplaces, the government is endangering their safety and that of other key workers who rely on public transport," union official Finn Brennan said.
The demand follows news over the weekend that five bus workers in London have died with the virus.
Earlier, London Mayor Sadiq Khan pleaded with Londoners on Twitterto stay home and said the government's call for extra services was not possible due to the number of staff off sick or self-isolating.

England manager Southgate agrees to 30% pay cut

England manager Gareth Southgate is to take a 30% pay cut as one of the Football Association's highest earning employees.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said the total financial impact of the pandemic on English football's governing body is predicted to be around £100m but could rise to more than £150m.
The FA said it had proposed all staff earning over £50,000 take a temporary 7.5% pay cut, with senior management agreeing to cut their pay by 15% and the highest earners agreeing to reduce their pay by up to 30%.
Southgate signed a new contract in 2018, reportedly worth £3m per year.
Chief executive Mark Bullingham said these were "challenging times" and the FA did not "take these decisions lightly."
The government's furlough scheme is being looked at as a contingency plan.

The latest updates from Africa

• Kenya has banned travel in and out of capital Nairobi from Monday for three weeks
  
• Protesters in Abidjan, Ivory Coast have destroyed a coronavirus testing centre, saying it was built too close to their homes
  
• Video of a bride (with wedding dress and train) and groom in the back of a police car has emerged in South Africa - the couple were arrested alongside a priest and 40 wedding guests in KwaZulu-Natal - police confirmed that weddings were banned
  

• Ethiopia announced the deaths of a 60-year-old woman and 56-year-old man - the country's first since the virus was identified there on 12 March
  

• Rwanda's cabinet ministers and top officials will donate their April salaries to the fight against the epidemic
  
• Libya's former Prime Minister Mahmoud Jebril, has died from the virus - he was head of the National Transitional Council in 2011 which ousted dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi
  
• And in another case of leaders not following their own advice - Nigerian actress Funke Akindele, who appeared in a public health video about the virus, has been arrested after holding a party during lockdown
  

BT pledge to retain jobs

Britain's largest telecoms company, BT, has pledged not to fire or furlough any of its staff for the next three months.
Chief executive Philip Jansen, who tested positive for coronavirus in March, will also donate half his annual salary to charity and said the company will do “everything we can” to support its 84,000 UK employees.
“For the foreseeable future – at least the next three months – no BT, Openreach, EE or Plusnet colleague will lose their job as a result of the changing trading conditions. That’s a promise,” Mr Jansen wrote in a letter to staff.
While recruitment is on hold and managers’ salaries have been frozen, BT has reaffirmed its commitment to provide shares worth £500 to employees and frontline staff will also be given a 1.5% salary increase.
Mr Jansen’s donation to NHS charities and affected small businesses in his local community is reportedly worth over £500,000.

MP calls for investigation into 'false narratives'

The chair of the UK's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Julian Knight MP, has called on communications watchdog Ofcom to investigate concerns foreign state-backed news organisations are “disseminating false narratives” about Covid-19 through social media.
Earlier, the UK government criticised Russian state media use of “disinformation” after RIA Novosti reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on a ventilator.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “That is disinformation. Our specialist government units have seen a rise in false and misleading narratives since the coronavirus pandemic started.
"It’s vital that any disinformation is knocked down quickly.”

UK peak – when will it be?

David Shukman - Science Editor, BBC News
The scientists modelling the outbreak keep emphasising that there can be no certainty about the timing of what will happen next in the UK.
The current hope is the peak may be reached in seven to 10 days but that’s based on computer simulations, which rely on a host of assumptions.
In an email on Monday morning, one of the scientists told me that everything depended “on social distancing having the expected effect and remaining in place”.
Another big question is about the "shape" of the peak – whether it will be like a steep mountain or more of a plateau.
In one scenario, known as "most likely", there would be "a reasonably rapid decline following the peak but still not dropping to low levels for one to two months".
And in another, described as "reasonable worst case", the decline would be much slower and stretch out over several months.
In both scenarios, I’m told, social distancing would need to be kept in place – another reminder of the long haul ahead.

Golf's Open Championship cancelled

The tournament, one of golf's four Majors, was due to take place in July at Royal St George's in Kent but has been cancelled for the first time since World War Two.
Chief executive Martin Slumbers said organisers, the R&A, had "explored every option for playing the Open this year", but cancelling the tournament was the "right thing to do".
The sporting calendar has been decimated by the virus, with Euro 2020, which was scheduled to start in June, and the Tokyo Olympics, originally due to begin in July, among the events postponed.

Guardiola's mother dies after contracting coronavirus

The mother of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has died after contracting coronavirus.
Dolors Sala Carrió, 82, died in Barcelona, City said.
"Everyone associated with the club sends their most heartfelt sympathy at this most distressing time to Pep, his family and all their friends," the Premier League club added.
Spain has recorded one of the largest death tolls in the world: more than 13,000 people have died from the virus.
Last week Guardiola, who has been at home in Barcelona, donated 1m euros (£880,000) to fight the coronavirus outbreak in Spain.

Austria reveals plans to ease lockdown

Austria has set out plans to ease restrictions in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It is one of the first countries outside of Asia to do so.
Under the scheme, some shops will be able to reopen as early as next week but restaurants and bars will have to wait until May and it won't be until the end of June that large-scale public events, such as football matches, can take place.
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz also stressed loosening the restrictions depended on the public continuing to follow guidelines on social distancing.
Denmark is also likely to firm up a timetable for how it will end its lockdown, but, in an interview on Sunday, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned it would be some time before normal life resumes.

More than 400 new deaths confirmed in England

NHS England has confirmed that a further 403 people have died after contracting coronavirus, bringing the English death toll to 4,897.
The patients were aged between 35 and 106 years old. Of these 403 people, 15 had no known underlying health condition. The latest figures cover the period up until 17:00 on Sunday.
Elsewhere around the UK, 27 more people have died in Wales after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the overall death toll there to 193. Public Health Wales said another 302 cases have also been confirmed. As of 07:00 today, the total number of cases across Wales stands at 3,499.
In Scotland, two people have died in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 222. A further 255 patients have also tested positive there, taking the total numer of Scottish cases to 3,961, as of 14:00 today.
The UK's Department of Public Health is expected to release an update on coronavirus testing later this afternoon.

EU facing biggest test since its founding - Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the EU is facing its biggest challenge since its founding as it tackles the coronavirus outbreak.
She said it was essential that the bloc as a whole recovered, calling for the union to boost its ability to make vital protective gear for medical workers.
"Germany will only do well in the long run if Europe does well," she said, speaking after a cabinet meeting.
Germany has seen more than 100,000 infections - the fourth highest number in the world - and 1,590 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Chechen leader: 'I’d rather beat one person, than bury a thousand'

Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader of Chechnya, has emerged as the most hardline enforcer of social-distancing measures in Russia.
Following an incident in the Chechen town of Argun, where a policeman hit a man violating local quarantine rules, Kadyrov has praised the police officer and promised to reward him. "I’d rather beat one person, than bury a thousand," he said via Instagram.
So far Chechnya is the only region of Russia to introduce a curfew to stop the spread of coronavirus: from 8:00 to 20:00.
Last week, Kadyrov announced that Chechnya would ban entry into and exit from the region by land or air.
On Monday, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said regional leaders had no right to shut administrative borders.

What's happening in North America?

For those of you just joining us from the US and Canada, here are some of the latest developments:


• The US has reported more than 337,000 cases of coronavirus - more than the next two countries, Italy and Spain, combined. Meanwhile, Canada has seen more than 15,900 cases
  
• The US surgeon general warned that the coming week could be "the hardest and saddest of most Americans' lives", as the national death toll nears 10,000
  




• A new US government report
  


• says hospitals are experiencing "severe shortages of testing supplies" and "widespread shortages" of personal protective equipment (PPE), which is putting staff and patients at risk
  
• In Canada, the premier of Ontario province - which has about 42% of the country's population - said hospitals there would run out of PPE in a week
  
• In Texas, state troopers have begun stopping and screening drivers coming in from neighbouring Louisiana, requiring them to provide their personal details and observe a mandatory two-week quarantine
  
• The number of deaths in New York state dipped slightly on Sunday, to 594, compared to 630 on Saturday. However, Governor Andrew Cuomo said it was too early to tell if this was a pattern
  

5G conspiracy theories ‘complete rubbish’

We should be hearing from the UK government in the next few minutes.
In the meantime, read - and feel free to share - our Reality Check piece, debunking the myth that 5G technology spreads coronavirus.

Raab: Deliberate action by government

Dominic Raab says the government’s “step-by-step action plan” is aimed at slowing the spread of virus so fewer people need hospital treatment.
The foreign secretary says, at each point, the government has been following scientific and medical advice and has been “very deliberate” in its actions.
He confirms the number of deaths across the UK - which has now reached 5,373.
He pays tribute to those who have died and to all the front-line workers helping them.

Raab: Doing everything we can 'home and abroad'

Dominic Raab says the prime minister is still in hospital, but in "good spirits".
And he says the government is also still "united" in its leading of the crisis.
Moving on to his own department - the Foreign Office - he says the government has brought home 20,000 people from Spain, 13,000 from Egypt and 8,000 from Indonesia - along with another 2,000 people from seven other countries.
Mr Raab adds: "For those travellers still stuck abroad, we are doing everything we can to keep airports open, commercial flights [running] and to charter flights."
He continues: "Every arm of government is doing everything it possibly can to defeat the virus... both at home and abroad."
Mr Raab concludes his remarks by thanking the NHS for its "heroic work".

Stay-at-home measures 'are working'

Raab: PM is 'still in charge'

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg asks how the PM can be well enough to run the country if he is unwell enough to be in hospital.
Dominic Raab says the PM was admitted to hospital for tests "as a precaution" because of persistent symptoms.
But he repeats Mr Johnson had a "comfortable night" and is "still in charge".
Asked about the lockdown measures in place, Professor Dame Angela McLean says they need a "good long time series of data on all stages of infection to tell the impact of the measures".
She adds: "It is too early to tell yet. We need people to carry on following those instructions so we can work out three weeks later what happens in hospital."
Mr Raab adds that this is the "overriding focus of the government right now".

'Too early' to say when restrictions will end

There's another question about whether Boris Johnson should be doing more to rest whilst he is in hospital.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, again, says the prime minister is "in charge" and will take advice from his doctors.
Asked how long the current restrictions will have to continue, Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, says a "serious discussion" about this will only be possible once the peak of the virus has been reached.
He adds it is "too early" to say what should happen until this is known.

Whitty: Exit strategy is complicated

Asked again about Boris Johnson's health and whether he should rest rather than work, Professor Chris Whitty says his advice to the PM was "to take the medical advice of the excellent NHS doctors treating him".
He adds: "I did advise him to get tested in the first place, but after that I didn't wish to muddy my role with him."
The experts are also asked again about an exit strategy from the lockdown measures.
Dominic Raab says the planning is taking place, but adds: "The risk right now is if we take our focus off the strategy, which is beginning to work, we won't get through this peak as soon as we want to."
Prof Whitty says there are a "large number of technical elements" to look at for that strategy, such as vaccines, drugs and testing.
But there are also the other ill-health effects of the virus, such as making sure emergency care is still accessible, and the socioeconomic impacts.
"We have have to balance all of these different elements and it is a complicated set," he says.

Important to have spare hospital beds - Whitty

There's a question about whether the number of intensive care beds that will be required in London could be lower than had been expected.
Prof Chris Whitty says it is important to always "have some room to spare" and having extra beds "would be a success".
He says having "headroom" for intensive care is part of the strategy.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says the government is "not at all complacent".

PM's health between him and his doctors - Whitty

Prof Whitty again says it was not him who told the PM to go to hospital.
Asked if the PM could have pneumonia, he adds: "This is a question for him and his medical advisers, who are outstanding.
"I am absolutely not going to discuss any individual patient and I do not have the full details, nor should I."

Working antibody tests 'will take a while' - Whitty

There's a question about when the government is planning to roll out the antibody tests it has ordered to tell people if they have had the virus.
Prof Chris Whitty says the tests are more effectively used in the "later stage of the epidemic".
It is "not particularly surprising" that the initial results have not provided a viable test given that the virus is new, he says.
He adds it will "take a while" before the tests reach their "optimal performance".

Raab: Must not take eye off the ball

The reporters are not letting up on questions on the PM's health.
But all Dominic Raab reveals is the last time he spoke to the PM was on Saturday.
Prof Whitty says some patients are able to work from their hospital beds, and others aren't, but again says it is up to the PM's doctors - and he isn't one of them.
Pushed about businesses wanting to know about exit strategy, Mr Raab says he understand the challenges being faced by firms and their workforces.
But, he adds: "The risk is if we start to take our eye off the ball tackling coronavirus and getting through the peak... we risk delaying the point [when we can start] easing measures.
"It would undermine business confidence if we took our foot off the pedal, eased up and found we were not stopping spread of disease as fast as we could."
He appeals again to the public to adhere to social distancing guidelines and to stay at home.

Ministers in contact with banks, says Raab

Asked what the government can do to make sure banks continue to lend to businesses.
Dominic Raab says the chancellor will set out further details on the government's support for businesses "as soon as practical".
He adds that the government is in "regular contact" with the banks and is keen to ensure otherwise viable firms are supported.
Ministers are keen to ensure small businesses in particular "see their way though this crisis".

What did we learn from today's UK government press conference?

Today's UK press conference was chaired by Dominic Raab, de facto deputy prime minister, as Boris Johnson remains in hospital with coronavirus.
He was joined by the government's chief medical adviser, Chris Whitty, and his deputy Dame Angela McLean. Here's what they told us:

• The government has repatriated thousands of Britons who were travelling or working abroad
  
• The medical experts believe the restrictions imposed by the government are working, but it is too early to tell when they might end. We do not yet know when the peak of cases will be
  
• The prime minister is working from hospital but will continue to follow medical advice. Mr Raab last spoke to him on Saturday
  
• Dr Whitty expressed confidence in the development of antibody tests to tell who has had the disease, but we are not there yet and "it will take a while" to reach the optimal design
  

Uneasy time for UK government

Jonathan Blake - BBC political correspondent
Never has Boris Johnson been more notable by his absence.
The man nominated to take charge should the prime minister be too ill to carry on, Dominic Raab, led today's news conference from Downing Street.
His slow, deliberate and at times stilted delivery couldn't be more different to the prime minister's off-the cuff, chummy style.
Question after question came about Johnson's condition, but very little in the way of detail came in Raab's answers.
He repeated the now-familiar line that his boss had gone to hospital as a precaution, was in good spirits and "continues to lead the government".
That last phrase falls into the category of being significant purely because it has to be said.
It was also revealing to hear Raab had last spoken to the prime minister on Saturday, despite reassurances that ministers were working "full throttle" to carry out his instructions.
These are undoubtedly uneasy times for the government and the longer Boris Johnson stays in hospital, the more difficult things will get.

Italy death toll jumps again

Some bad news now from Italy.
The country has seen the daily death toll fall in recent days but on Monday went back up again, with 636 deaths reported - a jump of more than 100 from the previous day.
The infection rate is still slowing, though, with 3,599 new cases, a growth of 2.8%.

Graduate doctor goes straight to Italy's front line

Kenneth William Pesenti, 26, graduated in medicine from the University of Genoa in Italy just two weeks ago. Since then he has been working with the Italian Red Cross in Bergamo, one of the worst hit areas of the country.
"What we saw there is probably the closest I will ever see to an actual war zone.
"We went to rescue a lady whose mother had died the same day and she was showing the same symptoms.
"Another guy we rescued, his wife burst out in tears saying she had seen the same scene from a neighbour, where the people in white come and take your loved one away and then they never see them again, not even for the funeral.
"It’s a bit haunting.
"I graduated exactly two weeks ago. We graduated via webcam. I explained my thesis via webcam and then I celebrated via webcam with my family and friends.
"It was absolutely not what I was expecting to be doing within a week of graduating ... but I’ve been preparing for this for the last six years of my life."

Could things be improving in New York?

New York state has more than 122,000 coronavirus cases - about a third of all the cases in the US - and the daily news briefings from Governor Andrew Cuomo have become required viewing for many.
In today's briefing, Mr Cuomo said social distancing appeared to be working, with the death rate "flat for two days in a row", and both the number of hospital admissions, and people in intensive care, going down.
This "would suggest a possible flattening of the curve", he said, adding: "It is hopeful but it is also inconclusive, and it still depends on what we do... and how successful we are at social distancing."
Mr Cuomo also said:

• Schools and non-essential businesses would stay closed until at least 29 April
  
• He was going to ask President Donald Trump whether the hospital navy ship sent to New York, the USNS Comfort, could be used for coronavirus patients, to help relieve overloaded local hospitals. Currently, the ship is just designated for non-coronavirus patients
  
• There was a "danger is getting over-confident too quickly" and loosening social distancing measures too soon. "Hong Kong has made that mistake, South Korea has made that mistake. We're not going to make that mistake," he said.
  

JK Rowling 'fully recovered' after Covid-19 symptoms

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has revealed that she has been showing "all symptoms" of coronavirus over the last fortnight.
In a Twitter post, Ms Rowling said that she was now "fully recovered".
She added that a video posted by doctors at Queen's Hospital in east London, on how to relieve respiratory symptomshad "helped a lot" during her illness.
Her husband - a doctor - had recommended it to her.

UK care worker named as suspected Covid-19 victim

A care worker in Manchester is suspected to have been infected with coronavirus before her death last week.
Mother-of-two Carol Jamabo, 56, who worked as a carer for Cherish Elderly Care in Bury, died at Salford Royal Hospital on Wednesday.
Her family said she fell ill about a week before her death, and her youngest son - who had been living with her - has tested positive for the virus.
Ms Jamabo moved to the UK from Nigeria in the early 1990s and had previously worked in the prison service and as an NHS administrator at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London.
Her nephew Dakuro Fiberesima, from Purfleet in Essex, said she was "just an amazing aunt".
"Growing up in an African background, the aunts are very strict, but she was fun and had such a positive character," he added.

'The challenge is not to lose anyone who could have been saved'

More from the briefing by New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo.
He says the number of deaths is "frightening". He added he has kept a sense of perspective by talking to his daughters, who are "frankly wiser than myself sometimes".
"We like to think we can fix everything - we can't... the undeniable truth here is that this virus is a deadly enemy, and we will lose people who are vulnerable to the virus," says Mr Cuomo.
"The challenge is to make sure we don't lose anyone who could have been saved if our healthcare system was operating fully."
"We're also very aware of the mental health aspect of this situation, the stress, the isolation that this has caused. People are trying in their own way to grapple with what this means."
He added that mindfulness app Headspace was offering free resources to New Yorkers, while the state also had an emotional support hotline.

Highest daily death toll in France since epidemic began

France has reported 833 deaths in 24 hours, its highest since the outbreak began.
The figure includes people who died in hospitals and nursing homes.
The total number of fatalities from coronavirus there now stands at 8,911 - the third highest in the world after Italy and Spain.
"We have not yet reached the end of the ascent of this epidemic," Health Minister Olivier Véran said.

Canada tells people to start wearing non-surgical masks

Canada's chief public health officer is now telling people to wear non-surgical masks out in public.
Dr Theresa Tam told media that there was evidence that the virus can be transmitted by people without symptoms or just before they develop symptoms.
She cautioned that while there was no evidence that a mask can protect the wearer, it may prevent the wearer from spreading the virus to others.
The about-face in policy is similar to the one issued by the US Center for Disease Control last week.
She cautioned that people should not wear surgical masks, which must be saved for front-line workers.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his province would run out of personal protective equipment, including masks, within a week.
The issue has been compounded by Donald Trump's order halting shipments of masks to Canada. Mr Ford said a shipment of three million medical masks was blocked from coming into the country at the US border.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that several shipments coming from abroad had been delayed or were missing equipment.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland cautioned the US that the market was a "two-way street", and that Canada also shipped necessary supplies across the border.

US death toll passes 10,000

More than 10,000 people have now died from coronavirus in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking the pandemic. The death toll is currently 10,335, with more than 347,000 confirmed cases in the US.

Turkey to post five masks a week to some residents

Policies concerning masks vary from country to country. In Turkey, the government says it will post five masks a week to anyone aged 20-65 who requests them.
The government's Sewing Factory Department normally makes military uniforms - but is now producing one million masks and 5,000 items of protective clothing a week.
People aged under 20 or over 65 are under curfew, apart from some workers.
The country has more than 27,000 confirmed cases - the ninth highest in the world - and 574 deaths.
On Monday it imposed strict new measures.

Tributes to 'wonderful' care worker

Tributes have been paid to a care worker who died in Scotland over the weekend after contracting coronavirus.
The family of Catherine Sweeney said the "wonderful mother, sister, and beloved aunty" had worked as a home carer for over twenty years.
"She was a caring and generous person, especially when it came to her time," the family added.
"After a life time of service to the community, we know she will be sorely missed, not just by her loving family, but by many others for her incredible warmth, care, and dedication."
"We want to thank the doctors and nurses who heroically looked after her in her final days".

What's the latest from Asia?

• The numbers of doctors who have died after contracting coronavirus in Indonesia has doubled to 24 in a week, says the Indonesian Doctors Association. A total of 209 people have died in Indonesia as a result of the virus so far - the highest death toll in south-east Asia after China
  
• India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top government officials - including MPs - have agreed to take a 30% pay cut for this year as the country battles the coronavirus outbreak. The announcement comes almost two weeks into a three-week lockdown, which has left millions without work
  
• Japan is preparing to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and six other prefectures - potentially as soon as tomorrow. It follows a spike in cases. You can read the full story here
  
• Jacinda Ardern has said New Zealand will not be coming out of lockdown early, despite promising signs the current measures were working. Monday saw just 67 news cases reported. She also reassured the nation's children that the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy were, indeed, essential workers - although they might have a little more trouble than usual completing their deliveries
  

‘From Russia with love’ aid for Serbia

Russian military specialists are helping Serbia to disinfect medical facilities, as the Balkan state - a candidate for EU membership - battles coronavirus.
Russian military transport planes went on a similar mission to northern Italy last month. And another Russian plane took medical supplies to New York.
The Kremlin has dubbed its emergency aid “from Russia with love”. But critics suspect Russia of using the crisis to score some propaganda points, as we reported here.
Russia is historically a close ally of Serbia and it does not recognise Kosovo’s independence from Serbia.
But Russia’s crisis mission can also be seen as a challenge to the EU, which is preparing to let Serbia join the bloc.
Serbia has imposed a strict lockdown: its borders are closed and it has a curfew. Its official toll is 51 dead and 1,908 current Covid-19 cases.

Militants cooperate over coronavirus

The coronavirus is having an unusual impact in the Sahara desert where it has prompted some rebel and government forces in the remote city of Kidal, in Mali, to co-operate, in order to make preparations for quarantine stations.
Mali has been wrestling for years with a separatist rebellion, and more recently with a dramatic upsurge in attacks by Islamist groups.
Speaking to me from Kidal, the separatist rebel leader, Bilal ag Acherif, outlined plans to unite to fight a common enemy.
He said more joined-up action was needed against the virus.
But that new spirit of co-operation stretches only so far. Islamist militancy has engulfed the wider region, forcing more than a million people to flee their homes in recent years.
A Malian army base in another town on the edge of the Sahara was attacked overnight.
If anything, the violence now appears to be escalating, with Islamist militant groups seeing the virus – and its accompanying lockdowns – as an opportunity to exploit.
Read more here.

The latest from Europe

Monday's figures from Europe suggest the strict measures brought in to tackle the outbreak may be having an effect. Here’s the latest:

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the EU is facing its biggest challenge since its founding as it tackles the coronavirus outbreak
  
• The death toll in Italy rose by 636, higher than the reported figure on Sunday. But infections slowed again, with the number of new cases dropping sharply to its lowest one-day increase since 17 March. Italy remains the worst affected country worldwide in terms of deaths, with the total official toll now up at 16,523
  
• In Spain, which has the highest number of confirmed cases in Europe, the daily death toll was 637 on Monday – the lowest number since 24 March. Official figures also showed the infection rate was decreasing
  
• Austria has become one of the first countries outside Asia to announce plans to ease its lockdown measures. Though bars and restaurants will stay shut, some shops will be able to reopen next week – although Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said people would still have to abide by social distancing rules. From Monday all Austrians must now wear face masks in supermarkets – you can read more about it here
  
• But the crisis is far from over. Confirmed cases of the virus are rising sharply in Turkey, where 31 cities have been shut to all but essential travel and where the young, old and chronically ill have all been placed under curfew. However, most people are still going to work, and despite increasing restrictions critics are calling for a nationwide lockdown like elsewhere in Europe
  

Netanyahu announces Passover lockdown

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a national lockdown, from Tuesday to Friday, over the Jewish holiday of Passover.
In a televised address, he said this means people will have to stay at home on Wednesday evening, instead of travelling to traditional "Seder" meals.

Boris Johnson moved to intensive care

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved into intensive care in a London hospital.

No 10: Condition of PM has 'worsened'

The UK PM first tested positive for coronavirus 10 days ago, experiencing what his team called "mild symptoms".
However, earlier today, his spokesman said the symptoms had become "persistent", and he was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital on Sunday evening.
A statement from Downing Streets says: “Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the prime minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital.
“The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary.
“The PM is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication."

Why are some US states not in lockdown?

At least 300 million Americans - approximately 90% of the population - have been told to stay at home. And last week, the nation's top infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, said he believed all states should issue stay-at-home orders.
So why isn't the whole of the US under lockdown? It's partly because a lot of political power in the US is decentralised - and it's down to individual state governments to issue stay-at-home orders.
So far, the governors of nine states have so far stopped short of asking all residents to remain indoors. Those states are Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming, while Oklahoma has only ordered older and vulnerable residents to stay home.
Many of those governors argue that the outbreak is not as serious in their states - or that the decision is best left to local officials in individual cities and counties.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, for example, said that "a targeted approach is what is working for us... people are misled by this idea that this stay-at-home order is magical".
Meanwhile, South Dakota Governor, Kristi Noem, said "South Dakota is not New York City". She added: "The people themselves are primarily responsible for their safety. They are the ones that are entrusted with expansive freedoms."

No longer business as usual in Downing Street

Laura Kuenssberg - BBC political editor
After very, very little information was shared today, the prime minister was taken into intensive care at around 19:00 BST (18:00 GMT) tonight.
We've been told he is still conscious, but his condition has worsened over the course of the afternoon.
And he has been moved to intensive care as a precaution in case he needs ventilation to get through this illness.
The statement from Downing Street makes clear he is receiving excellent care and he wants to thank all of the NHS staff.
But something important has changed, and he has felt it necessary to ask his foreign secretary to deputise for him where needs be.
That is a completely different message from what we have heard in the last 18 hours or so, where it was continually "the prime minister is in touch" and "he is in charge" - almost like everything is business as usual.
But clearly being in intensive care changes everything.

Former Tory leader 'shocked' at PM's move to ICU

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith says he is "shocked" at the news Boris Johnson has been moved into intensive care.
He tells BBC News: "He is a friend and, as prime minister, it is a bad moment. It is a bad moment for anybody.
"I am deeply saddened it should have come to this."
Sir Iain says the PM has "obviously worked like mad to come through this and it has not worked so far".
But he adds it "doesn't mean he won't pull through this".
He tells us: "Let's hope and pray that Boris will pull through."

Denmark to start easing restrictions next week

We reported earlier that Austria is considering lifting some of its coronavirus restrictions.
Now Denmark has announced plans to re-open nurseries and primary schools from next week, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says.
However, it will only happen if the number of current infections remains constant and if people respect existing restrictions, she warned.

Politicians send well wishes to UK PM

Well wishes have been coming in from all sides of the political spectrum in the UK after the news Boris Johnson has been moved into intensive care.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak tweeted: “My thoughts tonight are with Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds [the PM's fiancee]. I know he’ll be getting the best care possible and will come out of this even stronger.”
Scotland's First Minister and leader of the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon, tweeted: “My thoughts are with the PM and his family – sending him every good wish.”
The Labour Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, tweeted that he was "praying for the prime minister’s swift recovery". He said St Thomas' Hospital has "some of the finest medical staff in the world", adding "he couldn’t be in safer hands”.
Lib Dem MP Layla Moran tweeted: "My thoughts are with Boris Johnson, Carrie Symonds and anyone who is or whose family is in a bad way due to Covid-19". She said it "must be so scary", before adding: "I hope the government can now stop this pretence that all is fine and concentrate on getting him well and reassure the country."
And Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage tweeted: "I hope and pray for Boris Johnson to come through this ordeal quickly."

Boris Johnson in intensive care - What we know so far

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to intensive care in London's St Thomas hospital on Monday evening, officials said.
Here's a summary of what we know:

• Mr Johnson, who is 55, was admitted to hospital on Sunday night, after experiencing coronavirus symptoms for 10 days
  
• After his symptons worsened on Monday, he was admitted to intensive care "as a precaution" - he is said to be conscious
  

• Foreign Secretary Dominic Rabb will deputise, running the government in Mr Johnson's absence
  
• A tweet on the prime minister's account earlier on Monday said he was in "good spirits" and in touch with "his team"
  
• Mr Johnson's partner Carrie Symonds, who is pregnant, is currently recovering from coronavirus symptoms
  
• British politicans and international leaders have sent their best wishes to the prime minister, including Labour leader Keir Starmer, who tweeted "[this is] terribly sad news. My thoughts are with the Prime Minister and his family during this incredibly difficult time"
  

Who takes charge when a prime minister falls ill?

The UK does not have a formal constitutional role of a deputy or caretaker prime minister to step in if he or she is incapacitated, says the Institute for Government (IoG).
However, the prime minister usually designates someone to perform his duties, were something to happen.
At the beginning of the outbreak, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was announced as the UK's "designated survivor". Downing Street has confirmed he is now taking charge where he is needed.
The IoG says, were a prime minister to die in office and there was a majority government (as there is now), it would be up to the cabinet to recommend an immediate successor to the Queen.
But we are nowhere near that point, with No 10 saying Boris Johnson has been moved to intensive care as a precaution.

Nato leader sends 'get well soon' message

Jensstoltenberg:
My thoughts are with my friend Boris Johnson. Lots of strength, Boris, and get well soon!

Johnson an 'extraordinary man' - MP

Andrew Murrison, a Tory MP, has been speaking to BBC News. He said: "Boris has been working heroically over the past seven days despite his deteriorating condition. He is an extraordinary man and I am very sure he is going to pull through from this."
He said the latest news was "devastating" but added: "I don't think we should jump to any conclusions. I suspect the doctors will want to monitor him closely in the way that is only really possible on ICU.
"I know he's in the very best of hands at St Thomas' and of course we all wish him well for a speedy recovery."
Asked whether the PM should've stepped back from duties earlier to focus on recovery, Mr Murrison, who is a doctor, said: "That's not the nature of the man. He's a selfless individual with a very strong sense of public service so I don't think it would be in his nature to step back."

What does coronavirus do to the body?

With news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now in intensive care with coronavirus, you might be wondering how the infection affects the body.
While most people experience mild symptoms, the virus can seriously compromise a patient's health. When the disease progresses, it is due to the immune system overreacting to the virus. Inflammation of the lungs is called pneumonia.
Read more here.

More leaders 'pray for speedy recovery'

Political leaders and their predecessors across the UK are joining the swell of good wishes for Boris Johnson.
Former Tory PM David Cameron tweeted: "You are in great hands and we all want you safe, well and back in 10 Downing Street."
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said his thoughts were with the PM and his family, adding: "Thanks to the NHS staff for their hard work and dedication.”
His successor, Sir Keir Starmer, tweeted: "Terribly sad news. All the country’s thoughts are with the prime minister and his family during this incredibly difficult time."
Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster tweeted: “On behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive, I send our best wishes to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Praying for a full and speedy recovery.”
And Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford said it was "concerning news", adding: "My thoughts are with him and his family."

Macron sends his 'full support'

The French president has tweeted his reaction to the news.
Emmanuel Macron's tweet, in French, reads: "My full support for Boris Johnson, his family and the British people at this difficult time. I hope he overcomes this ordeal quickly."

Raab: 'Strong team spirit' behind PM

Dominic Raab is now deputising for the UK prime minister


Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tells the BBC he will deputise for the PM "where necessary in driving forward the government's plans to defeat coronavirus".
He says Boris Johnson has been receiving "excellent care" at St Thomas' Hospital in London and says the government wants to thank all NHS staff across the country for the work they are doing during the outbreak.
Asked by the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg how worried the public should be about a functioning government, Mr Raab says the focus will continue to be on making sure the "prime minister's direction and all the plans for making sure we can defeat coronavirus and pull the country through this challenge will be taken forward".
He adds: "There is an incredibly strong team spirit behind the prime minister and making sure that we get all of the plans that the prime minister has instructed us to deliver... implemented as soon as possible."

Boris Johnson 'needs to rest' - former top civil servant

Sir Gus O'Donnell, who served as the UK's top civil servant under three British PMs, says Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will have to take decisions, with the cabinet, in Boris Johnson's absence.
He says ideally important decisions would be deferred, but in these fast-moving times, "I suspect some decisions will have to be made".
He adds that in his experience, if prime ministers were away, they would want to be informed if "something serious came up".
“They did not want the decisions delegated because they knew they’d have to live with the consequences," he adds.
But he says in this case “clearly he needs to rest”, and others should take over the government's response to the virus

Intensive care gives clear indication on PM's health

James Gallagher - Health and science correspondent, BBC News
Intensive care is where doctors look after the sickest patients – so Boris Johnson's admission to ICU is the clearest indication of how ill the prime minister is.
We do not know the full details of his condition, but we have been told he is conscious and not being ventilated.
Not every patient in intensive care is ventilated, but around two-thirds are within 24 hours of admission with Covid-19.
This is a disease that attacks the lungs and can cause pneumonia and difficulty breathing.
This leaves the body struggling to get enough oxygen into the blood and to the body’s vital organs.
There is no proven drug treatment for Covid-19, although there are many experimental candidates.
But the cornerstone of the prime minister’s care will depend on getting enough oxygen into his body and supporting his other organs while his immune system fights the virus.

Queen being kept informed by No 10

Last night, the Queen was on our screens sending a message of comfort to the public during the coronavirus crisis.
Now she is hearing the news her prime minister has been moved into intensive care.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman says she is being been kept informed by Downing Street about Boris Johnson’s condition.

'Thoughts and prayers' from PM's predecessor and others

Theresa May:
My thoughts and prayers are with @BorisJohnson and his family as he continues to receive treatment in hospital.

This horrific virus does not discriminate. Anyone can get it. Anyone can spread it. Please #StayHomeSaveLives

Mrs May was the UK's prime minister before Boris Johnson took over in July 2019.
Well wishes have also come from Ireland's deputy prime minister, Simon Coveney, and Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez.

Simon Coveney:
Everyone in Ireland is tonight wishing @BorisJohnson well. This is a difficult time for the UK and it’s Govt. We in #Ireland wish the PM a speedy recovery.

Pedro Sánchez:
Mi solidaridad y deseos de una pronta recuperación para el primer ministro @BorisJohnson. Son días difíciles para nuestros países, pero desde la fortaleza y unidad lograremos vencer esta batalla.
Un abrazo a todo el pueblo británico.#EsteVirusLoParamosUnidos #StrongerTogether

Mr Sanchez's tweet reads: "My solidarity and wishes for a speedy recovery for the Prime Minister Boris Johnson. These are difficult days for our countries, but with strength and unity we will be able to win this battle. A hug to all the British people."

When was the last time a PM was out of action?

Tony Blair was admitted to hospital in 2003
It is not common for a political leader to be hospitalised with a serious condition preventing him or her from running the country.
The last time this happened in the UK was October 2003 when Prime Minister Tony Blair was taken ill with concerns about his heart. He was kept in hospital for nearly five hours, and was sedated for 20 minutes for a procedure called cardioversion.
He returned fully to work two days after hospital admission. The foreign secretary at the time gave a statement to the House of Commons in place of the prime minister.
And in 1983, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had an hour-long eye operation to reattach the damaged retina of her right eye.
Famously, Prime Minister Anthony Eden suffered long-term ill health, and in 1957 resigned due to his gall bladder condition.

Ivanka Trump sends best wishes

While the White House hasn't formally responded to news that Boris Johnson is in intensive care, Donald Trump's daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump, has tweeted that her "thoughts and prayers" are with Mr Johnson.

Ivanka Trump:
My thoughts and prayers are with @BorisJohnson and his family.

Godspeed Mr. Prime Minister!

Raab 'faces daunting challenge' as PM's stand-in

Theresa Villiers, who was serving in the cabinet alongside Dominic Raab until February, told BBC Radio 5 Live the foreign secretary now faces a "daunting challenge”.
She says that he will be reassured that in his current role he will have had to take “very similar sensitive decisions”.
But she adds: “Even with that experience under his belt, it will be a daunting situation he’s tackling as the prime minister’s deputy."

What is a ventilator and what does it do?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in intensive care, which is where ventilators are used. He is not currently on a ventilator, but here's an explanation of how they work.
A ventilator takes over the body's breathing process when disease has caused the lungs to fail.
This gives the patient time to fight off the infection and recover.
Various types of medical ventilation can be used.

Raab will have to make the big decisions

Nick Eardley - Political correspondent
The government has said throughout this crisis that ministers are being guided by the latest science.
Every morning they hold a call with top medical and scientific experts - dubbed the "war cabinet".
Dominic Raab chaired that meeting this morning and will continue to do so while the PM is in hospital.
There won't be any change to the strategy.
But what Boris Johnson has done is told his foreign secretary to make the big decisions while he can't.
That is likely to involve taking responsibility on matters like security and foreign affairs, and, as foreign secretary, Mr Raab has experience on this front.
But Mr Raab, if necessary, will have to make big calls about the government's reaction to this crisis.
And that could involve financial decisions.
Tory MPs I've been speaking to in the last hour are in a state of shock, while cabinet ministers were briefed this evening on a conference call.
The political world is unsurprisingly united tonight in wishing Boris Johnson a speedy recovery.

PM was given oxygen before being taken to intensive care

Boris Johnson was given oxygen before being taken into intensive care on Monday afternoon, the BBC's Chris Mason reports.
Not much has been released as to the prime minister's condition, but Number 10's statement earlier said he had "worsened" after suffering persistent symptoms of the coronavirus.

White House due to give coronavirus briefing

The White House coronavirus task force is due to give its daily press briefing shortly. President Donald Trump nearly always speaks at these briefings, as do Vice-President Mike Pence and health experts Deborah Birx and Anthony Fauci.
Last week, the White House used the briefings to explain government projections that the number of coronavirus deaths could range from 100,000 to 240,000, and to discuss new guidance that advised all Americans to wear cloth face-coverings in public.
Mr Trump has recently been urging the public to take the outbreak seriously - although critics have also accused him of using the briefings as a political platform.

PM would be 'hugely frustrated' about having to step back - Harri

Guto Harri, Boris Johnson's communications director when he was mayor of London, has spoken to BBC News.
"There has tragically been quite clearly a deterioration that is quite significant for him to now have to succumb to intensive care and to have to deputise formally to the foreign secretary," he said.
Mr Harri said in the four years he worked for Mr Johnson, "I don't think he was ill once" and said the PM would be "hugely frustrated" that he cannot now take the lead.
"I think what's clearly happened over the last few weeks, there have been enormous decisions about lives and livelihoods… and he'd have felt that the important thing was he was out there, he was seen to lead from the front and he probably wouldn't have slept well and would have been working too hard."

PM's fiancée 'on the mend' after coronavirus symptoms

Carrie Symonds and Boris Johnson announced their engagement in February

While Boris Johnson has been unwell with coronavirus, so has his fiancée, Carrie Symmonds.
She confirmed via Twitter over the weekend that she had spent a week in bed with the main symptoms, isolating away from the PM, but said she felt "stronger" and was "on the mend".
However, she also had the extra concern of being pregnant.
The couple announced in February they were expecting their first child together in the early summer, and were engaged.
She said having coronavirus while being pregnant was "obviously worrying", but advised other expectant mothers to follow the "reassuring guidance" from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Prayers from Archbishop of Canterbury and others

More well wishes are being tweeted for Boris Johnson - including from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who wrote: "Hope to see you back at Number 10 soon."
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, wished him a "speedy recovery", as did EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who also sent thoughts to Johnson's family.
And the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the most senior cleric in the Church of England, invited the public to join in prayer.

Archbishop of Canterbury:
The news that our Prime Minister has been moved to intensive care deepens our compassion for all who are seriously ill and for those caring for them. I invite all people of faith to join me in praying for @BorisJohnson and his loved ones.

Pound drops in reaction to Boris Johnson's worsening health

The pound dropped against the dollar and the euro on Monday after the news that the British prime minister had been admitted to intensive care in a hospital in London.
"Markets hate uncertainty and this does not bode well for further steps in battling COVID-19 and for future Brexit trade negotiations," explained senior market analyst Edward Moya at Oanda Corporation.

Raab: Thanks to NHS staff

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is standing in for Boris Johnson, says the government is working to carry out the prime minister's decisions.

Power is no protection from harm

Laura Kuenssberg - BBC political editor
After a day in a strange vacuum, an official statement emerged from Downing Street just after 20:00 BST.
Having struggled to shake off symptoms, and having been taken to hospital 24 hours before, the prime minister had been moved into intensive care, No 10 announced.
It has been clear for many days that Mr Johnson was taking far longer to recover than had initially been expected.
He regularly popped up on social media to say - in customary bombastic tone - that he was suffering mild symptoms and was following advice.
Even this morning No 10 was insisting that he was still receiving red boxes full of government business and was in touch with his team.
But obviously, with his health deteriorating on Monday afternoon, the view of his condition changed.
Read more from Laura here.

Trump wishes 'good friend' Boris Johnson well

The White House coronavirus task force briefing has begun.
President Donald Trump begins by saying America "sends prayers to the people of New York, New Jersey and the whole country".
Then he expresses his concern for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying he wants to "send best wishes to a very good friend of mine and a friend of our nation".
He says he was "sad to hear he was taken into intensive care a while ago. Americans are all praying for his recovering, he’s been a really good friend". He adds that Boris Johnson is "resolute, doesn’t quit, doesn’t give up".
He adds: "We've contacted all of Boris's doctors... when you get brought into intensive care, that gets very, very serious."

US cities struggling with the numbers of dead

More than 10,000 people in the US have died from coronavirus, and some local officials say they are struggling to store and bury the bodies.
In New York City, the chair of the city council's health committee, Mark D Levine, tweeted that hospitals are now forced to rely on refrigerated trailers to hold bodies. The city was preparing contingency plans in case the death rate didn't fall, including temporarily burying bodies in a local park, he said.
The tweet caused a stir, and since then, the mayor's office has said it is not currently planning to use local parks as burial grounds, but is exploring using Hart Island for temporary burials instead. The island is an uninhabited strip of land north-east of the Bronx which is used for mass burials.
Meanwhile, in New Orleans, which has over 4,560 cases and 170 deaths, the mayor has asked the federal government to provide more refrigerated units to store bodies, because morgues, coroners officers and funeral homes are overwhelmed.
One funeral director told Nola.com: “I’ve been a funeral director since 1962, and I’ve never seen this.”

Trump says 'critical needs being met'

Here are more updates from President Donald Trump's press briefing with the coronavirus task force.
Mr Trump said he had agreed with the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's request that the USNS Comfort - a navy hospital ship - could be used to treat coronavirus patients.
He also highlighted efforts to distribute and produce more personal protective equipment for health workers - saying government departments had distributed 1.7m N95 respirator masks, and 26.5m surgical masks. He also said he had reached an agreement with 3M, a major mask manufacturer whom he had a row with last week, to supply 165m masks for frontline healthcare workers.
Trump said he was "being told most of the critical needs are being more than met".
However, a US government report published todaysaid that hospitals were experiencing "severe shortages of testing supplies" and "widespread shortages" of personal protective equipment (PPE), while an AP news investigation said that the government waited until mid-March to place bulk orders of protecting equipment - losing almost two months of valuable time.

Nadia the tiger getting some TLC

A few hours ago we reported that Nadia, a four-year-old tiger at the Bronx Zoo, had tested positive for coronavirus.
The zoo has given an update and it seems that Nadia and six other big cats showing symptoms are on the mend.
"A little TLC by the keepers taking care of them, some anti-inflammatory medications," Paul Calle, chief veterinarian for the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo, told Reuters.
He said all had mild illnesses and were likely to recover.
Nadia was the only one tested because veterinarians wanted to minimise the number of animals they anaesthetised.
There have been cases of pets contracting the virus but experts say there is no evidence they can spread the disease.

Trump: US 'has performed 1.79m tests'

President Trump said the US had "now performed 1.79m tests" - adding that "nobody has done more testing" and that he believed the US had "more [coronavirus] cases [than other countries] because we have more tests".
The US has lagged behind other countries in testing until recently. President Trump also highlighted his administration's efforts to help state governments, maintaining that some governors sound "very happy" during discussions with his administration.
"They may see you [the media] and say 'ooh, we're not happy' - but they're very happy on the phone," Mr Trump said.
He has recently hit back at Democratic state governors who have criticised the federal government's response to the outbreak.

Trump had 'wonderful' conversation with Biden

President Trump says he had a positive phone call with former US Vice-President Joe Biden, the Democratic White House candidate who looks likely to challenge him in November's election.
We "had a really wonderful, warm conversation... he gave me his point of view and I fully understood that. We just had a very friendly conversation, which lasted probably 15 minutes, and it was really good... I appreciate his calling," says Trump.
Joe Biden's campaign said Mr Biden "shared several suggestions for actions the administration can take now to address the ongoing coronavirus pandemic".
However, when asked for details, Mr Trump refrained from giving specifics, only saying he didn't necessarily agree with all of Mr Biden's suggestions.

Trump 'may get involved' in Navy row

President Trump was asked to comment on a row in the Navy, after the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Brett Crozier, was fired for sending a letter urging Navy officials to help halt a coronavirus outbreak on board the aircraft carrier.
The acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said on Sunday that Capt Crozier was “too naive or too stupid” to command the ship.
Mr Trump said “that was a rough statement” from Secretary Modly, but “the letter shouldn’t have been sent”.
He added that he had “heard very good things about both gentlemen” and that he “may just get involved… believe it or not I’m good at settling arguments”

Who's in charge in the UK if Johnson is incapacitated?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked his foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, to deputise "where necessary".
But the UK has an unwritten constitution, so the formal rules of what should happen if the PM becomes incapacitated are unclear.
Would Mr Raab be allowed to make cabinet appointments, for example? And would he be allowed to control the UK's nuclear missiles?
Our political analyst, Peter Barnes, has some ideas about how things might play out.
You can read them here.

Hong Kong airport extends ban on foreign arrivals

Hong Kong international Airport has extended its ban on foreign arrivals for the foreseeable future.
All non-Hong Kong residents flying in will be denied entry to the region.
Those coming to Hong Kong from mainland China, Macau and Taiwan have to undergo a 14-day quarantine.
Hong Kong has recorded 914 cases and four deaths.
According to the South China Morning Post, nearly all of the 24 news cases on Monday were imported.

First death in South Australia

The Australian state of South Australia has recorded its first Covid-19 death. Until now, it was the only Australian state without a death.
SA has had 411 confirmed cases of the disease so far. The country has had almost 6,000 cases and 41 deaths.

WHO head condemns 'racist' Africa comments

We reported last week on two French doctors who, in a TV debate, said we should test potential coronavirus vaccines in Africa - a suggestion that sparked widespread anger, and accusations of treating Africans like guinea pigs.
Now the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has joined in the condemnation, in very strong terms.
Speaking in the WHO's briefing today, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "Africa cannot and will not be a testing ground for any vaccine."
He also said the comments were a hangover from a "colonial mentality".
"It was a disgrace, appalling, to hear during the 21st Century, to hear from scientists, that kind of remark," he said. "We condemn this in the strongest terms possible, and we assure you that this will not happen."
Read the full story here.

Specialist doctors lacking protective equipment

Matthew Hill - BBC West health correspondent
Ear, nose and throat surgery is highly risky when it comes to infectious disease, with Covid-19 already claiming the lives of two ENT consultants.
And now a survey of specialists across the UK shows full personal protective equipment (PPE) was only available to around a third of respondents.
Professional body ENT UK found that only 36% of members who responded to their survey had full PPE readily available last week for Aerosol-Generating Procedures in Covid-19 patients.
Dedicated PPE was unavailable in one in five trusts.
And, perhaps most worryingly, 95% of ENT surgeons predict PPE will run out during the crisis.
The honorary secretary of ENT UK says some members are even resorting to DIY protection.
The government has acknowledged distribution problems, but says a national supply team, supported by the armed forces, is now "working around the clock" to deliver equipment.
NHS England also said more than one million respiratory face masks were delivered on 1 April - but made no mention of the much-needed head protection and long-sleeved gowns.

Raab is realising reality of being first secretary of state

Chris Mason - Political Correspondent
Just a few months ago Dominic Raab was one of the contenders for the Conservative leadership and had aspirations to be prime minister himself.
He was appointed foreign secretary, and added to that, first secretary of state - a title that, in so many instances, is an honorific one.
But now, the very reality of being first secretary of state is landing upon his shoulders as he takes on a good number of the prime minister's usual obligations.
The burdens placed upon this government are unprecedented in our lifetime, with every department being asked to consider things, and attempt to do things that they have never been asked to do before.
There's a vast amount of pressure on the Whitehall system at the moment.
And ultimately, all decisions are channeled into Downing Street.
Clearly, Dominic Raab is going have to step up and fill in for the prime minister, who would normally be the one signing on the dotted line.

Where things are at now

To our audiences waking up in Asia, welcome to our rolling coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Here's what you need to know:

• The UK PM Boris Johnson is in intensive care. He tested positive on 27 March and was admitted to hospital on Sunday, before his condition worsened
  
• France has recorded its highest daily death toll - 833
  
• Japan is to declare a state of emergency in the capital Tokyo and six other regions, possibly on Tuesday
  
• Globally, there have been more than 1.3m cases and almost 75,000 people with Covid-19 have died
  

Fauci: 'What we are doing is working'

The daily briefing from the US has closed no but top infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci cited figures from New York state showing that the number of hospitalisations has "started to level off".
"We got there through mitigation - we cut off the stream of people who ultimately require hospitalisation and intubation," he says. "This is an indication - despite all the suffering and death that's occurred - that what we had been doing has been working."
"The call is - just keep it up - this is going to get us out of it," he said, appearing to refer to social distancing measures.
He said the country could "get back to a degree of normalcy" even before a vaccine was developed and hoped for a situation where antibody testing would allow experts to establish how far the virus had penetrated society, and how many people had some immunity.

Who is Dominic Raab?

If you didn't know much about him before this, here are some key points on the man deputising for Boris Johnson:

• 46-year-old former lawyer
  
• Son of a Czech-born Jewish refugee who fled the Nazis in 1938
  
• Degrees from Oxford and Cambridge
  
• Conservative MP since 2010
  
• Current foreign secretary and first secretary of state
  
• Supporter of campaign to leave the European Union
  
• Black belt in karate
  

Read our full profile here.

In the UK, hospices 'could close' as virus hits fundraising

It goes without saying that all sorts of organisations across the UK are struggling financially because of the pandemic.
But for hospices, the sudden drop in revenue is particularly acute, and many are warning they will need government and public support to continue to provide palliative care.
With charity shops closed and fundraising events such as the London Marathon postponed, the charities that run end of life facilities say services may have to be closed if they are not helped soon.
Heidi Travis, chief executive of Sue Ryder, said hospices "cannot wait any longer".
You can read more about her plea for government help, here

What will happen in the intensive care unit?

Michelle Roberts - Health editor, BBC News online
Coronavirus can attack the lungs and it appears Boris Johnson is now having difficulties with his breathing - although he is not yet on a ventilator machine.
Not every patient in ICU with coronavirus will need a ventilator to take over the job of breathing.
Some may be put on a breathing support machine called CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) that uses mild pressure to push oxygen into the airways via a mask.
Patients can be awake and not sedated for this, unlike those who need a ventilator.
Patients on ICU will be connected to lots of different machines, via tubes, wires and cables, to monitor how their body is coping.
And they can be given intravenous drugs and other supportive treatments, including nutrition.
St Thomas' Hospital has experience in treating coronavirus patients in its ICU. For extremely serious cases it can use a life support machine called ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) which replaces some of the function of the heart and lungs. There are only a handful of these machines around the country.

Trump asks drug companies to help Johnson

In his White House briefing, President Trump said he had spoken to "major" drug companies, to see if they could offer any help to the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
"I've asked them to contact London immediately...more than major, more than size, they're geniuses."

Closing schools has 'marginal impact' on virus

Many countries have closed schools to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
But one team of scientists, based at a London university, says we should ask hard questions about whether this is now the right policy.
They suggest that keeping pupils off has little impact, even with other lockdown measures.
Their research, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, looked at 16 studies - some based on the spread of coronavirus, and others on seasonal flu and the 2003 Sars outbreak.
We've summarised the findings, and policymakers' response to them, in this article.