Our Health Editor Hugh Pym asks about demand for testing - the test website for England closed hours after its launch earlier today.

Shapps says the website hadn't crashed, it was just the slots had been taken up.

He says there has been an increase in the capcity for daily testing and it was "important" that capacity was used.

He says 46,000 went to the portal earlier today and the site should be back up and taking bookings now. So far, 16,000 tests have been booked.

More tests will be available tomorrow, he adds.

Dr Jenny Harries says the number of inpatients diagnosed with Covid-19 in the last 24 hours has fallen below 1,000 for the first time in weeks.

She says that critical care capacity continues to increase across the NHS.

And she adds that while there has been an increase in deaths, there is a gradual but a subtle decline in the data.

Image source, HM Government

Image source, HM Government

Image source, HM Government

The deputy chief medical officer says that the total number of cases has risen and represents an epidemic curve "of a type" despite fluctuation in reporting.

That curve is flattening, she adds, saying that with increased testing of health and care workers we can expect to see an increase in cases as time goes on.

"Don't be surprised if cases do increase a bit," she says.

Image source, HM Gov

The transport secretary also confirmed there are now no British holidaymakers who are stranded on cruises anywhere in the world.

Finishing his opening remarks, Mr Shapps said the end of lockdown restrictions "will arrive sooner" if motorists only continue to travel for essential journeys.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries begins her comments by taking us through the latest data on UK transport use in recent days.

She says the data shows a very slight increase in transport use compared to last week, but the data shows use of other modes of transport remains down by more than 95% when compared with February.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, UK government

The transport secretary says the government has also launched a transport support unit dedicated to fighting the pandemic.

Shapps there is "spare capacity" because of a reduced transport service and so there are volunteers and 9,000 vehicles available to help in the fight against the virus.

They will be able to distribute packages to vulnerable people for example.

There will also be a review looking at how drones might be used to deliver medical supplies.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says there are “tentative signs we are making progress” because of the way the public has adhered to social distancing measures.

He says he is announcing a new package of measures for transport - including for essential freight services.

"Many bring in crucial goods," he says, like medicines.

There's more in our story here., external

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is leading this afternoon's briefing and is making his opening remarks.

We should be hearing from the UK government in the next few minutes.

But that gives you time to read our explainer on coronavirus testing: how close is the UK to 100,000 tests a day?

Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the UK government has had "a very positive response" to its online system for booking coronavirus tests for essential workers.

The website temporarily closed just hours after being launched this morning, following high demand, with many left unable to apply for a test.

The government has faced some criticism over the roll-out of the system, with Labour saying ministers should have been prepared for the level of demand.

In a tweet, the health secretary says "more capacity will be added as it becomes available".

Image source, Getty Images

The coronavirus death toll in the US has now surpassed 50,000. So what else is happening across the US and Canada?

• The state of Georgia has moved forward with its phased reopening, allowing salons, bowling alleys, tattoo parlors and other businesses to resume work. Asked about Georgia's planned reopening, President Donald Trump said yesterday he “was not happy with Brian Kemp”, Georgia’s governor
• Doctors and manufacturers have appealed to people not to ingest or inject disinfectant after Trump suggested that disinfectant inside the body might work as a treatment for the virus. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was “sad” the president had to be corrected on matters of science and health
• The White House said the media had "irresponsibly" taken Trump's comment "out of context"

• Trump is expected to sign a $484bn (£391bn) relief package approved by Congress yesterday, which will give more money to a small business aid fund, overwhelmed hospitals and testing expansion
• Canada’s cases have topped 43,300, with 2,244 confirmed deaths - most clustered in the provinces of Quebec and Ontario
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce a new rent relief programme to help businesses that can’t afford their rent amid virus shutdowns. Canada reported a record 1 million jobs lost last month

We will be hearing from the UK government shortly with its daily briefing on coronavirus.

But while we wait, meet the dedicated staff living in a care home to protect their residents.

The UK has announced that hundreds more patients have died with coronavirus in hospital. But behind the stark figures each day are real people - including frontline health workers.

Katy Davis, 38, worked in child health and died after testing positive for Covid-19 at Southampton General Hospital on Tuesday.

Ms Davis is being remembered by colleagues as "a nurse people would aspire to be like".

Elsewhere, a former chief prosecutor has paid tribute to his brother following his death with Covid-19.

Nazir Afzal, who led prosecutions in the north-west of England, said his brother Umar spoke and could write in "half a dozen languages". The father-of-seven was "kind and professional" and appreciated by many, he said.

"He was probably the healthiest of us all, he didn't look his age at all," Mr Afzal added.

We should be hearing from the UK government in the next 30 minutes but let’s take a look at the latest from the country first:

• The website set up for key workers to apply for a coronavirus test had to be suspended hours after it opened because demand was too high
• A "traffic light system" could be used to lift some lockdown restrictions in Wales over the next few weeks
• Two doctors have launched a legal challenge against the government over its guidance on protective equipment for medics
• The opposition Labour party has launched a review of coronavirus's disproportionate impact on minority groups

Earlier we reported a further 684 patients had died in UK hospitals, as published in the latest figures from the Department of Health.

This number is lower than the increase in the cumulative total of 768 deaths from Thursday to Friday - from 18,738 to 19,506 - because the figures include the delayed reporting from one Welsh health board.

The government's latest figures of 684 new deaths on Friday do not include those in Betsi Cadwaladr.

The Betsi Cadwaladr health board today reported 84 deaths occurring over a longer period of time.

Japan was initially one of the success stories in terms of controlling the coronavirus.

It managed to suppress outbreaks and keep infection numbers low.

But cases have been increasing rapidly in recent weeks despite the declaration of a state of emergency. There are now more than 12,000 cases countrywide.

We visited a makeshift Covid-19 unit in a hospital south of the capital, Tokyo, that was built in just 10 days.

You can watch the situation inside the hospital below.

Tom Bateman
BBC Middle East correspondent

Image source, AFP

Israel’s government has approved a further lifting of coronavirus restrictions, as officials believe the current wave of the crisis has peaked.

From Sunday morning, all street-side shops will be allowed to reopen including hairdressers and beauty salons. Where possible customers will have their temperature taken before they enter and there will be limits on the number of people allowed.

But restaurants and cafes that don’t do take-away will stay shut, as will gyms and all large shopping malls.

There was anger over the continuing closure order for small shops earlier this week when the health ministry allowed Ikea furniture stores to open.

”It is ridiculous that places that are not essential like Ikea are opening and have long lines out the doors, and the market sellers are left to suffer,” Tali Friedman, who represents stall owners at a major Jerusalem market, told Ynet news.

Senior officials believe early action - including closures and broad ranging travel bans - helped slow the spread of the the virus.

But the government has been under growing pressure recently over the economic impact with around a quarter of the workforce unemployed.

The death toll in the US is now more than 50,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The country has by far the highest death toll in the world and the number of confirmed infections is more than 869,000.

However, the US has a population of 330 million, much higher than other worst affected countries such as Spain and Italy.

The daily coronavirus press conference is expected in about an hour. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is making his first appearance for the UK government.

He'll be joined by now familiar face Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer.

It's likely we'll hear more information on the plan announced today to protect the UK's supply chains during the pandemic.

We're also expecting yet more questions on the government's plans for testing, after the website for people to apply for a test closed within hours.

The UK's chief medical officer Chris Whitty has told MPs that the government target of carrying out 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month was not set by scientific advisers.

Prof Whitty said the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) is still "developing a view" on what the "optimal number" of tests would be.

But he said that, while it had not set the specific number, Sage would "absolutely" support the "general trend" of increasing testing as that was "very important."

Meanwhile, the chief medical officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton, has told MPs that the new government website to allow key workers to request coronavirus testing "was not discussed in detail across the four nations".

The website was suspended within hours of its launch this morning.