almost nine thousand people in the UK
have now lost their lives to coronavirus
in the past five weeks the latest daily
death toll has risen by a record 980
people that's higher than Spain and
Italy's worst daily death tolls and that
number does not include people who have
died from coronavirus in care homes or
in the community it brings the total
number of deaths in hospital to eight
thousand nine hundred and fifty-eight at
the end of another week of tragic news
for thousands of families across the
country
today has been the third day in a row
which the government has announced close
to a thousand deaths in a single day
meanwhile despite fresh claims from
frontline staff about a lack of personal
protection equipment the health
secretary today insisted there is now
enough for medical workers as long as
it's used correctly here's our health
editor human he warned about the lack of
protective equipment for NHS staff soon
after that dr. Abdul mabu doddery
contracted coronavirus he died on
Wednesday the warning came in a social
media message to the prime minister
saying health workers had to protect
themselves and their families his son
spoke to the BBC today was a courageous
brave man and that's something that he's
passed on to ICU he saw but and I just
workers didn't have enough PPE and he
made a cool he made a letter for that
and well maybe other time it didn't get
me country deserved but now for sure my
father's voice is heard and I my
father's passing his own name problems
getting hold of the right masks gowns
and visors have been reported for
several weeks the government said the
were enough supplies and distribution
would be improved but still some feel
anxious they can't obtain appropriate
personal protective equipment known as
PPE we're getting a lot of messages from
doctors on the front line that the
current situation is in many parts of
the country inadequate the people are
feeling unprotected that they feel
scared when they're at work they feel
unable in some places to use the kit
that they're able to bring in from
because other members of the team
haven't got it and that they don't feel
confident in what's being provided staff
at one trust say they've had conflicting
messages with guidelines on whether to
use an apron or gown changing twice in
two hours a doctor told us I feel
betrayed by those who were meant to be
our leaders it's like we're being sent
to war without armor to protect
ourselves
serving as cannon fodder in a statement
the newcastle-upon-tyne Hospitals Trust
said requirements from public health
England had changed numerous times over
recent weeks that current advice was
fully in line with those and staff could
be assured there were sufficient
supplies of protective equipment today
the government announced a new plan to
boost PPE supplies including a pleat of
businesses to produce more if you've got
production facilities and you can meet
our published technical specifications
we want to hear from you so that we can
make this kit here in Britain that'll
keep people safe there will be a lot of
skepticism weren't there still about
another plan being published what
guarantees can you give that people will
be made to feel safe with the right
equipment what I'd say is that it is a
constant effort to get the PPE to the
frontline a huge logistical effort and
we acknowledge the challenges of course
we do we face them every day and we are
doing everything in our power to get
that PPE to the front line and there was
a sobering assessment of the latest data
on the spread of the virus we are in a
dangerous phase still and I need to
reinforce that again to you that this is
not over
Scotland's first minister who toured the
new temporary hospital for coronavirus
patients in Glasgow repeated the
guidelines to the public on social
distancing the message remains exactly
the same as it has been people need to
stay at home and know how difficult that
is and I know how difficult that will be
particularly over this Easter weekend
ordinarily that is a time to see friends
and family it's a time to get out and
about or even take a short break
none of that will be possible this year
today some were enjoying the sunshine
keeping their distance and exercising in
line with official advice but there's
still a long bank holiday weekend ahead
Cuban BBC News and who is with me now
another terrible death toll daily death
toll here in the UK and it comes on the
day when the global death toll has now
surpassed a hundred thousand people is
there any sign that the situation here
could be starting to ease yes Sophie
more shocking figures and it seems
likely the death toll will rise above
1,000 in the UK in terms of new cases
each day the experts look ahead at
hospital data particularly to see
whether we're reaching something close
to the peak of this epidemic and there
was one chart shown today at the Downing
Street briefing on critical care bed
usage patients in critical care
intensive care in the UK and you can see
that London number in red there is
coming down a bit the Midlands has
flattened Scotland and Wales are flat as
well that is being seen as a little bit
of a tentative sign that things at least
are beginning to plateau but Jonathan
phantom the deputy chief medical officer
for England we heard earlier saying that
it was still a dangerous situation
of course protective equipment is
another issue that's cropped up today
Matt Hancock acknowledging it was a
similar problem as with ventilators and
testing it needed businesses to come in
and help scale up what was available to
NHS staff he hasn't said that before I
think it may need a bit of time for NHS
frontline staff to be convinced that
that equipment really is being made
available to them keep him thank you
well temperatures are forecast to hit 26
degrees in some parts of the UK tomorrow
and the government has repeated again
the need for people to stay at home
unless they go out for the following
reasons you can leave home to exercise
once a day locally alone or with members
of your household there is no set time
limit on this you can shop but only for
basic necessities and as infrequently as
possible and you can go out for any
medical need or to provide care for a
van
person you can also travel to or from
work but only if you can't work from
home
our correspondent Janet Rock reports now
from Scarborough a picture postcard and
that's because the crowds are missing
what would have been unusual is now than
normal you won't be able to move down
here honest to god you will do it be
absolutely heaving chock-a-block beach
pathways all the shops would be busy
everything you know not asking a lot
hmmm it's only for a short time it's not
forever we both work at the hospital so
in terms of people staying away this is
what we need
you know our town and every town
certainly on the seaside we need people
to stay at home keep away keep
themselves safe to keep those the NHS
safe so we can save people's lives and
it wasn't just Scarborough that was
deserted other coastal towns were empty
too from southend-on-sea in Essex to
Southwold in Suffolk to skegness in
Lincolnshire we're on a normal Easter
weekend it would be impossible to find a
parking space today a different story in
London council officials have been
reminding people to keep their distance
when they're out so please in Birmingham
Rangers have been patrolling the parks
but staying stationary are you from the
same household doing their bit to
enforce the rules on social distancing
[Music]
but in Rotherham police were accused of
taking things a little too far South
Yorkshire police have since apologized
and described the incident as well
intentioned but ill-informed messages
like these in Scotland have been seen
across the UK's tourist spots
and they appear to have made a
difference Kazik today a ghost town the
message to stay at home being heard by
all right now you have to remember
there's still a lot of virus circulating
and if we keep ourselves away from other
people the only way you're going to get
it is from an infected person so staying
apart from other people is the key to
breaking the transmission chain and it
doesn't get more isolated than this it's
hopes the Easter weekend will look
exactly the same
Fiona trot BBC news