An empty shop at Birmingham New Street railway station has opened as an outpatient clinic to alleviate hospital pressure during the coronavirus crisis.

Image source, Network Rail

It will allow patients to have routine blood tests away from hospital, says Network Rail.

The temporary phlebotomy clinic will be run by staff from University Hospitals Birmingham Trust.

Patrick Power, Birmingham New Street station manager, said: “We’re doing everything we can to support the NHS in this unprecedented time so offering up this empty retail unit was a real no-brainer."

BBC radio stations across the country are looking to help their communities during the coronavirus outbreak.

BBC WM, BBC Radio Shropshire, BBC Radio Stoke, BBC CWR and BBC Hereford and Worcester are matching people up with those who need help and assistance, and also sharing good news stories during a difficult time.

We had to share this tweet which features Ruben playing chess with his grandad over the internet.

Freelance gig economy workers say they cannot survive on the support offered by the government.

Herefordshire Council has brought forward plans to lift all parking charges to make it "easier for people to go about their essential business, and free up council staff to be deployed protecting [the] community".

Instead of waiting until next week it will now suspend fees for all on and off-street council parking from today.

The car park at the bus station in Hereford will be reserved for emergency service workers.

The closure of places of worship has allowed the renovation of Shrewsbury Abbey's organ to start sooner than planned.

Because the building is empty, workers are able to move in now.

Image source, Satish Guddu

It's the first major overhaul for the organ in 100 years and will cost £130,000.

Last night, the Prime Minister announced shops selling non-essential items would have to close.

And for an indoor market in Shrewsbury, that means while some stalls aren't trading, others remain open for business.

But like supermarkets, this still brings people together under one roof, so how is it being managed? In Shrewsbury at least, floor markings are being used to help people keep apart.

Harper Adams University, in Shropshire, is working with scientists to look at the possibility of bringing drone technology into the fight against coronavirus.

The university has been working on how to use drones to safely spray crops for agriculture for some time now.

It is now exploring ways to use the drones to disinfect large areas such as hospital grounds without putting people's health at risk.

The Worcester-based firm were asked to design the equipment to help patients with Covid-19.

Greggs has become the latest food retailer to say it will close its shops temporarily to help fight coronavirus.

The bakery chain, which has more than 2,050 outlets, said all shops would shut on Tuesday night to help maintain social distancing.

This branch in Broad Street, Hereford, was doing a brisk trade this morning with only card payments being accepted.

McDonald's, Nando's, KFC, Costa Coffee, Subway and Pizza Express have already announced similar measures.

Worcester engineering firm GTech, known for its cordless vacuum cleaners, has produced a prototype ventilator which could be used to treat patients with coronavirus.

The company is responding to a government plea to help supply ventilators or the components, as well as design and testing.

Image source, GTech

GTech is hoping its ventilator could soon be in mass production and said the The Worcestershire Royal hospital had already expressed an interest.

The UK's housing minister has said builders can work if necessary - but must practise social distancing.

Demolition at this site in Coventry was continuing on Monday.

Robert Jenrick tweeted the advice saying outside of work, builders should then remember to stay at home.

A Worcestershire removal firm is appealing for businesses to donate supplies they no longer need, so it can redistribute them.

Warren Leggett, owner of Warrens Removals, said he had the storage space to take plastic gloves and face masks and take them to care homes, police stations and hospitals.

West Midlands Railway will add more carriages to it busiest services today to try to reduce close contact between passengers.

The move follows complaints on Monday that people were unable to keep a safe distance apart, because the trains from Worcestershire into Birmingham were so busy.

The government is telling people to only use trains if they're key workers.

Six more deaths of patients who had tested positive for the Covid-19 strain of coronavirus have been reported in the West Midlands, bringing the total to at least 44.

Image source, Getty Images

The deaths were among 46 reported across the country since Sunday by NHS England.

Outside London, cases in England are most prevalent in Wolverhampton, at 26 per 100,000 population.

In terms of the volume of reported cases in England, Hampshire currently has the highest number followed by Southwark, Brent and then Birmingham.

Health bosses said they were urgently looking at coronavirus hotspots in the region.

Neighbours on a street in Herefordshire didn't let coronavirus restrictions stop them from wishing one resident a happy birthday.

Sheila Mundy, from Stoke Prior, Leominster, had to cancel her 90th birthday party on Saturday with 80 guests expected.

Her friend Margaret Hubbard sent us this video as neighbours gathered to sing on Monday.

The country recorded 743 deaths on Tuesday but the number of new cases appears to be slowing down.

Susan Herdman hand-picked the potatoes and gave them free of a charge to people in North Yorkshire.

If you are expecting to use public transport today in order to get to work, a derailment in the Bromsgrove area is causing disruption.

Delays and cancellations are expected until 12:00 GMT, said Network Rail.

Strict new measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus have been put in place, including a ban on public gatherings of more than two people.

Shops selling non-essential goods are to close, with restrictions in place for at least three weeks.

Transport for West Midlands says only critical workers or people collecting essential food and medicines should be using public transport.

West Midlands Railway says extra carriages will be added to its busiest services following the introduction of a new reduced timetable.

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News

Welcome to our live service for Tuesday.

As the country is advised to stay at home we'll be bringing you all the latest on coronavirus in the West Midlands.

We love to hear from you, so share your news, thoughts and photos with us via email, Twitter, external or Facebook., external