The UK’s death toll has increased by 739 to 27,510, while the number of confirmed cases rose by 6,201 to 177,454. It comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed the Government has met its target of 100,000 tests a day.

A total of 122,347 tests were carried out in the 24 hours up to 9am on Friday.

Mr Hancock said: “I knew that it was an audacious goal, but we needed an audacious goal, because testing is so important for getting Britain back on her feet.

“I can announce that we have met our goal. The number of tests yesterday, on the last day of April, was 122,347.

“This unprecedented expansion in British testing capability is an incredible achievement, but it is not my achievement, it is a national achievement.”

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6.00am update: Care home warning 

The peak of infections in care homes may not have come. 

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England said: “Despite what the health secretary says about us being always regarded as a priority, well clearly we weren’t. At the start of this pandemic, the only narrative was ‘protect the NHS’.

“And what that manifested itself in — we had PPE supplies disrupted, we had primary care completely withdrawing from care homes.” 

Professor Green estimated a timescale:  “I think it will probably, hopefully, be weeks, but it could potentially be months.”

5.40am update: Daniel Hanaan 

Former Tory MEP Daniel Hanaan hs written on Conservative Home, to champion the need for free trade to allow the economy to get up and running again. 

Mr Hanaan concluded: “Yes, we should concentrate on ensuring that our healthcare system works.

“Yes, we should keep small businesses going. Yes, should look for inoculations.

“But, while all these things are happening, what is the clever and energetic Liz Truss supposed to be doing? Should she just be cooing in admiration at her Cabinet colleagues, or should she be overseeing trade discussions – by video at first – so that, when the restrictions are finally loosened, we can maximise our prosperity? You only have to put the question.” 

5.30am update: Tensions at German-French border 

Reports have emerged of Germans in the border region lashing out at French commuters over coronavirus fears. 

Berlin has restricted border entry but certain travellers have exceptions. 

Reports claim cars with French number plates have had eggs thrown at them.

Tobias Hans, Minister-President of Saarland, which borders Luxembourg sought to ease tensions:  “We have to fight together with our friends in France and Luxembourg against the spread of the coronavirus, because we are all in the same boat.”

4.05am update: Russian Prime Minister tests positive 

Mikhail Mishustin has revealed in a video meeting with President Vladimir Putin he tested positive for coronavirus. 

First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will take over while Mr Mishustin recovers. 

The meeting was broadcast on state media and Mr Putin responded:  “What’s happening to you can happen to anyone, and I’ve always been saying this.

“You are a very active person. 

“I would like to thank you for the work that has been done so far.”

3.35am update: Michigan legislatures give authority to speaker to file lawsuit 

Republicans control Michigan House of Representatives holding 58 seats of the 110 seats in the state lower house. 

They also control the Michigan Senate with 38 seats of the state upper house. 

The House voted in favour of a motion to allow Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Republican authority to file a lawsuit against Governor Gritchen Whitmer. 

The Senate passed a similar motion for Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, also a Republican. 

Mr Shirkey said ending Ms Whitmer, a Democrat’s emergency powers would allow a  “system of checks and balances that ensures all voices are heard.”

3.05am update: US Attorney General on lockdown 

The US Attorney General William Barr said on Friday that Washington’s Department of Justice was on the lookout for coronavirus lockdown restrictions that were “too generalised” to be compatible with civil liberties enriched in the US constitution. 

Mr Barr said his department would endeavour to  “work with the state and local governments” but   “would consider taking action”  if and when it became necessary. 

2.35am update: Election month

The US Presidential election may turn into a month-long event. 

Mail voting has been used in many of the ballots that have taken place in recent weeks at local and state level. 

Amber McReynolds, the CEO of the nonprofit Vote at Home Institute, told Newsweek:  “It’s more of an Election Month. 

“And we look at Election Day as the final day to vote instead of the only day to vote.”

Mail is expected to be sent out three to four weeks before the deadline and the results are expected to take longer to count. 

2.05am update: Japan extends lockdown 

Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister, says his Government will plan for a month-long extension to the lockdown. 

The Japan lockdown expires May 6. 

Mr Abe said:  “After receiving this report from the panel of experts, I asked Minister Nishimura to use extending the current framework of the state of emergency by about one month as the base scenario for swiftly drafting plans that will fit the needs of the regions.” 

Yasutoshi Nishimura is the minister for the outbreak, he holds several portfolios:  Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy, Minister in charge of Social Security Reform and Minister in charge of TPP and Japan-U.S. Trade Negotiations. 

1.35am update: Pandemic to last two years according to report 

Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (Cidrap) at the University of Minnesota, has released a report saying it could take two years for the pandemic to end. 

This is because of how long sufferers can appear asymptomatic. 

The authors said: “Risk communication messaging from government officials should incorporate the concept that this pandemic will not be over soon.

“People need to be prepared for possible periodic resurgences of disease over the next two years.”

1.05am update: Effects on staff 

A study on the effects of treating coronavirus patients on Chinese healthcare workers has been published in Frontiers of Psychology. 

Dr Bin Zhang, a co-author of the study told South China Morning Post:  “Typically, stress-related insomnia is transient and persists for only a few days.

“But if the Covid-19 outbreak continues, the insomnia may gradually become chronic insomnia.” 

More than a third suffered from insomnia and these workers were more likely to feel depressed, anxious and have stress-based trauma. 

12.35am update: China opens up

China has unified the standard behind QR to allow for domestic travel. 

In general, those with a green code could travel without restrictions.

Those with yellow and red need to quarantine themselves or have supervised quarantine. 

Previously different provinces issued their codes and did not always accept codes from elsewhere. 

12.05am update: WHO links up with EIB

The World Health Organisation has linked up the European Investment Bank to boost finance for 10 African countries. 

It comes after WHO had their funding from the US frozen. 

10.35pm update: Greggs cancel trial reopening

Greggs had looked to reopen 20 stores on a trial basis on Monday. 

However, a spokesman told the Mirror: “Due to significant interest in our 20-shop trial, and the risk that excessive numbers of customers may plan to visit Greggs, we will now initially operate these trials behind closed doors in order to effectively test our new operational safety measures.

“It was never our intention to attract high levels of customers to these trial shops, and therefore we have decided to temporarily update our test plans and operate behind closed doors only. 

“We will continue to review this as we undertake our initial tests and will invite walk-in customers into our shops only when we can be confident of doing so in the controlled manner we intended.”

10.05pm update: Great Great Grandfather conquers coronavirus 

Rudolph Heider tested positive for coronavirus whilst in a nursing home in Chesterfield, Missouri. 

Mr Heider has been cleared to come out of isolation after going two weeks without symptoms. 

He turned 107 on Tuesday. 

He thanked his grandson Matthew and his wife Jane for calling to wish him a happy birthday:  “I love you very much.

“Thank you, everyone, for all the help you’ve given me.” 

Mr Heider said he hoped his story will help inspire others. 

Gursimran Hans has taken over live reporting from Katie Harris. 

9.15pm update: Ireland to begin easing lockdown in two weeks

Ireland will begin its journey to a new normal after a further two weeks of lockdown, Leo Varadkar has announced.

The majority of the restrictions will remain in place until May 18, although two will relax in the coming days.

From next Tuesday, a travel limit that has forced people to stay within 2km of home when exercising will be extended to 5km and self-isolating over-70s will be advised they can leave home for a walk or drive.

The Taoiseach said in mid-May a phased easing of the remaining restrictions would begin.

8.30pm update: France death toll rises by 218 to 24,594

The number of people who have died from coronavirus in France rose by 218 to 24,594 on Friday.

7.50pm update: Fresh evidence of coronavirus immunity ‘promising’ – UK testing chief

The UK’s testing effort co-ordinator has said it is “encouraging” that new evidence from South Korea suggests those who have fought off coronavirus might develop an immunity afterwards.

There were fears after almost 300 cases in South Korea of people who had seemingly contracted Covid-19 a second time.

But the country’s Central Clinical Committee for Emerging Disease Control announced that the cases were due to a testing fault.

Professor John Newton said the findings were “promising”.

7.05pm update: Italy coronavirus death tally up by 269

Italy’s coronavirus death toll has risen by 269 to 28,236.

The number of confirmed cases has increased by 1,965 to 207,428.

6.30pm update: NHS chief warning over reopening schools too soon

NHS England’s national medical director Professor Stephen Powis has warned against reopening schools too early.

Prof Powis said the “science is still evolving” on how much children contribute toward virus spread, adding: “We do need to be cautious as we think of reopening schools.”

His comments came at the daily Downing Street press conference in response to a question from a member of the public.

Asked whether parents would be fined for not sending their children to school when they reopen, Health Secretary Matt Hancock vowed the Government would only allow pupils to return when it was safe to do so.

6.10pm update: Shadow Health Secretary accuses ministers of being misleading over testing target

Responding to the Government reaching its coronavirus testing target, Jonathan Ashworth tweeted: “We’ve wanted to see more testing. But a big figure is not a strategy. We need fundamentals of infectious disease control in place – finding cases, contact tracing and isolation.

“And ministers should have been honest. Promise was UK would *carry out* tests not just post them out.”

5.20pm update: Government meets 100,000 testing target

The Government has met its 100,000 coronavirus tests a day target.

Speaking at the Downing Street briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said 122,347 tests were performed in the 24 hours up to 9am on Friday.

He described it as an “incredible achievement”, adding that testing is “crucial to suppress the virus” and would “help us to unlock the lockdown”.

Mr Hancock added that over the entire testing process, 1,023,824 tests had been carried out.

5.15pm update: UK coronavirus death toll reaches 27,510

A total of 27,510 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Thursday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said, up by 739 from 26,771 the day before.

The number of confirmed cases has risen by 6,201 to 177,454.

4.10pm update: Coronavirus death rate ‘more than double’ in most deprived areas

The coronavirus death rate is more than double in the most deprived areas, new analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.

For those deaths involving Covid-19 that took place between March 1 and April 17, the mortality rate in the most deprived areas was 55.1 deaths per 100,000 population.

By contrast, the rate was 25.3 deaths per 100,000 in the least deprived areas.

3.30pm update: England reports further 352 coronavirus deaths

NHS England has announced 352 new deaths of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in hospitals, bringing the total to 20,483.

2.50pm update: Northern Ireland announces 18 new deaths

There have been an additional 18 deaths in Northern Ireland from patients who tested positive for COVID-19.

The Department of Health said this brings the death toll so far to 365.

2.30pm update: Wales death toll nears 1,000 and cases close to 10,000

Public Health Wales has said a further 17 people have died after testing positive for coronavirus in the country, bringing the death toll to 925.

An additional 160 people have tested postive for COVID-19, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 9,972.

2.15pm update: Half of GP consultations could now move online because of COVID-19

Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, told the Commons Health and Social Care Committee there had been a spike in online consultations due to coronavirus.

He told MPs: “There’s going to be a dramatic change.

“So, prior to the pandemic, about 70 percent of consultations in general practice were carried out face to face.

“Now, according to the data, it’s about 23 percent, I suspect it might even be less than that.

“That’s been enabled, of course, because it had to be, that was the reality of not being able to provide face-to-face care except when it’s exceptionally required.

“Most importantly, it’s been enabled by having access to the technology and the investment that’s been put into the technology.

“I think the future will be somewhere between where we were and where we are. I don’t think that 70 percent of consultations have to be carried out face to face before the crisis and I don’t think 20 percent to 23 percent is right either.”

1.40pm update: Face coverings have a ‘weak but positive effect’ – Downing Street

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Ministers are still considering how we move forward with face coverings in terms of the precise advice which we give to the public and once that’s ready we will announce it.

“The advice we have received based on the science shows a weak but positive effect in reducing transmission of coronavirus from asymptomatic members of the public where social distancing isn’t possible.

“What ministers need to consider is how best to produce advice for the public on the next steps and that work is still ongoing.”

1.05pm update: Scotland exceeds testing capacity target

The testing capacity in Scotland now stands at 4,350, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The country’s government had set a target of 3,500 for capacity in NHS labs by the end of April.

The First Minister said that by the end of this week, testing would rise to 6,500 and further to 8,000 by the middle of May.

12.50pm update: Sturgeon announces 40 new coronavirus deaths in Scotland

There have been a further 40 deaths from coronavirus in Scotland, Fist Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said, taking the death toll up to 1,475.

She said 11,654 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, a rise of 301 from 11,353 the day before.

There are now 1,809 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, up 61 from 1,748 the previous day.

12.30pm update: Macron warns lifting lockdown on May 11 will not mean return to normal life

France is due to start lifting lockdown restrictions in under two weeks, but French President Emmanuel Macron has warned it will be just one of “several phases”.

He said in a speech to mark May 1: “May 11 will not be the passage to normal life.

“There will be several phases and May 11 will be one of them.”

12.14pm update: Matt Hancock praised by Jeremy Hunt for rise in testing capacity

Matt Hancock has been praised by his predecessor as Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt as figures appear to show the Government on track to reach its 100,000-a-day coronavirus testing target.

On Thursday, the government said it had carried out 80,000 tests the day before – up by almost 30,000 from Tuesday.

It is not yet known if the 100,000 target by the end of this month has been hit.

Speaking on BBC’s Today programme, Mr Hunt said: “It’s an enormous achievement to get us from doing around 10,000 tests a day to 100,000, give or take, in four weeks.

“It’s an absolutely huge transformation of our testing capacity and Matt Hancock deserves enormous credit.

“One hundred thousand is in some ways an arbitrary number but setting a target like that is how you get things done in a big bureaucracy like the NHS, it galvanises the system and it looks like that’s what he’s done.”

12.09pm update: Spain’s death toll edges closer to 25,000

The death toll in Spain from coronavirus has increased to 24,825 after a further 281 people died from causes related to the disease overnight.

The daily death toll is slightly up from Thursday’s figure of 268.

Spain’s health ministry said the number of new coronavirus cases has risen to 215,216 on Friday from 213,435 the day before.

12.05am update: New Liverpool hospital to have unit for coronavirus patients

The new 646-bed Royal Liverpool University Hospital will open a unit to help patients recovering from coronavirus.

The hospital had been due to open in 2017 but was delayed when engineering giant Carillion collapsed.

Hospital bosses have now said a state-of-the-art “step-down” unit, made up of single-bed rooms, will open on the site next week.

The facility will help patients with COVID-19 and other conditions recover their independence before being discharged.

11.17am update: Spain’s GDP to shrink 9.2 percent this year – economy minister

Spain’s GDP will fall by 9.2 percent this year, economy minister Nadia Calvino has warned, but is expected to grow 6.8 percent in 2021.

She said The Bank of Spain expected an “asymetric V-shape recovery, with the deepest decrease in the second quarter and then a strong and gradual recovery in the second half of the year”.

Before the imposition of a nationwide lockdown, Ms Calvinoi had forecast on February 11 that GDP would grow by 1.6 percent in 2020.

10.29am update: Russia reports record daily rise in coronavirus cases

The country’s coronavirus response centre said there had been 7,933 new cases in the last 24 hours, with the total increasing to 114,431.

There have been a further 96 deaths from COVID-19, with that number rising to 1,169.

The coronavirus outbreak in Russia initially got off to a slow start, but cases began to sharply rise last month, and on Thursday surged past the 100,000 mark.

10.24am update: Heathrow boss warns social distancing at airports would be “physically impossible”

John Holland-Kaye told the PA news agency: “Social distancing does not work in any form of public transport, let alone aviation.

“The constraint is not about how many people you can fit on a plane, it will be how many people you can get through an airport safely.

“If you’ve ever been on holiday from Gatwick, you cannot imagine going through there and socially distancing in the summer.

“It’s just physically impossible to socially distance with any volume of passengers in an airport. The same applies with trains and Tube stations.

“So we need a better solution, which means that in a few months’ time, when the disease is under control and with a low risk of infection, we can make it as low risk as possible for people to fly.”

10.20am update: Government warned ‘stay at home’ message may have been ‘slightly too successful’

A leading statistician has warned the Government’s “stay at homer” message may have been “slightly too successful” after a leading poll suggersted Britons are worried about the easing of lockdown measures.

An Ipsos Mori showed little over 60 percent of people would feel uncomfortable carrying out their usual activities – such as going to bars or restaurants, or using public transport – if the lockdown is eased.

Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, of Cambridge University, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s much harder to frighten to people to stay at home than it is to reassure them they can go out again.

“Maybe our whole campaign has been, if anything, slightly too successful.”

9.36am update: Australian PM rejects Trump’s new coronavirus claims

Scott Morrison has said he has seen no evidence to suggest coronavirus originated from a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Donald Trump said on Thursday he was confident the killer virus may have originated in a Chinese virology lab, but declined to describe the evidence he claimed to had seen.

“When asked about the US President’s comments, Mr Morrison told a news conference in Canberra: “What we have before us doesn’t suggest that that is the likely source.

“There’s nothing we have that would indicate that was the likely source, though you can’t rule anything out in these environments.

“We know it started in China, we know it started in Wuhan, the most likely scenario that has been canvassed relates to wildlife wet markets, but that’s a matter that would have to be thoroughly assessed.”

9.29am update: Germany reports 193 new deaths and 1,639 infections 

The death toll in Germany from coronavirus has increased by 193 to 6,481, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday.

There have been 1,639 new cases, with the total now increasing to 160,758.

8.58am update: Benefits of wearing face mask are ‘modest’ but may help people return to work – minister

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told the BBC: “The advice in the past has been that face masks have only quite a modest difference from a health perspective, they do help us to protect others.

“It might be particularly useful if you’re asymptomatic so you don’t know if you’ve got symptoms but you could still be spreading the virus.

“The benefits are modest but they might be a way of giving people confidence because many people are understandably very anxious about going out, about returning to the workplace in a safe way.”

8.47am update: RBS takes £800m hit as profit halves during coronavirus quarter

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has said profit halved during the first three months of this year during a difficult period for the banking industry with coronavirus shutting down large parts of the economy.

Operating profit plunged 49 percent from last year to reach £519 million.

This came after RBS took a net impairment loss of £802 million, of which £628 million was down to the uncertain economic outlook.

8.35am update: UN Secretary General expresses disappointment over COVID-19 response

António Guterres has said he has been “shocked but not surprised” by the global coronavirus response.

He told the BBC: “Unfortunately, the world was not able to come together.

“Each country went with its own policy.”

8.15am update: Ryanair could slash up to 3,000 jobs because of ‘unprecedented COVID-19 crisis’

The airline has said in a statement:” As a direct result of the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, the grounding of all flights from mid-March until at least July, and the distorted state aid landscape in Europe, Ryanair now expects the recovery of passenger demand and pricing (to 2019 levels) will take at least two years, until summer 2022 at the earliest.

“The Ryanair Airlines will shortly notify their trade unions about its restructuring and job loss programme, which will commence from July 2020.

“These plans will be subject to consultation but will affect all Ryanair Airlines and may result in the loss of up to 3,000 mainly pilot and cabin crew jobs, unpaid leave and pay cuts of up to 20%, and the closure of a number of aircraft bases across Europe until traffic recovers.

“Job cuts and pay cuts will also be extended to head office and back office teams. Group CEO Michael O’Leary, whose pay was cut by 50% for April and May, has now agreed to extend this 50% pay cut for the remainder of the financial year to March 2021.”

8.07am update: UK will meet or get ‘very close’ to achieving daily testing target

The Government will either meet its target of conducting 100,000 coronavirus tests a day or be “very close” to that, a minister has said.

Boris Johnson told Thursday’s daily briefing 81,611 tests had been carried out on Wednesday.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told Sky News this morning: “I think we will have either met it or be very close.

“In that sense the target will have succeeded because it will have galvanised people across government, in the private sector and across the country to build the network that we needed to, which is the foundation of testing, tracking and tracing, which we need in the next phase of fighting the virus.”

Additional reporting by Paul Withers.