UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he stands by his comments about advice to care homes, after he was challenged on this by Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer.

The Labour leader earlier wrote to the PM after Prime Minister's Questions, to accuse him of misleading MPs over the guidance, external.

Starmer said that up until 12 March care homes were being told it was "very unlikely" anyone would become infected but the PM said "it wasn't true the advice said that".

In a letter, Johnson accuses Starmer of "selectively and misleadingly" quoting guidance from Public Health England.

He says the Labour leader "neglected to provide the critical context at the start of the guidance" - that is that the guidance was intended for the then-current position in the UK when there was "no transmission of Covid-19 in the community".

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

These are the latest graphics of coronavirus cases, tests and deaths in the United Kingdom.

The figures show 3,242 new cases in the last day, 87,063 tests and 494 deaths, bringing the total number of recorded deaths in the UK to 33,186.

The Nightingale Hospital in Northern Ireland is to be temporarily stood down, the health minister has said.

Belfast City Hospital's tower block was turned into a 230-bed unit for critically ill patients last month.

Robin Swann said the facility could still be used, if modelling suggested a second wave of the virus.

BBC News Channel

It is one of many questions UK workers are grappling with during the coronavirus pandemic - can a company compel staff they have furloughed to use up annual leave during the lockdown?

Employers can certainly direct you to take some of your leave, says BBC Radio 4 Money Box presenter Dan Whitworth.

Answering viewers questions on the BBC News channel, he explained that with some staff on furlough until possibly October employers may be worried about having workers with too much accrued holiday leave.

But he added: "One thing employers need to know and employees should know too, is if you take holiday whilst being furloughed, the government doesn't pick up the tab. The employer does. And it's not 80% of your salary, it's 100%."

Have any other questions? Check out our Q&A about the crisis and what it means for you here.

Image source, Getty Images

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

But while we wait there's time to have a look at our explainer on the changes in guidance for the housing market in England - including whether you are allowed to move house.

For now, the property markets in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland remain shut.

Image source, Getty Images

Two companies involved in building emergency coronavirus hospitals have been hit by cyber-attacks this month.

Interserve, which helped build Birmingham's NHS Nightingale hospital, and Bam Construct, which delivered Yorkshire and the Humber's, have reported the incidents to authorities.

Earlier this month, the government warned healthcare groups involved in the response to the virus were being targeted by malicious actors.

The separate attacks were not linked.

But Bam Construct said the "significant" cyber-attack on it "forms part of the wave of attacks on public and private organisations supporting the national effort on Covid-19".

Image source, Getty Images

California State University, the largest state university system in the US with about 480,000 students, says it will keep its 23 campuses closed in September, with classes moved online.

It is the first announcement from a major American university advising students that they will not return to campuses in the autumn.

This comes as Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases doctor, said a rebound of the virus in autumn was "entirely conceivable and possible".

However no such announcement has been made by the University of California, which covers around 285,000 students across 10 campuses.

McGill University in Montreal, Canada, also announced a plan to move many courses online for the semester beginning in September.

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 chancellor has said it is "very likely" the UK is in a "significant recession"
• Teachers' unions are warning that it is "not safe to reopen schools" and are urging the government to step back from the 1 June date
• Some people in England who cannot work from home have been returning to their workplaces today
• And Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of misleading MPs in a row over care homes

Image source, Getty Images

Poland will allow hairdressers and restaurants to reopen from Monday as it continues to ease restrictions.

"At least to some extent we have contained the epidemic, therefore we can gradually unfreeze the economy," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.

Morawiecki also said schools would partially reopen to provide day care for some younger children.

The moves came a day after the country recorded its largest spike in cases in a single day. Most of the increased cases came in an outbreak among coal miners and their families in the Silesia region.

There have been 17,032 confirmed cases and 847 deaths in Poland, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

Image source, Getty Images

Bus drivers in the UK have expressed concerns over their safety as lockdown measures ease and passenger numbers rise.

Earlier, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs that 42 Transport for London workers, including bus workers, had died. The Office for National Statistics has also said road transport drivers had "some of the highest rates of death" , externalinvolving coronavirus of any working group.

We have talked to some bus drivers who shared their concerns.

Jeffrey Reiling, a bus driver from Consett in County Durham, said: "On my buses, passengers can't socially distance from the driver because they need to get on and get a ticket, that's where the entrance is. I've been told I can't refuse people travelling."

One bus driver from Greater Manchester, who did not wish to be named, added: "I feel lucky I have a job but also quite scared. I put in to be furloughed but was refused. I can't afford to go off sick."

Katya Adler
Europe Editor

Image source, Getty Images

It Is no surprise the EU is keen to kickstart tourism. Covid-19-linked recession is hitting Europe hard.

A summer season of deserted beaches, echoing nightclubs and empty hotel rooms would make things a whole lot worse. Tourism accounts for 10% of the European economy. Far more in the case of individual countries like Greece and Spain.

The European Commission is suggesting a gradual approach.

Prioritising travel first for goods and workers in the EU to help the smooth running of Europe's single market; then opening the EU up for European tourists - ensuring social distancing, hygiene and travel, transport and leisure activities aimed at protecting visitors from Covid-19.

The Commission recommends that tracing apps EU countries are introducing to help contain the virus be designed to work for mobile phone users across Europe to keep people safe while on holiday.

And if infection rates still vary greatly within the EU next month, the Commission proposes starting with travel between European countries with similarly low coronavirus levels.

Read more here.

Martin Patience
BBC News, Middle East correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Lebanon is reintroducing a nationwide lockdown tonight for four days following about 100 new coronavirus cases in recent days.

Last week the government started to lift restrictions allowing restaurants, hair salons and shops to reopen but now they will be forced to close.

The Lebanese authorities have won praise for their handling of this crisis with fewer than 30 deaths from coronavirus reported so far.

But the shutdown has had a crushing impact on an economy, which even before this crisis was in a state of collapse following decades of rampant corruption and staggering mismanagement.

The currency is now in free-fall, inflation is soaring and - despite calls for social distancing - anti government protests are breaking out once more in the main cities.

Many Lebanese think the biggest threat facing them is not the coronavirus but instead the hunger, poverty and desperation caused by the country’s economic collapse.

The UK government will give its daily briefing at 17:00 BST (16:00 GMT).

It will be led by Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick.

He will be joined by Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Jenny Harries.

Image source, Getty Images

More than 110,000 self-employed people in the United Kingdom whose businesses are affected by coronavirus have already applied for government grants on the first day of the scheme's operation.

The value of the claims made so far is more than £340m ($415m), according to officials.

The Self Employed Income Support Scheme is designed to match the support being given to furloughed employees. The grants will be calculated as 80% of average monthly profit over a period of up to three years.

The government said the money would be paid into the accounts of eligible people six days after applying. The maximum payment will be £7,500, intended to cover March, April and May.

Alison Holt
Social affairs correspondent

Today's testy exchange at PMQs builds on the growing questions about the way coronavirus has been able to take hold in care homes.

At the start of this epidemic, when so much focus was on protecting the NHS, many in the care sector were already saying they felt largely ignored. That was even though they looked after some of the most vulnerable people in society.

By the time the government recommended homes should restrict visitors, shortly before the national lockdown, many had already taken that action. For weeks, care staff warned about the difficulties they faced getting protective equipment and testing.

There have been improvements recently and deaths in care homes are beginning to decline, but the number who have died remains shocking.

More money for infection control will be welcome, but for those who have already spent weeks fighting the virus, this will feel very late in the day.

Primary schools reopened in France on Monday and these striking photos are being widely shared on social media. Many people are shocked at what seem to be measures taken to ensure young children keep physically distant from each other.

In one photo, pupils stand in chalked boxes in the playground. But the journalist who shared them said the children did not seem unhappy about their new ways of learning and playing.

How to reopen schools while ensuring social distancing measures are followed is a big question in most countries under lockdown.

In Denmark, where schools reopened a month ago, it is assumed that it is unrealistic to expect young children to keep physical distances at all times. Instead, classes have been cut in half, children play in groups of fives, and they wash their hands hourly.

For a visual comparison with the French school, see the pictures below of the Danish approach, posted by our Europe correspondent Jean Mackenzie.

In Germany some secondary school pupils have returned, but the schoolday is shorter and there are one-way systems in corridors. Masks are also worn in communal areas.

Read more about the Danish and German approach.

Tom Burridge
Transport correspondent

Moments ago we talked about the increase in the number of passengers across London's underground network.

Now we have numbers about train usage in the UK. Passenger numbers at major rail stations were 10% up today compared with the same day last week.

However, when compared to the same day last year, passenger numbers were 92% down. The highest numbers today were between 07:00 and 07:30.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

The deaths being reported in care homes have been a source of concern and confusion for a number of weeks.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is right to say a large number of deaths are unaccounted for.

During April the number of people dying in care homes effectively trebled. But less than a third of the total deaths seen have been attributed to coronavirus.

That leaves 10,000 deaths unexplained - as the Labour leader pointed out.

There are a number of possible explanations for these.

They could be coronavirus cases that have been under-reported - the lack of testing in care homes may mean doctors missed the presence of the virus when they filled in the death certificates.

They could be "indirect deaths" related to the fact that residents have been unable to get care for other conditions, such as heart disease.

Finally, some are likely to be people who in previous years would have been taken to hospital to die but were kept in care homes - the ONS data also shows that the number of non-coronavirus deaths in hospital have actually fallen.

Natalie Higgins
BBC News, Brussels

Image source, Getty Images

Belgium's national security council has approved moving to the second phase of the country's plan to relax the lockdown next Monday.

This will involve a partial reopening of primary and secondary schools under strict conditions, for certain year groups, with masks being distributed for use by staff. Nurseries will remain closed.

Museums will be able to open from 18 May if they sell tickets online and take measures to limit crowds. Hairdressers, beauticians and other businesses that require close contact with customers can reopen by appointment only and with social distancing in the premises.

Weddings and funerals can take place with a maximum of 30 people present and with social distancing measures in place. Receptions after the ceremony are not permitted.

Markets can reopen with a maximum of 50 merchants, if local authorities approve. Masks will be compulsory for sellers and recommended for customers. Social distancing and a "traffic" system for moving around will be required.

Outdoor sports training and sports clubs will be allowed to resume with up to 20 people participating and in the presence of a trainer.

Earlier we reported that UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return to the House of Commons to "correct the record" after accusing him of misleading MPs over advice to care homes.

Now, Downing Street has responded, accusing Sir Keir of "inaccurately and selectively quoting” guidance from Public Health England on coronavirus in care homes.

Johnson’s spokesman said: "In his letter, the leader of the opposition concedes he hasn't quoted accurately from the document and by replacing the word 'therefore' he's hiding the fact that there's a preceding paragraph."

The guidance, external, which was published on 25 February and withdrawn on 13 March, says it was "intended for the current position in the UK where there is currently no transmission of Covid-19 in the community.

"It is therefore very unlikely that anyone receiving care in a care home or the community will become infected."