An tby contributions s pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. A shocking sign of our times. Mass buria in new york signal the toll that the outbreak has taken even as signs emerge that infections are leveling off. When social distancing is simply not an option we have a scial report on the migrant situation in northern france and in the uk. No virus can touch me until god is through with me. Plus pitting faith against infections. Some churches in the u. S. Plan to stay open forr easespite bans on public gatherings. Others say its god will to stay inside. For all of you watching on pbs and aund theglobe, welcome to world news america. Coming to the end of the week oe findselves with yet another grim milestone from this global outbreak. More than 100,00 people have now died as a result of the coronavirus according to researchers at John Hospital kins universi hopki universit. There has been another 777 if a at that time in the past 24 hours and ann though cuomo says the rate of hospitalizations is leveling off the state now has more cesonavirus c than any single country in the world. Heres our north ameca editor john sopel. Its somehow unimaginable, unbelievable, that in the most famous city in the richest country in the world they ar digging mass graves for those who cant afford a funeral and for those who died ofvi coros with no nextofkin. This is just off the bronx in new york city. Nearly 8,000 people have died in this state alone and they are struggling to deal with all the burials. Were in total control of our destiny here. What we do will affect literally life and death for hundreds of people. A so many new York Hospitals have had to bring these refrigerated things in to act as makeshift morgues. There is a glimmer of good news and thats that the number of people being admitted into hospitals is falling sharply and donald trump said today he ms america may be over the worst. President trump the numrs of beds being used are substantially reduced. Thats usually a sig that its heading on the downward curve. He wants to reopen the entry for business as soon as possible. President trump i want to get we have to get our country open. Can you say what metrics you will use . The metrics right here. Ats my metrics. Thats all i can do. Memorial would b packed with visitors but america is closed. P donald trump to reopen the country on may 1 but his medical erexperts are saying be cautious. The virus kind of decides whether or not its going to be appropriate to open or not. So even though were in a Holiday Season now is no time to back off. As they say so often now is the me to actually put your foot on t accelerator because we going in the right direction. Lets keep in that direction. Lord, let usome out with a thriving economy. The president had originally wanted america to reopen for this weekend with churches packed. But at the oval office today this was the reality. No crowded pews, just a blessing from a bishop. We bless them and america in jesus name. And for nearly all other christians this easter will be online, virtual, and socially distanced. The one church that will be open ishe biggest anglican cathedral in the u. S. This new york ldmark will be available for worship wont be available for worshippers. Its been readied as an additional field ital. John sopel, bbc news, jwashington. Ning me to discuss the medical battle against this outbreak is doctor who is director of the Harvard Global t health ute. Thanks so much for being with us. As we heard there, President Trump iso hoping t get the country open by may 1. Medical advice on that but whats your sense . Is that a realistic time frame for reopening the untry . Ye i think may 1 is going to be very, very difficul as dr. Fauci said, we dont make the timeline. Th virus makes the timeline, and there are a set of metrics that we have to hit and if we dont hit them and we open too early were going to end up have to let us hit those metrics and then open up. I think may 1 will be very difficult. So lets talk a little about those metrics. If you wereising the task force would you be looking at testing, surveilling hot spots . What would be your advice . You started listing them. First and foremost we need to see the numbers of cases g declininr a substantial period of time. We needo be absolutely sure that were on the right side of his virus and of this infection. We want to see substantial declines in infection for a sustained period. Second, is we want to make sure our hospitals are ready because if we open up and we get a surge of cases we want to make sure our hospitals and healthcare stems are ready. Third is arguably just as porch, maybe gmore, thats hav a very robust testing infrastructure because that how we remain open. If we care about staying open were going to need to able to do an extensive amount of testing and isolation. Thats the only approach we have to staying open. If the United States gets to a point where things get back to normal, there is, of course, the wave ility of a second that people fear. Would the United States at this point be resdy tond if that happens . In a more effective way than the first time around . Thats a great question. First of all, its worth remembering, that when we open back up the number of cases will start rising. And the summer months are quieter there will be a second wave in the fall and chances are it will be even bigger than first and the only way well be ready is if we dohose things weve talked about. If we have a terrific testing structure, if our Healthcare System is ready then well be able toandle the second wave i. Want to make sure were using the current time the summer months to get ready because there is no doubt that a second wave is coming. I dont think is an if. Its a when question and i hope that weve learned ourss le and are much more ready for round tw testinmight be rn a ibody couple of days. I wonder what you make of the usefulness of that testing and would we know if somebody was unable to transmit the coronavirus once they had been sted for sure . Yeah. Its a very good question. Im very enthusiastic about the Antibody Test but we have to be clear abouthat it can and cant do. It will be a good test to know how many people have been infected, and i think it will give us a pretty good feel for whether youre iune so we believe, and again, this is belief because the signs here are still in flux and coming in but we believe if you have antibodies you should be immune. You shouldnt beet able to the infection or transmit the infection. Its going to be very helpful ia undeing how widespread the infections have been. It may also be useful in diagnosing where somebody has an acute infection but we haveha other tests help us to do that already. All right. Thankou so much for your insight. Thank y for having me. Ha sos the medical side of things. Now, lets switch gears to politics and President Trump has been fnt and center this crisis. His regular appearances with the ite House Task Force has been appointment viewing for some but certainly not all. Here to discuss that and more with us is ron christie, a former adviser to president george w. Bush and a bbc analyst. Great to have you on again. I really wonder what your take is on how President Trump has performed because here in the United States, apparently even some of his aides wonder if these press companieses have hurt him rather than helped him . Good evening to you. The audio just blinked out on me a little bit. This has been a fcinating week in american politics. Unlike anything weve ever seent from the trump administration, i would say to you that the president initially came off a little bit iunsteadyn his presentations. They were very long in hishite house press briefings. He seemed to talk a lot about himself, then he gav way to the experts and we heard from dr. Fauci and seval others who are fighting this virus every single minute of every single day. Ive been a little disturbed by some of his tweets a of late where hes talked about his ratings d how hes beat monday night football and a number of television shows. I woulday to you that the important thing is the american people, all of the people in the world, find a way aroundhis virus, find a way through this pandemic, and that we get bk full health. So his performance has been good in spots and a little bit disturbing in others. We heard from the president day, he said that reopening the country and when to do that will be the biggest decision hell ever have to make. Ou how dohink that will not only define his presidency but how do you think it will affecth him with upcoming president ial election . I think thats exactly whatl this isoing to boil down to. Can he find a way to bring t country back . Can he get the American Economy up and going fullm . St it was just several weeks ago that we were having some of the best Economic Growth that weve seen in the United States in years and years, and now nearly one out of 10 americans is out of a job. If americans perceive that the president , working with theni adration, working wit the congress, can find a way to safely bring america back to life, i think thats going to do very well for his reelection bi wever, if he cant, or if he followed by two m weeks eks followed by two more weeks, i think people are going to say perhaps we need to turn the page and find someone else who can reopen the United States of america. The predent has sais soon as tuesday he wants to form a new task force. The opening our country council. If you were advienng the pres what advice would you tell him to tak and from whom . Well, firstnd foyer most, most of the job creation in e United States is done at the Small Businessnolevel. The big multinational corporations. But the Small Business level. So i would convene a small group of very good people whoave a handle on whats goingn in our ighborhoods, communies and stat and how can we safely find a way to bring these jobs ba, to reopen america at theame time finding a runway way ay a to work withhe larger corporations. We just lost ron christie but always great to have hi moving on, government and religion have long made for a tricky mix in this country. Throw in a pandemic and the upcoming easter weekend and it gets even more complicated. Shuddered due to the ongoing plan on public gatherings but some have challenged tho measures arguing that they violate freedoms guaranteed by the constitution. The bbc has more. This is going to be a very different easter. In the pandemic times, most churches have closed their doors. But not this one. Some christians believe that religious freedom is under attack, and meeting physically is an act of faith. Im telling you what, no virus can touch me until god i through with me. There are political battles over whether all churches should be forced to start meeting inrs and stick only to services online. But those that stay ope say they can protect their members. At the glorious wayhurch in houston, families are seated six feet apart. Jesus is his word. His worked says that we should come together. Pastor insists that gathering publicly isti an ess par of worship. Weve done the life Stream Service on a temporary basis for the 15 days that President Trump asked for. But when it turned intooly week, when it turned into palm sunday and nowpproaching easter sunday, this is a special time of year. Its never been shut down, and we must do this. But the challenge, even the add very nture adventure is and many argue staut of Easter Church is the christian thing to do. Suspendin w in personship is not just about protecting those who go to the actual churchitservice. About protecting the lives of every single Grocery Store worker, gas station attendant and Healthcare Worker they meet. Its truly about loving our neighbor and healing the sick which are ar the things jes told us to do. In this Brooklyn Church h janice russe been making music for decades. Normally her ensemble would take part in a two choir brass bandz extravagt easter. This year there will be only a solot on a Facebook Live stream. But with new yor at the epicenter of the Coronavirus Crisis even thats something for which to be thankful. The fact tha we can do it from home and still be somewhat connected to others, i cant we did not have the internet. If if we didnt have zoom and all of these in, where we can at least we can at least see a face. We cant touch eve oth but we can see a face. We miss you very much. Perhaps this easter the traditional story of death and resurrection will be heard in new ways. Barbara cut, bbc news, washington. Mass without the masses. Now in otherhe news, british Prime Minister has been taking short walks between periods of rest as par of his ongoing oreatment for the coronavirus. Thats according downing street spokesman. Boris johnson was released from the intensive care unit on thursday. Hes thanked the team looking after him for the incredible care hes received. And prosecutors in los angeles have filed new Sexual Assault casear againstvey weinstein. The charge of Sexual Battery by restraint stems from an incident that allegedly took place at a the disgraced movie producer is already serving a 23year sentence in new york f rape. Youre watching bbc world news america. Still o come ontonights religious production in germany. How our current pan dig democratic pandemic has 400yearold tradition. Eurean leaders have agreed a 540 billion package of measures to helphe offset economic damage of the pandemic. Heres more. Se t supporters will say the bloc has taken a bit of a wle to get its act together. Its poised to sign off half a trillion euros to help businesses and workers and e. U. Countries most aected by covid19, but critics of the e. U. Can also o point that covid19 is highlighted one of the biggest problems with the e. U. And thats when it comes to a crisis. We saw this with the migration crisis and the financial crisis. Each country puts itself first. Its population, its natiol borders, its national politics. So, for example, weve just seen italy and spain pleading with the richer countries, as you say, germany and netherlands, lets shell out, were told no, wellp you but we wont go that far. The British Red Cross says there are thousands of refugees and Asylum Seekers living in poverty in the uk. In meanwhilfrance, many more migrants remain in makeshift camps hoping to make the journey across to what they see as a better life. Heres this special report. They look like scenes from coronavirus. Fore the we filmed these crowds nearly three weeks into the french no social distance for the good morn g. Coffee . Coffee . No hot food either. A sandwich given by the state. The sole meal of the day for hundreds. This camp is on the edge of an indurial state about a mile from callie. It might as well be on the another anet. Were sick people. How deficit here . Far more difficult than here. There is no good food. There is water. No clothing. No shoes. French volunteers help here every day. Have some pity. You wouldnt do this to a dog, would you . So youre doing i to human beings . Im ashamed. I cant sleep atnight. M sick of this. These are people and they have suffered. They arent criminals. Theyre the opposite. They have been raped. They have been assaulted. They have been ransomed. They have been. Tortured everybody here wants to get to britain. Even under lockdown, it sms a better prospect. Im on a journ through migrant experience in callie and london. R people already living on the margins, theal arrivf the coronavirus has been nothing short of catastrophic. But suppose they d make it here . Migrants will find an asylum system alreage backl and struggling withmp thet of the virus. One told us she survived on odd jobs and hel fromfriends. We voiced her words to protect her identity. Were desperate. We havewa n of paying rent. We cant get anywhere. There argno places offer accommodation. No one giving you money to buy groceries. Food banks are closed. There are many migrants, a lot of them from africa, whoo wantet here. What would you say to them . I would tell the migrants in callie not to think i gets easier. Not to have that much hope. Just because youre not in the camp doesnt mean tt youre going to be treated human. Its just t same circumstances, different esetting. Fhey cant start the asylum process, new arrivals wont get more than about five pounds forty per d to buy necessities. Is there anything in there that you would lik more of . A few food banks still operate. This British Red Cross center in north london opens twice a week for all who are hungry. Du is an Asylum Seeker from north afca. I hav a daughter and a wife. A restaurant. My family [inaudible] this center is a lifine f those who are surviving with very few resources. And while this is a charity, the workers tere doheir level best to make it feel about sharing. Living up to the larger rhetoric of unity, of compassion, in these desperate times. The world is consumedh w fear of sickness and economic crisis. Hard times on the margins getting ch harder. Bbc news. In crises s we often its price. Or that pay the highest turning now to germany because once every 10 years a bavarian village puts on its world famous passion play during east. Its a dramatic retelling of the trial and death of jesus christ. This particur tradition stretches back to the 17th stage would protect them against the plague. Now t coronavirusoutbreak has forced themt to postpone i as jenny hill reports. It should have been the performance of the decade. Under way for the one of the worlds most famous religious Opening Night was just weeks away when coronavirus brought the curtn down. Ts obviously a very special year, the passion play here, and people are getting ready and suddenly, everythpeg st i think thats pretty hard for a lot. I think its a close community. Its generations th