As has become common practice in the last few days, Dowden is talking through the government’s coronavirus alert levels.

These are based on the R number, the infection rate, and the number of cases.

The UK is currently at level four, meaning the epidemic is still in general circulation and transmission is high.

But Dowden says thanks to the sacrifices of the British people he hopes it will soon begin to come down to level three, which would trigger a further easing of social distancing and other current restrictions.

But he says the process will take place in “careful steps” and he says the UK must avoid a “disastrous” second peak.

The next review of the current restrictions will be on 28 May.

A further 363 deaths have been recorded across the UK in the past 24 hours, Oliver Dowden says.

That takes the number of those testing positive who have died so far, according to Department of Health figures, to 35,704, although it is widely accepted that the overall figure is much higher.

The culture secretary also says 177,216 tests were carried out in the past 24 hours.

That’s the biggest daily total to date and a huge increase on yesterday’s figure of just below 100,000.

This, however, does not correspond to the number of people actually tested as some individuals are tested more than once.

An interview with a jobless migrant took an unexpected turn for BBC Hindi's Salman Ravi.

Like many thousands of others in India who have lost their work because of the pandemic, the man was facing a long journey home with his family.

But as Salman discovered, this worker was planning to walk 600km (370 miles) barefoot.

"They were completely broken, physically and mentally. I couldn't just witness it any more," said Salman. Video of the BBC reporter handing the man his shoes has since gone viral.

India has announced that domestic flights will resume but train and bus services are still disrupted in many areas, leaving migrant workers no choice but to walk.

A reminder that we are expecting the UK government’s daily briefing to start in less than ten minutes.

It’s being led, for the first time during the outbreak, by Oliver Dowden. He is secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport.

Alongside him will be Professor Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, who in contrast is something of a veteran of the No 10 press conferences.

Image source, AFP

Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg is sticking by a plan to make MPs return to Parliament next month, after five weeks of remote working.

Despite claims from opposition MPs that returning would be irresponsible and put them at risk, he said working via video link was making it harder for the Commons to scrutinise and pass new laws.

But he said progress was being made on making Parliament “a Covid-19 secure workplace”, with measures to keep MPs two metres apart in the usually packed division lobbies.

"We will not be returning to the crowded, bustling chamber of old," Mr Rees-Mogg said.

Read the full story

Image source, Getty Images

A national review of medical treatment in care homes has been announced in Sweden. It follows concerns - reported by the BBC on Tuesday - that some regions have not automatically made oxygen available for patients.

Care home residents account for nearly half of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Sweden.

The government's health and social care inspectorate (IVO) said it had carried out preliminary checks on 1,000 homes in April and found “serious deficiencies” in the care given to one in 10 residents.

“What we have seen and what has been reported in the media is serious,” said IVO director general Sofia Wallström in a statement.

Further checks are planned at all 1,700 care homes for elderly residents across Sweden during the first two weeks of June.

Image source, Getty Images

We mentioned earlier that Spain had introduced strict rules on wearing face coverings in public. Here's a bit more detail:

Everyone must wear face coverings in places such as shops, offices, restaurants and public transport, and outdoors if social distancing is not possible. The only exemptions are for children under six and people with health issues such as asthma or anxiety. But they are still recommended for children aged three to five.

The rules come into force on Thursday.

The Spanish government says wearing masks is justified as it blocks the transmission of infected droplets in areas where safe distances cannot be guaranteed.

The rules elsewhere in Europe are:

• Masks should be worn in shops and on public transport in most parts of Germany, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic
• Slovakia and the Czech Republic are extending that rule to include offices too
• Greece says masks should be worn in shops, on transport, in enclosed spaces and by tour guides

Here's a guide on how to make your own face mask.

And for those in the UK, here's the latest guidance on the advice for different parts of the country.

Image source, Getty Images

Germany has agreed a proposal to ban the use of temporary workers at slaughterhouses following a spate of coronavirus infections.

Hundreds of people working at abattoirs across Germany and France have tested positive in recent weeks, while many workers have arrived from Romania on flights chartered by farmers.

Health experts are looking at possible reasons for the outbreaks, including overcrowded accommodation and cold conditions at processing facilities.

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet agreed a draft proposal preventing subcontractors - largely migrant workers - from processing meat at plants from January 2021.

Meanwhile, the United States faces a major meat shortage due to infections among staff at processing plants.

Read more on the predicament in the US, and here's a long read from our reporter Jessica Lussenhop, on one outbreak at a pork factory in South Dakota.

Image source, Getty Images

US President Donald Trump says he is considering hosting the G7 summit at Camp David after it was previously moved online amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The in-person gathering of world leaders was due to be held between 10-12 June at Camp David, the country retreat for the US president in Maryland.

The meeting was rescheduled to a video conference, but Mr Trump said it would be "a great sign to all" if it was held at its original location.

"I am considering rescheduling the G7, on the same or similar date, in Washington, DC, at the legendary Camp David,” he wrote in a post on Twitter. “The other members are also beginning their comeback. It would be a great sign to all - normalization!”

Image source, AFP

We’re expecting the UK government's daily coronavirus press conference in around 40 minutes' time.

For the first time, it will be led by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, whose brief includes oversight of charities and sport.

Alongside him will be Stephen Powis, national medical director at NHS England.

The family of Yechiel Yosef Rothschild - who died of Covid-19 last week - describe him as a "beacon of light" of the UK's Orthodox Jewish community.

Mr Rothshild - who lived in sheltered accommodation in north London and had Down's syndrome - was lovingly referred to by many friends simply as "YY". He was just 20.

Britain’s Jewish community - about 264,000 people - has suffered a high death toll, with more than 450 losing their lives to the virus.

Some of the reasons for that are demographic: many Jews are older, and they are more likely to live in large urban areas. These factors are among those which increase the risk of infection or death. But has the often social nature of Judaism also played a role?

BBC correspondent John McManus has been to the heart of the Jewish community to meet some of those affected by Covid-19.

UK-based members of the Association of Photographers f22 group - revived last year to address inequality in the photographic industry - have been documenting their experiences since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Here's a selection on their images - you can also view a larger gallery here.

Image source, Julia Fullerton-Batten

Image source, Sophie Harris Taylor

Image source, Agnese Sanvito

Image source, Denise Maxwell

Image source, Kristina Varaksina

Misinformation, conspiracy theories and speculation have been rife during the coronavirus pandemic.

Some of this misleading, or outright false, information is being repeated by politicians, from US President Donald Trump to Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini.

As BBC Reality Check’s Chris Morris explains, some of their claims have proved dubious.

Medical officials across the world have warned people to avoid touching their face as a key way to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

But why do we touch our faces in the first place? And is it that easy to just stop doing it?

Image source, Getty Images

It's nine weeks since UK schools closed to most students. And while some age groups are preparing to return shortly, many not be able to go back until September.

That's left some parents worrying about their loss of motivation and engagement in their studies.

"It's hard enough motivating a lazy 17-year-old boy who doesn't really care much about school in normal times," says Louise, a mother of three.

But Rebecca Poole, headteacher of Hampton High in south-west London, urged parents not to panic.

"As teachers, we will do our best to repair the damage to learning, the important thing is children's wellbeing and safety," she said.

Read the full story

Vicki Young
Chief Political Correspondent

The UK PM's spokesman has confirmed that a test-and-trace system will be in place by 1 June but suggested the contact-tracing app would be rolled out later.

Yesterday the health minister, Lord Bethell, told the Lords, “We’ll begin with the tracing, not the app.”

A Downing Street spokesman agreed. He said the app was “only one part of the system... We have a tried and tested system which was used in the early stages” of the Covid-19 outbreak. This system relies on human contact tracers and the government expects 25,000 of them to start work by 1 June.

The app has been piloted on the Isle of Wight - here is an update on how that is going.

Asked whether ministers would go ahead with their plan for more pupils to return to the classroom if some schools refused to do so, Downing Street said the government had been “working closely” with unions and teachers for eight weeks. He said they were planning a “cautious phased return from 1 June at earliest”.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's what's happening in the US, which has the world's highest number of confirmed Covid-19 infections, on Wednesday:

• The US justice department has warned Californian Governor Gavin Newsom that the Golden State's coronavirus rules may violate religious freedoms, saying "there is no pandemic exception to the US Constitution"
• Highways have been emptier during the pandemic but they have also been more deadly, says the National Safety Council
• A Waffle House restaurant worker says he was shot after telling a customer to wear a mask
• And hundreds of McDonald's workers across 20 cities are planning to strike today for better coronavirus protection

Marianna Spring
Specialist disinformation and social media reporter

Conspiracy theories, misinformation and speculation about coronavirus have flooded social media.

But who starts these rumours? And who spreads them?

We've investigated hundreds of misleading stories during the pandemic. It's given us an idea about who is behind misinformation - and what motivates them.

Here are seven types of people who start and spread falsehoods

Is there a misleading story we should be investigating? You can contact me at marianna.spring@bbc.co.uk or follow me on Twitter, external.

Image source, Instagram/@Elaine Oliveira

“We are having to decide who is going to be ventilated and who isn’t,” Elaine Oliveira, a nurse treating Covid-19 patients, says of the tough decisions health workers are having to make in parts of Brazil.

But that is not the only source of frustration for the nurse in north-eastern Ceará state.

Oliveira posted a picture of herself in full protective gear on Instagram and begged people to stay at home.

She has done this because many Brazilians are ignoring lockdowns and flouting social distancing rules, encouraged by President Jair Bolsonaro, who has himself dismissed the virus as "a little flu", and disinformation belittling the threat.

Oliveira has even stopped talking to her brothers because they refuse to take the pandemic seriously.

Read more about her here.

Image source, Getty Images

Our lead story on Wednesday is the rapid spread of coronavirus in Brazil. Despite a jump of 1,179 deaths - a daily record - President Jair Bolsonaro says the virus does not pose significant risks to the country.

The other top stories from around the world include:

• Spain has introduced Europe's strictest rules on wearing face masks - everyone over six must wear face coverings inside or outside where social distancing is not possible. Only those with health conditions are exempt
• Russia's Dagestan region is seeing a "catastrophic" situation, say local officials, with reports of a rising death toll and serious shortages of equipment
• The Dutch government says it is "plausible" that an employee at a mink farm contracted Covid-19 from one of the animals
• San Francisco, US, has announced two more "safe sleeping villages" where homeless people can set up tents while practising social distancing
• And in Afghanistan, an all-girls robotics team has made ventilators out of car parts