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The Queen has paid tribute to healthcare professionals fighting the coronavirus pandemic in a new statement to mark World Health Day.

The monarch, who gave a rare TV address on Sunday, praised workers' dedication and thanked them for their "selfless commitment".

The message, addressed to healthcare professionals across the Commonwealth and around the world, said: “On the occasion of World Health Day, I want to thank all those in the healthcare profession for your selfless commitment and diligence as you undertake vitally important roles to protect and improve the health and well-being of people across the Commonwealth, and across the world.

“In testing times, we often observe that the best of the human spirit comes to the fore; the dedication to service of countless nurses, midwives and other health workers, in these most challenging of circumstances, is an example to us all.

“My family and I send our enduring appreciation and good wishes.”

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UK Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove is self-isolating at home, because a family member is showing symptoms of coronavirus.

BBC Newsnight policy editor Lewis Goodall says: "Though he will doubtless be working digitally, in lieu of the prime minister the Cabinet Office becomes all the more important.

"Gove is a central player in coordination - this will make things that bit harder."

Danny Shaw
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent

The number of prisoners to have died in England and Wales after contracting coronavirus has risen to nine, according to internal figures seen by BBC News.

They include three inmates from Littlehey jail, Cambridgeshire, and a female offender from Low Newton prison, in County Durham.

The others had been held at Birmingham prison; HMP Manchester; Altcourse, in Merseyside; Belmarsh, in south-east London; and Whatton jail, Nottinghamshire.

Overall, 107 prisoners have tested positive for the virus across 38 prisons in England and Wales - about one-third of the total.

Around 1,300 inmates are self-isolating with symptoms of the virus, and 7,200 prison staff are absent for reasons related to Covid-19, with 19 having tested positive.

At the weekend, the Government announced that up to 4,000 prisoners would be released early to free up space in jails so inmates could be held in single cells to reduce the spread of the infection.

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

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Another 743 people have died of Covid-19 in Spain in the past 24 hours - an increase of more than 100 on the previous day's figure of 637, the country's health ministry said.

The figure brings the country's total death toll to 13,798.

Spain had been hoping to see its daily death toll continue to trend downwards after it had fallen for four consecutive days.

More than 140,500 people have tested positive for the virus in Spain, the highest number in the world after the US.

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

The Office for National Statistics has released new figures from March on the number of deaths involving coronavirus. The data gives us the most accurate picture to date of where deaths are occurring.

Unlike the statistics we have heard about so far, these include every community death that week linked to Covid-19 in England and Wales.

According to the data, which spans seven days up to 27 March, 539 death certificates mentioned coronavirus disease - 4.8% of all deaths that week. That was a rise from just 1% of deaths the week before.

The figures seem much smaller than the current total number of deaths for the UK – which stand at 5,373 – because most of the deaths from coronavirus have occurred in the last 10 days as the pandemic picked up pace.

The vast majority of coronavirus deaths are happening in hospitals – 501 of the 539 deaths analysed here – but some are occurring in hospices and care homes too, according to the ONS.

Nick Edser
Business reporter

After several weeks of volatile trading, stock markets have been rising this week.

London’s FTSE 100 share index is up more than 2% on Tuesday, after a 3% rise on Monday, and other major European markets are showing similar increases.

This follows big gains in US shares on Monday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumping 7.7%.

So why are shares rising? Analysts say it’s because there are signs that the spread of coronavirus might be starting to slow.

“Investors are reacting to indications that lockdown measures in the UK, US and Europe are beginning to ‘flatten the curve’ of coronavirus infections and fatalities,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

However, he adds: “The market’s relief is only likely to last so long, and attention will soon turn to how countries intend to exit the current containment measures which have in effect hit the pause button on the global economy.”

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• El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has warned that the police are going to be tougher at enforcing restrictions introduced to help stem the spread of coronavirus. He said that those caught breaking the rules could have their cars confiscated and even be taken to "containment centres" and held for up to 30 days. There are now 69 confirmed cases and four people have died.

• In Honduras, a ban on the carrying of firearms is coming into effect on Tuesday. Only those protecting key transport services such as food cargoes will be allowed to carry guns. Normally, Hondurans over the age of 21 who do not have a drug or alcohol addiction are allowed to own up to three firearms and many carry guns for protection against gangs.
• Peru has announced a nationwide curfew for both Maundy Thursday, 9 April, and Good Friday, 10 April. Peru has been tough in enforcing its curfews with more than 50,000 people detained for venturing outside during restricted hours since the measures came into force more than three weeks ago.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared a state of emergency in the capital Tokyo, port city Osaka and five other prefectures.

The state of emergency will kick in on Wednesday and is set to last about a month, said news outlet The Japan Times.

The governors of the prefectures will be able to close schools and businesses, but authorities will not have the legal powers to order citizens to stay at home.

But some local medical experts said ahead of the ruling that this was coming too late. Here's a bit more context as to why.

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Schools across the UK have been closed to help stop the spread of the virus.

But one team of scientists from University College London say this move actually has little impact.

Their research said that recent modelling studies predicted that school closures alone would prevent only 2-4 % of deaths.

But not everyone agrees. Prof Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, says school closures play an important role in "severing remaining contact between households".

Read more on the debate here.

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The number of coronavirus cases in Russia rose by more than 1,000 for the first time to reach 7,497 cases nationally, the country's crisis response centre said.

The number of reported cases rose by 1,154 while deaths rose by 11, bringing the total death toll to 58.

The capital Moscow is currently the epicentre of the country's outbreak. It is under a partial lockdown, with people only allowed to leave their homes to buy essential supplies and medical treatment amongst other things.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Keir Starmer, the newly elected leader of Labour - the UK's main opposition party - says the thoughts of the whole country are with the prime minister, his fiancee and his family.

He says he spoke to Dominic Raab, who is deputising for Boris Johnson, last night and offered to work "constructively with the government".

Asked about the possibility of forming a government of national unity, he says: "The approach we've agreed with the government is that we will support the government where we can do that, but we will challenge them where it's necessary... the purpose is to protect lives and protect our country."

It can be a tricky time for you, if you're living with someone who has the virus. What's the best way to take care of them, and how can you stay safe yourself? The BBC's Laura Foster shares some tips.

Thousands of people across the UK have not been included on the government's high-risk list, despite meeting the criteria.

Among them are transplant patients, people with asthma and some with rare lung diseases.

Supermarkets have been using the list to give priority to vulnerable customers, meaning those not included have already missed out on opportunities for which they would have been eligible.

"I haven't yet received a letter and if I have been missed off the list I feel pretty annoyed and worried I suppose," said 79-year-old Liz Goldfinch, who has a rare lung condition and Parkinson's disease.

Read more on the patients who have been left off the list, here.

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Europe has been at the centre of the outbreak for weeks, but strict lockdown measures in place across the continent seem finally to be having an effect, and there is a growing focus on how the continent can recover from the crisis. Here's the latest:

• The European country with the highest number of confirmed cases is Spain. But on Monday the health ministry confirmed a daily death toll of 637, the lowest in almost two weeks, and a further decline in the infection rate. Other countries have seen similar trends
• Russia appeared to buck the trend, announcing 1,154 new infections - its biggest daily jump in confirmed cases
• As the crisis seemingly enters a new phase, EU nations are still arguing over how to tackle the economic fallout from the pandemic. EU Council and Commission chiefs released a statement on Monday that said a "strong package is in the making", and Eurozone finance ministers will hold a teleconference later on Tuesday. A news conference is expected around 19:00 UK time
• Late on Monday Italy’s Prime Minster Giuseppe Conte unveiled a €400bn fund to help struggling businesses. Italy remains the worst affected nation worldwide in terms of death, but as in Spain, infection rates do seem to finally be dropping
• And France has announced it will deploy mobile teams around the country to test vulnerable people at care homes, as the country enters its fourth week of lockdown measures. You can read more about the grim crisis in care homes across Europe here

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

St Thomas' hospital has experience and expertise in treating coronavirus patients in its intensive care unit.

It is one of the few hospitals in the country to have a life support machine called ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation).

This highly specialised piece of equipment can do the work of the heart and lungs. There are only a handful of these machines around the country.

The PM has been moved to St Thomas’ ICU as a precaution because his symptoms of coronavirus infection have not improved.

He was admitted to St Thomas' on Sunday with a persistent symptoms, including a fever.

Coronavirus can attack the lungs and it appears that the PM is now having difficulties with his breathing, although he is not yet on a ventilator machine for this.

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.

Image source, EPA

When it comes to protective equipment, attention has understandably been on making sure that medical staff in countries across the world are able to access adequate supplies to carry out their jobs safely.

But some doctors have pointed out that the masks and clothing make it more difficult to connect with patients.

They have come up with a new way to share a smile and have attached pictures of themselves to their protective equipment.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is currently in an intensive care unit (ICU) at a central London hospital after his coronavirus symptoms worsened.

The full details of the prime minister's condition have not be given but intensive care is where doctors look after the sickest patients.

BBC medical correspondent Fergus Walsh has been inside an ICU to report on the challenges faced there in fighting the coronavirus.

Hydroxychloroquine. Chances are you only heard that word recently. And there's an even higher chance you heard it because it was mentioned by US President Donald Trump.

Trump has been pushing the drug - a known anti-malarial drug - as the treatment for the virus, encouraging patients to take it, saying: "What do you have to lose?"

Perhaps the real question is - what does Trump have to gain? Quite a bit, says a report by the New York Times., external

The report suggests that Trump himself has a "small personal financial interest in Sanofi, the French drugmaker that makes Plaquenil, the brand-name version of hydroxychloroquine".

The report also suggests that several other pharmaceutical companies also stand to profit - including those with shareholders that have connections to Trump.

But one doctor believes there are more noble reasons for the president's interest.

"I understand why [he's] pushing it. He has to project hope," said Dr Joshua Rosenberg of the Brooklyn Hospital Centre. "Even if there isn't a lot of science behind it, beccause it is at this point, the best, most available option for use."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is not on a ventilator in intensive care but has received oxygen support, says Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove.

Gove said Downing Street will inform the country if there is any change in the prime minister's condition.

"The teams at St Thomas' are some of the finest doctors in the country," Gove told BBC Radio 4.

"The doctors, nurses and other staff will be making appropriate medical decisions and have our full support."