Two people whose parents are stuck on two virus-hit cruise ships have told the BBC that they're "extremely stressed".

Andrew Rae, whose parents are on the Zaandam, and Magdalena Glazik, whose parents are on the Zaandam's sister ship the Rotterdam, said that they're keeping in regular contact with their parents, but are still worried.

Holland America's Zaandam ship departed from Buenos Aires on 7 March, and was scheduled to stop in San Antonio, Chile, before continuing on another 20-day cruise that was supposed to end in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 7 April.

But it became stuck at sea in mid-March, being denied entry to a succession of ports after four people died and a number of others tested positive for coronavirus. Asymptomatic passengers were later moved onto the Rotterdam.

Image source, Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended the country's lockdown measures, lengthening the so-called "non-working" regime until 30 April.

All essential workers will continue in their jobs, but everyone else must stay at home. Salaries will still be paid in this period.

Mr Putin also said that the situation in Russia varies from region to region, with the outbreak far more serious in the capital Moscow than elsewhere. "Despite the efforts by city hall we have not reversed the trend," he said. He called for coordination at federal, regional and municipal levels to fight the virus.

Latest data from Russia show the number of infections jumped by 771 in just 24 hours, to a total of 3,548. Some, however, fear that the problem is far worse than those official figures suggest.

Sally Nabil
BBC News, Cairo

A growing number of Egyptians have taken to Twitter to call for President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to turn his palaces into quarantine centres. Mr Sisi has been previously criticised for spending millions of dollars on constructing the lavish buildings.

It comes after a group of Egyptian expats returning home from London had to sign a document saying they agreed to go into quarantine on their arrival in Cairo, as a condition for their evacuation from the UK.

Once they landed, they were locked down in a five-star hotel next to the airport. Many were unhappy because they had to bear the cost of the expensive accommodation.

One of the expats told the BBC they should have been offered other more affordable options.

After an uproar on social media, President Sisi reversed the decision, saying the state would pay for their stay.

Another group of expats coming from Kuwait had earlier protested inside Cairo airport, refusing to be locked down.

They were finally allowed to leave, after promising to self-isolate. Health authorities here believe many of the nearly 800 infections came either from tourists or expats.

Image source, Getty Images

The number of deaths from coronavirus have now been broken down across the UK.

In England, the figure has reached 2,698, up by 561 from yesterday.

NHS England said the patients were aged between 22 and 100, with 44 of those 561 - who were aged between 25 and 100 - having no known underlying health conditions.

In Scotland, 126 patients have now died - up by 50 from yesterday.

In Wales, the total number of deaths is now 117 - a rise of 19.

And in Northern Ireland, a further six people have died - bringing the total to 36.

Image source, Getty Images

Supermarkets and chemists aren't the only ones to see a spike in sales during the outbreak - UK pet shop chain Pets at Home says it is seeing "exceptional levels of demand".

As designated "essential retailers", pet shops can stay open during the pandemic, as can vets.

Retail analyst Richard Hyman says the higher demand Pets at Home was experiencing might be temporary.

"I think what may have happened is that some of the panic buying that we've seen domestically has been extended for the same reason for people and pets," he said.

If you're just joining us in the US, good morning and welcome. Here are the latest headlines:

• The death toll from the coronavirus in the US has passed the 5,000 mark, after a record 884 people died in 24 hours
• The federal government’s reserve of protective equipment and medical supplies is almost exhausted, reports say. But the Trump administration says it can acquire adequate supplies and has $16bn (£13bn) available to do so
• Unemployment claims have surged to a record-breaking 6.6 million. It eclipses the previous week's record of nearly 3.3 million, as the pandemic continues to upend the economy
• Almost 170,000 inmates housed in federal prisons have been confined to their cells and wards for at least two weeks to prevent the spread of the virus. Dozens of inmates and at least 37 guards have tested positive so far
• New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has urged people to stick to social distancing rules, saying police would get "more aggressive" in enforcing them. He has shut playgrounds and basketball courts and set up 45 mobile morgues in New York City, which is at the centre of the outbreak in the US
• The governor of Connecticut, meanwhile, has confirmed a six-week-old baby is among those to have died of Covid-19. It is believed to be America's youngest victim so far

Image source, Getty Images

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker says he will donate two months' salary to the British Red Cross to help in their work in the fight against the coronavirus.

The former England international, who currently works for both the BBC and BT Sport, recently served a period of isolation after his son George showed symptoms of the virus.

"The British Red Cross are on the front line trying to help in all sorts of different ways with the coronavirus," Lineker told World At One.

"Hopefully lots of other people that are in a position of relative wealth can do something similar and I am sure many will."

Coronavirus myths are rampant all over the world - but they're particularly rife in Somalia.

For example, some believe Covid-19 is a divine punishment imposed on China for the government's treatment of the Muslim Uighurs. Others say the US is being punished because it oppresses Muslims. And others believe that you can't catch the virus if you're a good Muslim.

Some of these myths are being spread by al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabab, which controls much of southern and central Somalia.

So now, Muslim clerics and healthcare workers are joining forces to fight the dangerous coronavirus disinformation in the country.

Read the full story of how they're doing this, by BBC Somalia analyst Mary Harper.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

Today's daily figures for the number of new cases, deaths and tests virtually mirror those released yesterday.

At this stage, when we are on an upwards trajectory, the fact there have not been significant increases in terms of cases and deaths can perhaps be interpreted as a good sign.

But what is more important is the trend over a few days – not 24 hours in isolation.

Any improvement will be seen in the number of new cases first.

They were hovering around the 2,500 to 3,000 mark in the five days up to yesterday.

Then the number of new cases jumped to over 4,300, which has nearly been matched today.

There will be hope this is where it plateaus, before dropping down.

Until a few weeks ago in the UK, self-isolating yourself and distancing yourself from other people were seen as unusual, even a sign of being unwell. Now, they've become essential measures to stem the spread of the virus.

The two are not quite the same. Social distancing involves cutting down on non-essential travel and interactions, staying home if you're unwell, and not visiting social venues.

Meanwhile self-isolation means you basically have to cut yourself off entirely from the outside world – here’s how you do it.

More on the record-breaking US unemployment figures we just brought you.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefit has surged to 6.65m, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to upend the country's economy.

The actual figure is believed to be even higher as many people have reported jammed phone lines and difficulties with filing their claims online.

It's also worth noting that some kinds of workers, such as people working part-time, do not qualify for unemployment benefit.

The latest figure eclipses the previous week's record of nearly 3.3m people, according to Department of Labor data.

The rush, which is unprecedented in modern US history, has overwhelmed many state offices handling the claims.

Car firms have halted production and air travel has fallen dramatically. According to economists, a fifth of the US workforce is now on some form of lockdown.

A total of 2,921 people have now died from coronavirus in the UK, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.

In a tweet, the government department said the figure was accurate as of 17:00 BST on 1 April and covered those who had been hospitalised and tested positive for the virus.

It was also confirmed that 163,194 people had been tested as of 09:00 on 2 April, with 33,718 testing positive.

Kerry Allen
BBC Monitoring, Chinese media analyst

Image source, AFP

The government of Hubei in central China has announced that 14 medical workers who lost their lives in the fight against Covid-19 will be included on a list of "martyrs"., external

Among them is Li Wenliang. He became internationally recognised for trying to alert colleagues in central Wuhan about the virus in late December, when the outbreak was just beginning.

He was handed a warning by police for "spreading rumours", and later died after contracting the virus. His treatment by the Chinese authorities sparked widespread public anger.

Many users of Chinese social media site Sina Weibo have written about the list, but there are signs that comments are being censored. Only a handful of comments can be viewed out of the hundreds that have been posted. Many of them feature candle emojis to commemorate the medics.

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

The government has been talking about testing for a while. But there is now urgency on the issue, which has become an acute political problem.

At today's press conference, Matt Hancock - back from isolation - will attempt to show that he has a grip on the issue, after the virus spread much quicker than had been predicted.

The mood has shifted, with even strong supporters of the government expressing concern over testing and the provision of PPE.

This crisis has affected every single bit of government, and sources say Whitehall is doing all it can.

But when the eventual inquiry comes, how quickly the government got a grip on testing will be one of the areas where there will be difficult questions to answer.

A record 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, official figures show.

It surpasses the previous week's record high of nearly 3.3 million.

For context, the previous record of 695,000 was set in 1982.

It comes as officials in states across the country have closed restaurants, bars, cinemas, hotels and gyms in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.

Wondering how you're going to fill the void created by the lack of sport this summer?

Don't worry, the BBC has a plan (for audiences in the UK).

With the likes of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Euro 2020 football tournament and the Wimbledon tennis championships called off, a host of memorable sporting moments will be shown in their place.

These include:

• The London 2012 opening ceremony and key highlights of the Games
• Matches from Euro 96, where England reached the semi-finals on home soil
• Andy Murray winning Wimbledon in 2013, becoming the first British men's champion in 77 years

The exact scheduling will be announced soon. In the meantime, you can whet your appetite by seeing which classics are going to be aired.

Image source, Getty Images

Peter Barnes
BBC political analyst

Most opinion polling about coronavirus has suggested the public broadly approves of the government’s handling of the crisis. But that could change as case numbers increase and it comes under greater criticism on the availability of tests and the supply of health equipment.

A Deltapoll poll conducted on 26-27 March found that 75% thought the government was generally doing the right thing when it came to dealing with the coronavirus outbreak – up from 48% in the middle of the month. A similar shift has was found by other pollsters as well.

Levels of approval in the government and the prime minister also increased. For example, at the beginning of March, YouGov found that 33% of voters approved of the government’s record compared to 41% who disapproved. But figures from the end of March showed 52% approval and 26% disapproval.

But a new Ipsos Mori poll, conducted from 27-30 March, might suggest that the British public could be starting to have doubts.

A total of 56% of respondents to the new poll said the restrictive measures put in place by the government on 23 March were taken too late. And only 35% of people said they were taken at the right time, with 4% saying they were taken too early.

Image source, Ipsos Mori

Andrew Clarance
BBC News, Delhi

A new app from the Indian government may tell you if you've crossed paths with someone infected with Covid-19.

The app, which is called Aarogya Setu (translates to bridge to health from the Sanskrit), will use Bluetooth and location data to tell if the user has been near a person with Covid-19 and is at risk.

The app scans a database of known registered cases to assess if the user has been within six feet of a known positive case.

The app also shares the data with the government in case the user tests positive or has been around someone who is infected with Covid-19.

While your name or number won't be public, the app does collect this information as well as your gender, travel history and whether you're a smoker.

For those in countries under lockdown, we've been advised not to go out and stay at home. But why is it so important? We break down the numbers for you, and what the rules are like in the UK.

Image source, Getty Images

In the past 24 hours, 183 people have died of coronavirus in Belgium, bringing the number of fatalities to 1,011.

In a country with a population of 11.4 million, this is something of a surge, with an increase of 60 deaths on Wednesday's figure.

Around 58% of Belgium's 15,348 registered cases are in the Flemish north. Virologist Steven van Gucht told Belgians on Thursday it was far more important to maintain social distancing and wash their hands, external rather than wear masks.