The UK's 122,347 testing figure on 30 April includes more than 40,000 tests dispatched to people's homes, the government's testing co-ordinator has said.

Professor John Newton told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that about 80,000 tests were carried out in laboratories.

The UK government said it had met its 100,000 testing target by the end of April, but concerns were raised that the government had been creative with its counting.

“It’s a big number, however you count it. And we don’t want to get too hung up on the target… but what really matters is we’ve got substantial capacity,” Prof Newton said.

“What we need to do now is decide how to use it best to really get on top of the virus.”

He added: “You can count tests when they go out or when they come back in. Whichever way you do it, we still beat the target.”

There has been a signficant fall in the murder rate in El Salvador, which is one of the world's most violent countries.

According to official data, there were 441 homicides in the first four months of the year - down 58% on the same period in 2019, when there were 1,059.

El Salvador has introduced strict quarantine rules to try to stop the spread of coronavirus. President Nayib Bukele has ordered the security forces to intern quarantine violators in so-called containment centres, but there are fears the virus is spreading in overcrowded prisons where many gang members are jailed.

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People are walking, jogging and cycling on Spanish streets for the first time in weeks as the country's tight coronavirus restrictions are eased.

The decision to allow adults to exercise follows a relaxation of the rules for children a week ago.

Spain has suffered one of the world's worst outbreaks of the coronavirus - more than 213,000 cases and 24,500 deaths - and imposed a stringent lockdown in March.

People were only allowed to leave the house to buy food or medicine, to go to work if working from home was not possible, or to briefly walk the dog.

Until last week it was the only country in Europe where children could not leave home at all.

However, daily exercise is still subject to timetables for different sections of the population to avoid crowds. Training must be carried out close to home and social distancing rules remain.

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Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

The UK met its 100,000 testing target by the end of April, but the government has been accused of being creative with its counting, including kits sent to people’s homes which may have not been returned.

But even discounting these figures, the government still achieved an eight-fold increase from a month ago.

There are serious questions to ask about the UK's approach to testing, however.

As the outbreak spread, it quickly became clear the testing system was going to be overwhelmed, with concerns the government was slow to react.

Many believe the delay has proved costly, particularly when it comes to testing capacity for care homes, where more lives might have been saved.

Some also think that the 100,000 target might hinder, rather than help, with the six-figure target representing “testing for testing’s sake”.

The UK has had to play catch up with other countries, such as Germany, Italy and Lithuania.

And the main test is yet to come, as effective tracing measures will be key to aid any easing of lockdown measures.

Laura Scott
BBC Sport News Correspondent

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Neutral grounds and up to 40,000 tests for players and staff will be required if the English Premier League's plans to play the 92 outstanding games behind closed doors are pursued.

"Up to 10 stadiums" would be used to resume the 2019-20 campaign, which was halted in March because of the pandemic.

The advice came during a video conference on Friday which followed a separate meeting, hosted by culture secretary Oliver Dowden, involving medical experts from several sports organisations, government and Public Health England, about "stepping up planning" for sport's eventual return.

Clubs reiterated a commitment to resuming the season "when safe and appropriate to do so".

Read more here.

Gavin Lee
BBC Europe reporter

Belgium is the world's worst affected country when it comes to the coronavirus mortality rate.

That rate, unlike the total number of fatalities, is a measure of the number of deaths in relation to the size of population.

Belgium has a population of 11.5 million. That means 66 people in every 100,000 have died from Covid-19. In the US, with a population of around 330 million, it's 19 in every 100,000, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

But those figures are "faulty comparisons" that have been "abused", argues Prof Steven Van Gucht, a Belgian virologist and government spokesman.

Read more from Gavin here.

Princess Charlotte has delivered homemade care packages to those in need during the coronavirus crisis.

New pictures released to mark her fifth birthday show the young royal helping her family take food to the elderly and vulnerable in Norfolk, England, near her home of Anmer Hall, on the Queen's Sandringham estate.

The photos were taken in April by the princess's mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, a keen amateur photographer.

Read more.

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James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent, BBC News

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The latest clinical trials of remdesivir, an anti-viral drug originally developed to treat Ebola, have been encouraging.

The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) found that remdesivir cut the duration of symptoms from 15 days down to 11. The trials involved 1,063 people at hospitals around the world. Some were given the drug and others were given a placebo (dummy) treatment.

Dr Anthony Fauci who runs NIAID, said that remdesivir had "a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery".

However, although remdesivir may aid recovery - and possibly stop people having to be treated in intensive care - the trials did not give any clear indication whether it can prevent deaths from coronavirus.

It is one of the four drugs in the WHO Solidarity trial and its manufacturer, Gilead, is also organising trials.

The US data on remdesivir was published at the same time as a trial of the same drug in China, reported in the Lancet medical journal, external, showed it was ineffective.

However, that trial was incomplete because the success of lockdown in Wuhan meant doctors ran out of patients.

Good morning, here’s a rundown of the key developments in the UK overnight and on Friday:

• The government passed it 100,000 testing target by the end of April, but figures include kits sent to people’s homes, which may not have already been used
• There is a higher death rate in poorer areas of England and Wales than in affluent places
• Londoners are dying from coronavirus at more than twice the rate as the rest of the country, the Office of National Statistics found
• Commuters could be asked to check their temperature before leaving home to make transport safer
• Parents in England have been urged to keep their child’s vaccination appointments following a drop in numbers
• Thousands have signed up for a trial to see if blood plasma from coronavirus survivors can treat hospital patients with Covid-19
• Lockdown has reduced the amount the UK shakes, with a fall in ground motions due to human inactivity

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A nursing home in New York has reported 98 coronavirus-related deaths, a figure described by the city’s mayor as "absolutely horrifying".

The Isabella Geriatric Center in Manhattan said 46 of its residents died after testing positive, while the other 52 were suspected to have had the virus.

"It’s absolutely horrifying," New York mayor Bill de Blasio said. "It’s inestimable loss, and it’s just impossible to imagine so many people lost in one place."

According to Associated Press data,, external New York has had at least 3,065 nursing home deaths - the most in the US - as of Thursday.

The Washington Post also carried out a nationwide study. , externalIt says the number of nursing homes publicly reporting cases of covid-19 has doubled in the past week, with more than one in six facilities in the US now acknowledging infections among residents or staff.

Good morning and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are the key events overnight and today:

• The US government has given emergency approval for the anti-viral Ebola drug Remdesivir as a treatment for the coronavirus. The company behind the drug, Gilead Sciences, has donated 1.5 million vials to help patients
• More European countries are taking steps to ease restrictions. In Spain adults will be able to exercise outside for the first time in weeks and Austria is allowing thousands of shops to reopen
• UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock says there has been an "unprecedented" rise in coronavirus testing in the UK and that the target of 100,000 daily tests has been met. However, the opposition Labour Party says the numbers are misleading
• A nursing home in New York City has reported 98 deaths linked to coronavirus. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the losses at the 705-bed Isabella Geriatric Center in Manhattan were "absolutely horrifying"
• El Salvador, one of the world's most violent countries, has seen a sharp drop in the murder rate after it imposed strict quarantine rules
• Singapore has announced moves to gradually ease restrictions. The health ministry said traditional Chinese medicine practitioners would be allowed to partly reopen on Tuesday while other services such as barbers and laundries could operate from 12 May