Image source, Hannah Ingram-Moore

A 99-year-old World War Two army veteran who has raised more than £1.4m to help the NHS in the fight against Covid-19 has vowed to keep going even though he has smashed his original £1,000 target.

Tom Moore aimed to complete 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden by Thursday, walking with the aid of a frame - but has now said he hopes to do another 100 laps as well.

He said: "When you think who it is for - all those brave and super doctors and nurses we have got - they deserve every penny and I hope we get more, too."

NHS Charities Together, which will benefit from the funds, said it was "truly inspired and humbled". More than 75,000 people from around the world have donated money to his fundraising page since it was set up late last week.

Mr Moore began raising funds to thank the "magnificent" NHS staff who helped him with treatment for cancer and a broken hip. He hoped to walk 100 laps of the 25-metre (82ft) loop in his garden in 10-lap chunks, before his 100th birthday at the end of the month.

Read more on this story here.

These graphs help explain the deadly impact of coronavirus in the UK.

Official figures show the number of deaths in England and Wales has reached record levels - largely down to the coronavirus outbreak.

More than 16,000 weekly deaths were recorded in the seven days ending 3 April - about 6,000 more than statisticians would normally expect at this time.

Coronavirus cases contributed just over half of these "extra" deaths and we know there have been many more since that date.

The data also reveals how the UK government's daily coronavirus figures could be underestimating the real death toll.

Government's figures for coronavirus deaths only looks at hospital cases.

The ONS data shows deaths both inside and outside of hospitals.

One in 10 coronavirus deaths this year has been in the community.

Still, however, the vast majority of coronavirus deaths are happening in hospitals, as this final chart shows:

Get more analysis on the new figures here.

The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Belgium has risen by 262, taking the country's number of fatalities to 4,157 - the fifth highest in Europe.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the number of deaths in Belgium is behind only Italy, Spain, France and the UK.

National broadcaster RTBF has reported the country's lockdown is likely to be extended until 3 May and the national security council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss when to end it.

There have also been 530 new cases of patients affected by Covid-19 in Belgium, bringing the total to 31,119. Of these, 20,094 are classed as "active" cases and 1,223 people are currently in intensive care.

Image source, Family picture

A nurse who died after contracting coronavirus "paid the ultimate price" because of a lack of personal protective equipment, a friend has claimed.

Gareth Roberts, 65, worked as a nurse across the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board area for more than 40 years and died in hospital in Merthyr Tydfil on Saturday.

"He didn't have PPE. In the beginning he said he didn't have anything," said his childhood friend Janette Leonard.

"He had a paper mask, plastic gloves and a pinny, that's alright if you're making sandwiches but not when you're going to nurse people with the disease.

"For Gareth, he paid the ultimate price. We're angry. Why would you send a soldier on to the front line without combat gear? It's unthinkable."

Read more about this story here.

Image source, Getty Images

The coronavirus pandemic is dominating the global news agenda, but it's not the only important thing in the world right now.

BBC correspondents continue to report on other stories around the world. Get up to speed with some of the issues eclipsed by Covid-19 here.

• Katya Adler on Brexit as EU-UK trade negotiations restart this week
• Lyse Doucet on Syria as a ceasefire few expected to last is holding in Idlib
• Anthony Zurcher on the US election after Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign
• Nawal al-Maghafi on the conflict in Yemen
• Shaimaa Khalil on the damage caused by the fires in Australia

Read the full article.

Michelle Roberts
Health editor, BBC News online

Image source, Science Photo Library

Measles outbreaks may occur as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, officials say, because some vaccination programmes are being delayed.

The UN children’s agency, Unicef, says 117 million children in 37 countries may not get immunised on time.

There have been several large outbreaks in countries across Europe where the MMR vaccine uptake has been low.

The UK has already lost its measles-free status, because of rising cases of the potentially deadly infection.

The disease, which causes coughing, rashes and fever, can be prevented by two doses of the mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) vaccine, available free to all young children in the UK.

India's prime minister warned of tougher measures over the next week, as he extended the country's lockdown until 3 May. We can expect more details on Wednesday.

China, where the coronavirus outbreak began late last year, reported 89 new cases - part of a recent spike driven by a surge of people returning from Russia.

Charities have appealed for a ceasefire in Afghanistan as coronavirus threatens to overwhelm a country that has neither the health system nor the infrastructure to respond.

And thousands of Pakistanis working in Gulf states have appealed to their government to repatriate them after they lost their jobs amid the pandemic.

Image source, AFP

Tulip Mazumdar
Global Health Correspondent

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

Some countries have said they are passing their peak of infections and deaths, and are considering lifting restrictions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued six criteria for countries considering relaxing their lockdowns.

1. Transmission should be controlled
2. Health system capacities are in place to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact
3. Outbreak risks are minimised in special settings like health facilities and nursing homes
4. Preventive measures are in place in workplaces, schools and other places where it’s essential for people to go
5. Importation risks are managed
6. Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to adjust to the “new norm”.

These are basically the lessons learned from China and South Korea on how to best emerge from lockdown/restrictions and on what needs to be in place to avoid a second wave of infections.

Hardly any nation ticks all the boxes at the moment.

However, China says it has a good handle on the situation - with nearly all new infections being imported from other countries.

Also, South Korea - which didn't go into full lockdown but had some restrictions including school closures - has been testing widely since the start of the outbreak. So, the country has a decent handle on cases and control of transmission.

Countries such as New Zealand could also reach this point soon.

Ultimately though, this is just an advice, and countries will make their own decisions based on their own risk assessments.

The UK has been releasing daily coronavirus death tolls, but the figures have been hospital deaths only - they have not included deaths at people's houses or in care homes.

New figures from the Office of National Statistics published on Tuesday provide more information on deaths in care homes, but they are about two weeks out of date. That's because they rely on death certificates, which take a while to process.

Health officials are now trying to find ways to provide more up-to-date information from care homes.

From later this week, deaths that are suspected or confirmed to involve Covid-19 will be recorded daily, England's care regulator has said.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) says these new figures should provide a "clearer picture of deaths" and highlight worst-hit regions.

The CQC says it will work with the ONS and Public Health England.

It is currently unclear whether these figures will be released publicly.

Donald Trump has denied appointing his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner to an economic council tasked with re-opening America from coronavirus shutdowns.

The denial came in response to a Fox News graphic showing a seven-person council comprised of top Trump administration advisers and officials. The graphic went viral after it was pointed out none of its members were economic or public health experts.

Trump has faced accusations of nepotism before, after appointing Ivanka as an adviser and tasking Kushner with solving the Middle East peace process.

And there was criticism when Kushner was appointed to lead the federal government effort to distribute emergency coronavirus equipment to states.

Trump had earlier touted the economic council as a task force that would comprise of "business leaders" and "great doctors", external, who would come up with solutions to boost the economy.

The names put forward have changed multiple times, according to news site Politico.

Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross are expected to be part of the group. The White House is yet to confirm the appointments.

M Ilyas Khan
BBC News, Islamabad

Image source, EPA

In the Pakistani city of Karachi, police have sealed a number of high-risk neighbourhoods by blocking all entry and exit points with shipping containers, in a bid to freeze any movement.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah confirmed that his government has sealed the areas that are worst-affected in the city. "We are arranging to increase testing points in these areas," he said.

But crowds in the city's vast slums, as well as other districts, continue to disregard calls for social distancing by crowding in public spaces such as markets.

Similar scenes have been observed in other major cities in the country such as Lahore and Multan.

Pakistan has reported more than 5,000 infections and at least 90 people have died from the virus.

A doctor-turned-opera singer has returned to the front line to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr Alex Aldren left medicine to pursue his dream of singing, but felt called back by the crisis. And as well as treating patients, he is using his singing skills to lift spirits on the wards of the Royal London Hospital and Newham Hospital.

"Having worked as a doctor for a couple of years I decided that I really needed to follow my heart and go for my first love which is opera," he said.

"Over the last few weeks something completely unprecedented in our lifetime has happened - our first global pandemic in the last 100 years.

"The opera world shut down and at the same time we were having this international health crisis so it makes perfect sense for me to come back to medicine."

Nic Rigby
BBC News

The police and crime commissioner in the UK county of Bedfordshire has set up a £60,000 fund to provide emergency shelter for those fleeing domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kathryn Holloway said she set up the fund after learning of increased domestic violence in Wuhan province in China following enforced self-isolation at home.

Many countries have seen an increase in reports of domestic abuse while people are forced to quarantine at home.

"Our message to anyone in such a situation is clear - don't suffer in silence, we are still here for you and will do everything we can to protect you," said Assistant Chief Constable Jackie Sebire.

Domestic abuse can be reported in the UK through a call to 101, or 999 in an emergency.

New figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that 217 deaths in care homes in England and Wales have mentioned Covid-19 this year.

That was more than 10 times the number that had been recorded by the end of the previous week.

Two of the country's leading care home companies published their own figures on Tuesday, showing 521 deaths in recent weeks.

HC One said that as of 8pm on Monday there had been 311 deaths and 2,447 cases of suspected or confirmed Covid-19 in the company's 329 homes.

MHA said there have been 210 deaths across its 131 homes.

The ONS figures come as leading charities warn that many older people are being "airbrushed" out of coronavirus figures in the UK.

Currently, the government's daily toll does not include deaths outside of hospitals.

Of the 406 deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales registered in the year up to April 3, that occurred outside hospitals:

• 217 took place in care homes
• 33 in hospices
• 136 in homes
• 3 in other communal establishments, and
• 17 elsewhere

Image source, Getty Images

Bus drivers are "terrified for their lives" after a number of transport staff across the UK have died with coronavirus, a union official told the BBC.

"I'm hearing horrific stories every hour of every day. They are sitting at the sharp end, dealing with cash and the virus can be passed on to them in a second," said Bobby Morton, Unite's national officer for passenger transport.

Morton's comments come after the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said on Monday that 21 transport workers in the capital had died, external with the virus, including 15 bus workers. There have also been deaths elsewhere, including in Birmingham and Bristol.

Last week the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said transport staff should stop working, external if they were not given the right safety equipment.

Transport for London (TfL) announced last week that it was trialling a new system that will see passengers board via doors in the middle of a bus , externalto reduce contact with drivers.

Image source, Reuters

After Spain allowed work to resume at construction sites and factories on Monday, now Italy and Austria are allowing some retail businesses to restart, on a very limited scale. Food shops and pharmacies have remained open in the crisis.

More developments from Europe:

• In Italy certain shops are reopening, after five weeks of lockdown: booksellers, stationery shops and sellers of baby clothes. Computer production and paper manufacturing are also allowed to restart. But the amount of activity depends on the region, and strict hygiene rules remain in force. Lombardy in the north – the epicentre of Italy’s crisis – is keeping shops shut. Italy’s death toll is now 20,465, the highest in Europe, but the infection rate has come down.
• Austria was one of the first countries in Europe to follow Italy in imposing a strict lockdown. Now it is allowing garden centres, hardware and DIY stores and small shops to reopen. But people are still urged to stay at home and in shops the wearing of masks is mandatory. You can read more on this here.
• There has been another record rise in Covid-19 infections in Russia, officials say: 2,774 more in the past 24 hours, making 21,102 infections in total, and 170 people have died. Thirty-four members of the world-famous Bolshoi Theatre have tested positive.
• In Serbia police arrested a care home manager in the city of Nis, after 140 residents got infected. The manager allegedly allowed visits by relatives, and residents to leave the home, violating the lockdown. The charges could result in a 12-year jail term.

Nearly half of all deaths (47%) registered in London in the week ending 3 April were linked to Covid-19, new figures show.

Figures released on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that across England and Wales, one in five of the 16,387 death certificates issued that week mentioned the disease.

That total is the highest number of deaths recorded since records began in 2005.

The UK government is advising people to stay home and only go out if they need to fetch food or medicine, to go to work if it's essential or to exercise.

Even when you leave your home, you need to practise social distancing and keep at least 2m (6ft) away from other people to protect yourself from catching coronavirus. But what does it actually look like? The BBC's Laura Foster demonstrates.

Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

Poland’s Health Minister Lukasz Szumowski said the country will start easing restrictions from 19 April.

“We will slowly unfreeze the economy,” Szumowski told the RMF FM radio station.

Government spokesman Piotr Muller said restrictions on shops will likely be lifted first.

Muller told public Polish Radio that decisions would be made on Wednesday or Thursday, once the government has analysed data from the long Easter weekend.

From Thursday, it will be mandatory for everyone to wear a face covering when outside, either a mask or scarf, which Mr Muller said could facilitate the lifting of restrictions on the number of customers inside shops. Currently, supermarket numbers are limited to three customers per cashier.

The government is also considering lifting a ban on visits to forests and national parks.

As of Monday evening, Poland had recorded 6,934 Covid-19 cases and 245 virus-related deaths.

Image source, Getty Images

The number of passengers passing through London's Heathrow Airport will fall by up to 90% in April as coronavirus restrictions prevent people from travelling, the airport has forecast.

Usually one of the busiest airports in the world, Heathrow said passenger numbers for March were down 52% compared with the same period last year.

The airport said it was now only using one of its two runways, as flights continue for cargo.

Air passenger numbers have plummeted across the world because of the pandemic.

In the US, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson international airport usually handles up to 2,600 flights a day and 63,000 people work at the airport, external when flights run at capacity.

"Right now, we’re down to 1,200 flights and they’re mostly empty,” said the airport’s general manager, John Selden.