Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

Hot on the heels of the announcement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's fiancee Carrie Symonds has given birth to a son, there's more baby news, this time from Whipsnade Zoo.

An endangered Przewalski horse has had a foal and the zoo said it was a "real cause for celebration" as the species was once classified as extinct in the wild.

It was reintroduced to its native habitat in Mongolia after conservation breeding efforts, external by organisations including the Bedfordshire zoo.

The female foal was born on 13 April, however the public have obviously been unable to see it due to the zoo being closed during lockdown.

Mark Holden from the zoo said the Przewalski was "considered to be the last remaining truly wild horse in the world".

"It’s really sad that we can’t share our excitement with visitors right now, but the birth of this endangered foal is another example of the incredibly important work we do; and why we need support," he said.

Two local authorities in Suffolk say £17m of funding available to support small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic has gone unclaimed.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils say that more than £28m has been awarded to eligible organisations in the two districts - with over 2,500 businesses taking grants of either £10,000 or £25,000.

A breakdown of the financial support available can be found the government’s business support finder tool., external

• A veteran crooner who is a familiar voice on the care home circuit has been entertaining his neighbours with themed shows from his driveway in Clacton, the Gazette, external reports
• It also writes, external that Clacton Pier is looking at ways to host an NHS appreciation party once it has reopened
• The Echo, external reports that Colin Wilkinson has been bringing joy to Basildon Hospital staff by clapping for them every morning

A Northamptonshire company that makes UV lamps has warned that ultraviolet light cannot protect against coronavirus and can be harmful if used incorrectly.

Image source, Getty Images

Alpha-Cure, based in Woodford Halse said it had been inundated with phone calls ever since US President Donald Trump floated the idea of exposing patients to "ultraviolet or just very powerful light" as a way of fighting the disease.

Berenika Bond, from the company, said UV can be used for cleaning purposes but not on people.

"[It] has been used as a disinfectant for over a century, such as in water treatments... yes it can treat the surfaces of equipment, for instance, conveyor belts, but it is dangerous to the human body," she said.

"We are getting a lot of calls from the general public who think they can just buy a lamp and put it in their house and it will help them to kill coronavirus."

Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

Watford Council is putting together emergency food packs for people in need across the town and is looking for donations.

It said it was particularly looking for long-life milk, cereals, tinned food, noodles and shower gel and its Watford Helps, external hub at the Holywell Community Centre will be taking donations from 11.00 to 13:00 today.

A spokesman said to "please travel safely to the centre – walk if you can - and follow the social distancing guidelines".

Image source, Watford Council

The high-speed train will enter service on Thursday, Captain Tom Moore's 100th birthday.

Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

Nearly £187,000 has been raised for the children of a pregnant nurse who died after contracting coronavirus.

Image source, Other

Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong, 28, was admitted on 7 April to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, where she worked on a general ward. She died five days later.

Her baby daughter, Mary, was successfully delivered by caesarian section.

Rhoda Asiedu, the organiser of a Go Fund Me page set up for Ms Agyapong's husband and their children, said: "It is humane for us to take care of them in every way we can during this heavy and trying time."

Ipswich Waterfront is being closed to traffic from today to allow people to exercise at a safe distance during the coronavirus pandemic.

Social distancing guidlines say that those not self-isolating can exercise once a day but should keep two metres apart from people not in their household.

The waterfront is a popular thoroughfare for walkers and the closure, between Custom House and Coprolite Street, will last for 21 days.

Councillor Andrew Reid from Suffolk County Council, external said the temporary closure would "create a safe open space for over 2,000 local residents who live close by, many of whom live in flats, and do not have access to a garden."

The authority also said it would consider closing other roads for similar purpose in the future.

Pierre Storey says his family feel like they are "in prison" in a seventh floor flat during lockdown.

Anna Bartlett
BBC Radio Northampton

Fifty care homes in Northamptonshire have seen outbreaks of coronavirus, according to information released by the county council.

However, it is thought that the number could be higher because an outbreak is only recorded where there are two or more cases in one place.

There has been concern about how the virus is affecting care homes across the UK and on Tuesday, health secretary Matt Hancock said daily figures of deaths in care homes would be published from now on.

They were revealed for the first time yesterday by the Office of National Statistics, external and show that in the two weeks up to 24 April, 42 deaths were in Northamptonshire homes.

A donation made by four Ipswich Town, external players is being spent on providing NHS workers with protective phone cases designed to prevent infections.

Jack Lankester, Brett McGavin, Liam Gibbs and Tommy Smith, who all come from the Bury St Edmunds area have made a donation to the My Wish, external charity at West Suffolk Hospital.

It will be used to buy antimicrobial-type phone cases for doctors and nurses, who use hospital mobile phones to communicate.

Image source, Getty Images

Lankester (pictured), who came up with the idea, said: "My mum and girlfriend work for the NHS and I know a lot of friends who work at West Suffolk Hospital, so I thought there's got to be something we can do.

"So I got in contact with the charity... and asked if there was anything that needed ordering now or anything that we can just order for you."

Graham Thorne died at Bedford Hospital after being sedated on a ventilator for 14 days.

More than 100 NHS staff and health workers in the UK have now died with coronavirus, it has been confirmed.

As the nation fell silent at 11:00 to remember those who have passed away, here we remember and pay tribute to 14 from the East of England whose deaths have been reported to the media.

Matt Precey
BBC Look East

The latest figures for the number of Covid-19 deaths each day in NHS hospitals in the East of England has been released by the government, external.

In the BBC East region, statistics for each NHS trust show a rise of 76 deaths.

The total number of deaths at the region's hospitals is now 2,526.

·Basildon and Thurrock: 1

·Bedford: 6

·Addenbrooke's, Cambridge: 2

·East and North Hertfordshire: 2

·Colchester and Ipswich: 9

·Essex Partnership: 2

·James Paget, Gorleston: 3

·Luton and Dunstable: 8

·Broomfield, Chelmsford: 7

·Norfolk and Norwich: 4

·North West Anglia, Peterborough and Hinchingbrooke: 5

·Northampton General : 4

·Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge - 1

·Princess Alexandra, Harlow: 3

·West Hertfordshire Hospitals: 9

The total number of coronavirus-related UK deaths in hospitals is 21,678.

Welcome back to our coverage of how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting the East of England.

The team will be here this Wednesday until 18:00.

If you have a story you wish to share - good or bad - please contact BBC News Online (East).

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