The head of the NHS in England, Simon Stevens, tells the briefing there are currently 6,200 patients with coronavirus in hospital.

He says the NHS is "pulling out all the stops" to ensure they and those who will be hospitalised in future get the treatment they deserve.

An extra 33,000 beds are being created for coronavirus patients as part of an "extraordinary effort" to reconfigure the health service, he adds.

He confirms that there will be two new major Nightingale hospitals built on the sites of Birmingham's NEC and the Manchester conference centre.

Asked by the BBC's Vicky Young whether the government has been taking its own advice given the PM and the health secretary have tested positive for coronavirus, Mr Gove says the fact both have contracted the virus "is a reminder the virus does not discriminate.

"We are all at risk."

The minister says social distancing measures are in place within government and that everyone should be following the strict advice.

Mr Gove pays tribute to medical staff, the military and hails the UK's "spirit of selflessness" as truly inspiring.

Mr Gove says PM Boris Johnson has brought together businesses, research institutes and universities in a new alliance to increase testing capacity for front-line workers.

He says the new initiative will be "antigen" testing that will help prove if it is safe for a worker to go back to the front line and will begin immediately.

Mr Gove says that the best analysis shows the rate of infection in the UK has been doubling every three to four days.

"These figures are a powerful reminder of the need for all of us to act," he says. "Strict social distancing measures have been put in place to restrict the spread of Covid-19."

Image source, Getty Images

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has begun today's media briefing at Downing Street.

He is joined by chief executive of the NHS Simon Stevens and deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries.

Mr Gove will front the conference after it was confirmed Prime Minister Boris Johnson had tested positive for coronavirus.

Image source, Getty Images

London Gatwick airport has announced it is closing its north terminal and limiting runway operation times from 1 April.

The runway will only be used for scheduled flights between 14:00 and 22:00 GMT.

The airport made the announcement , externalon Friday and said the airport terminal would be closed for a month.

It said a decision to reopen the terminal would be taken when airline traffic increases and the government's social distancing policy is relaxed.

A statement from the airport said the decision was made to "protect the health and safety of passengers and staff, and to shield the business following a dramatic fall in airline traffic".

Stewart Wingate, chief executive of Gatwick Airport, said staff would be provided with the opportunity to help people in the local area.

Gatwick is the UK's second largest airport and serves more than 46 million passengers a year.

Imogen Foulkes
BBC News, Geneva

Image source, Zermatt Tourism

Every evening this week, Switzerland’s most famous mountain, the Matterhorn, has been beaming out messages. "Stay at Home" one evening. "Hope" the next.

As cases of the coronavirus pass 12,000 here, and the number of deaths reaches 200, that last message is needed.

Not just in Zermatt, where the ski slopes are empty, The whole country needs cheering up.

It’s four long weeks since the ban on public gatherings, three weeks since the elderly were advised to stay at home. It's two weeks since the schools were closed and 11 days since the bars, cafes, restaurants and all non-food shops were closed, and everyone who could was told to work from home.

The army has been mobilised, the first time since the Second World War, to help hard-pressed hospitals.

Image source, Swiss Armed Forces

So the lockdown continues; one day blurs into another, the nation famous for its punctuality is beginning to forget what time it is.

But Easter is a big date in the Swiss calendar. It’s when many Swiss head down to the Ticino, landlocked Switzerland’s riviera.

Ticino was first canton to be hit by the coronavirus and is now the worst-affected.

Image source, Ticino Turismo

Italy has confirmed 969 more deaths from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the country’s total to 9,134.

There are 4,401 new infections, making a total of 66,414 current cases.

This is believed to be the sharpest rise in fatalities that any country has seen so far throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

The UK government's daily briefing from Downing Street will take place at 17:00 GMT today - without Boris Johnson, after the prime minister tested positive for coronavirus.

Instead the briefing will be fronted by Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, along with Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK's chief scientific adviser, and Simon Stevens, the chief executive of the NHS alongside him.

Coronavirus has plunged the world into uncertainty and the constant news about the pandemic can feel relentless. All of this is taking its toll on people's mental health, particularly those already living with conditions like anxiety and OCD. So how can we protect our mental health?

You can click here for a full breakdown on ways to look after yourself.

Here are a few pointers for those in a rush:

• Limit the amount of time you spend reading or watching things which aren't making you feel better. Perhaps decide on a specific time to check in with the news
• Have breaks from social media and mute things which are triggering
• Stay connected with people
• Wash your hands - but not excessively

Image source, Getty

The UK government's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty has said he is self-isolating after experiencing symptoms of coronavirus last night.

Prof Whitty has led the UK's medical response and appears in the government's public information films. Known symptoms of the virus include a persistent dry cough and a raised temperature.

It comes after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock both tested positive for the virus, which causes the Covid-19 disease.

Image source, Getty Images

Rammstein singer Till Lindemann is in intensive care after being diagnosed with the coronavirus, German newspaper Bild reports., external

The 57-year-old lead singer of the hard rock band - that has sold more than 20 million albums - was reportedly rushed to hospital with an extremely high fever after returning from a show in Moscow.

He was in a critical condition but is now in recovery, the newspaper says.

Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives are racing back to Washington DC to vote on the massive economic coronavirus bailout which at nearly $2bn (£1.6bn) is the largest economic relief bill in US history.

Members of Congress were planning to remain at home for a “voice vote” until one Libertarian Kentucky congressman hinted that he would demand a quorum of half the chamber be present - which rules say he is allowed to do.

Both Republican and Democratic leaders have called for members of Congress to return to DC, to ensure that at least 216 members are present for the vote on Friday to make sure that the bill’s passage is not delayed.

Asked on Friday whether a “voice vote” would be held, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told reporters: “We’ll see.”

Lawmakers tweeted through the night on Thursday about their long drives to DC or their flights through deserted airports.

Several lawmakers have already been infected with coronavirus.

President Trump said he would sign the bill into law as soon as it is passed by the House, which is expected in a few hours time.

Image source, AFP

Pope Francis is to deliver a solemn blessing normally reserved for Easter and Christmas later on Friday.

"We want to respond to the virus pandemic with the universality of prayer," a message posted on the Pope's official Twitter account said.

The hour-long service of prayer begins at 17:00 GMT and will take place on the steps of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, culminating in the Urbi et Orbi - meaning 'to the city and the world' - blessing.

While the blessing is usually delivered to a packed square, believers are instead being invited to "participate spiritually" with the event, which will be streamed live on the Vatican News website, as well as official Facebook and YouTube accounts.

Italy has reported the greatest number of deaths from the coronavirus of any country in the world, with 8,215 confirmed so far.

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

Maybe it was inevitable.

One of the first moments that raised eyebrows in the course of the UK outbreak was when health minister Nadine Dorries came down with coronavirus.

Then, last week, we discovered that some key staff in Number 10, including the prime minister's chief Brexit negotiator David Frost, were self-isolating with suspected symptoms.

A fair number of MPs took themselves off into isolation for fear of having contracted the infection.

Still, the news this morning that the prime minister himself has contracted coronavirus felt like a shock.

Within in a couple of hours we discovered that Health Secretary Matt Hancock has the illness too.

Both of their symptoms are said to be mild. They have now joined much of the country in that most common of activities, WFH - working from home.

Questions are swirling, of course, about who else involved in co-ordinating the fight against this disease may fall victim soon.

Boris Johnson's team say that he is absolutely well enough to carry on in the job.

But with the prime minister now a victim of the virus itself, this is anything but business as usual.

The news at the moment can be upsetting and worrying so here's a moment of positivity.

On Tuesday at 20:00, people around the UK clapped outside their homes in support of the NHS and health workers. Many buildings were also lit up in blue.

Pictures show how people came out on their doorsteps, balconies and in their windows to celebrate the work of the NHS and carers.

The initiative was devised by Annemarie Plas, who lives in Brixton, south-west London. She was inspired by similar events in her home country of the Netherlands.

See more pictures from the event here.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

The British Armed Forces will turn three major conference venues into temporary NHS hospitals, according to an internal document seen by the BBC. It shows:

• Phase 1 is the Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre in London’s Docklands. The document states it will have capacity of between 4,000 and 5,000 beds and will open in the last week of March
• Phase 2 is a temporary hospital for England and Wales at the NEC centre in Birmingham. The document says it will have capacity for 5,000 beds and will open in mid-April
• Phase 3 is the Convention Complex - formally GMEX - in Manchester. The document states it will have 1,000 beds and open in mid-April

Scotland is not mentioned in the document, but the Army there has already confirmed to the BBC that the Royal Engineers have visited the SECC in Glasgow as a possible site for a temporary hospital.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said it was "working hard to identify where it can most effectively assist other government departments and civil authorities".

"Through the Covid Support Force, the Armed Forces have over 20,000 personnel including specialist planners, medics and logisticians ready to assist with the response to the outbreak."

Image source, Getty Images

A total of 759 people have now died of the coronavirus in the UK, while 14,579 have tested positive.

The death toll jumped by 181 on Friday - a rise of 31% - making it the biggest rise in deaths that the country has seen so far, surpassing yesterday’s record of 115.

In England, patients were aged between 29 and 98 years old.

All but four patients, aged between 82 and 91 years old, had underlying health conditions, health officials said.

The UK has the seventh highest number of recorded deaths in the world after Italy, Spain, China, Iran, France and the US.

Don't throw away that Grand National sweepstake kit... because a virtual race will be held in place of one of the UK's biggest sporting occasions.

The National, held at Aintree and first run in 1839, was cancelled earlier this month because of the coronavirus outbreak.

In its place, 40 of the runners will take part in the virtual version, which uses CGI technology and special algorithms.

It will be broadcast by ITV at 17:00 BST on Saturday 4 April - the day the National was planned to run.

The special broadcast will also pit Aintree legends Red Rum and Tiger Roll - who this year was bidding for an unprecedented third consecutive win in the famous steeplechase - against each other in a 40-horse Race of Champions.

"We want to cheer the nation up and ask the computer if history could have been made," says executive producer Rob McLoughlin.

Image source, Inspired Entertainment

Rebecca Morelle
Science correspondent, BBC News

Scientists are racing to find out how coronavirus is spreading so quickly and why the severity of symptoms varies so much.

Viral load is an important factor. It’s how much of the virus there is in your body at any point during an infection. The higher the viral load, the more virus you will potentially shed from your body, making you more infectious to others.

For coronavirus, the viral load is highest about five days after symptoms first appear. And some scientists think it’s the initial dose of virus you receive that’s important. If you’re infected with a small amount of virus, you’re more likely to develop a mild illness. But if you’re infected with a lot, you have a greater chance of developing severe symptoms.

It’s a major issue for health workers. They will be in very close contact with lots of infected people, raising their prospect of becoming infected when a patient’s viral load is at its peak. It’s why having access to protective kit is so important.