People have been told not to go to Watford General Hospital's A&E even in an emergency - and go to their next nearest hospital instead.

Image source, LDRS

Some rough sleepers have reportedly been at Terminal 5 for two weeks during lockdown.

Helicopter crews from RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall have offered to bring the beach to people with a video tour, rather than them visiting it themselves this weekend.

Image source, Andy Preston

A call to reopen public parks in Middlesbrough has been rejected amid concerns it could help spread coronavirus.

Labour councillor Denise Rooney suggested people need open spaces to exercise.

"We are now entering the third week of this lockdown and it is clear that there’s been a dramatic change in people’s behaviour with social distancing being observed far more strictly," she said.

“Residents are only allowed to exercise once a day.

"I’m concerned that this already impacts on people’s mental health and without being able to access public spaces this may do further damage to people’s wellbeing.”

But the area's independent mayor Andy Preston (pictured) warned the move would "increase the chances some of Middlesbrough’s kids and adults catch coronavirus and die", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

He added he would reopen them "as soon as it's genuinely in the public's interest" which could be in two or three weeks' time "on a limited basis".

Official data suggests testing for coronavirus per head of population in England has been considerably lower so far than that in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Up to 3 April, 78% of the people tested in the UK were in England, despite England having roughly 84% of the country's population.

England has also had 82% of confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK so far, and 90% of deaths.

The slower pace of testing in England has raised further concerns because much of the procurement and allocation of tests has now been centralised for all four nations.

Samantha Noble
BBC News Online

Police are urging people to exercise locally and avoid unnecessary travel “for the sake of our rural communities”.

Derbyshire Police tweeted empty car parks, like this one in Edale, in Derbyshire’s Peak District, is “what we need”.

Earlier this week, the force admitted it was powerless to stop people from going walking in the countryside after it was accused of "shaming" those who headed to the Peak District amid the UK-wide lockdown.

People are being warned to stay away from England's beauty spots amid the coronavirus lockdown, despite expected warm weather.

Pleas have been issued from the Yorkshire Dales and Peak District down to the south coast.

Image source, John Byford

In Southend-on-Sea, tourism bosses have rebranded PR material "Don't Visit Southend".

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was an instruction and "not a request" to stay home this weekend.

Thousands of highly vulnerable people are at risk during lockdown amid a lack of government clarity over how to feed them, the UK's largest council has warned.

Birmingham's fears focus on the "shielded vulnerable" - those advised not to go out in any circumstances during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The council says mixed messages over getting food to people's doors compromises the help it can offer them and others.

The government said it had "acted urgently" in the pandemic "crisis".

Adam Durbin
BBC News Online

People should "think twice" before having a bonfire in their garden during this weekend's improved weather, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has said.

The service said it had seen a spike in 999 calls reporting bonfires and was mistakenly called out to "controlled burns" eight times on Friday night.

DSFRS tweeted: "We all need to be more kind and that starts at home.

"Help out your neighbours (and us) and keep your weekend bonfire free".

A GP who has recovered from Covid-19 has posted a video on Facebook to explain the symptoms after she and her family contracted the virus.

Dr Anna Chiles, from Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, tested positive but is now out of isolation and said it was "not a time to be complacent".

Image source, Dr Anna Chiles

She has three children aged 10, 13 and 15 and said they were "very lucky" to have only had very mild symptoms.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Extra council staff will be manning Coventry's two major parks over the weekend to ensure crowds do not gather to enjoy the warm weather.

The city council said there would be extra staff at Coombe Abbey and Memorial Park to help manage numbers and ensure they don’t get too busy.

Image source, Google

The couple were separated by 6,600 miles two weeks ago due to the coronavirus lockdow - but are now back back together.

Sir Patrick Stewart is sharing daily videos of him performing Shakespearean sonnets during the coronavirus crisis.

The actor, who was born in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, plans to film himself reading all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets.

Sir Patrick, who lives in Los Angeles, said: "All my family are in the UK and of course my concerns for them are very high."

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

The number of people contracting Covid-19 will remain high for "weeks and weeks" if people flout social distancing rules this weekend, a scientist advising the government has warned.

Prof Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the epidemic was expected to plateau in the next week to 10 days, but people's behaviour was critical to determining what happens next.

His warning comes after the prime minister and health secretary urged people to stick with social distancing measures and resist the temptation to enjoy the sunshine forecast for swathes of the UK this weekend.

"We want to move to a situation where at least by the end of May that we're able to substitute some less intensive measures, more based on technology and testing, for the complete lockdown we have now," Prof Ferguson said.

Sophie Madden
BBC News

A woman has said she is concerned for her parents who are on a cruise ship which has 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

John and Linda Langford from Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, are currently on the Coral Princess, which had been due to take them around South America.

Image source, Georgina Forsythe

It is due to dock in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday, but Georgina Forsythe said she was worried about whether her parents would be able to disembark when they arrive.

Princess Cruises, which runs the Coral Princess saidit "continues to seek approvals through multiple diplomatic channels, and to work with local officials for disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale".

The ship, with 1,898 people on board, has been stuck at sea since 19 March after being banned from docking in Buenos Aires.

Simon Armstrong
BBC News

Image source, Northumbria Police

Police in the North East have reiterated calls for people to stay at home this weekend in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.

This picture, taken by Northumbria Police on Friday, shows a traffic-free Tyne Bridge.

The iconic structure linking Newcastle and Gateshead would normally be busy with vehicles.

The force said: "It’s a very different scene to what we are used to, but actually it is a picture of the incredible community spirit we have here.

"For that we want to thank you. Thank you for staying at home, thank you for working with us and thank you for saving lives."

Supermarkets across the country have been taking on tens of thousands of extra staff members to help them cope with the extra demand for food supplies.

One of those unexpected new workers is 66-year-old John Jackson, who spent three decades in the Royal Air Force before working as an aircraft engineer for commercial airlines for 20 years.

Image source, John Jackson

Last week, he started on the tills at his local Tesco in Cornwall.

"Without working behind a till you don't realise how many different parts of it you need to know to make everything go smoothly," he said.

"They're saying I am doing great so I am happy with that."

People planning on heading to the South West this weekend amid the forecast warm weather should "turn around and go home", a police chief has said.

Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer told BBC Breakfast people should "think about what you're doing" and "go back to where you need to be".

Mr Sawyer said: "If you're in your car with your caravan, your motorhome, your topbox, and the back window's full with a duvet, then turn around and go home."

He added people should "come back later", as the region will "desperately" need people to visit once it is safe.

"We never thought we'd be saying to people 'don't come'," he said.

"This will be one of the first big weekends, if we don't get it right this weekend then what are we going to do at Easter?"

A landlady whose pub was shut down after police were called to a "lock-in" during the coronavirus lockdown said she "wished she'd kept the door shut".

Mandy Mallinson said she had been celebrating her husband's birthday at the Blue Bell Inn in Nottinghamshire when six regulars turned up uninvited.

Image source, Nottinghamshire Police

Ms Mallinson insists it was not a planned "lock-in" - although that was how police described it - and added: "If I could go back, I would have locked my door and not let anyone in. I wish to God I had just shut it."

Sticking to social distancing rules, Steve Chase organised a party for his whole street.