'Significant' fall in coronavirus patients seen in West Midlands
Covid-19 possible treatment trialled
Black people in UK 'twice as likely to die' from Covid-19
Man found at home named by murder probe police
More festivals cancelled for 2020 amid lockdown
Long queues as recycling centres open
Updates from Thursday 7 May
People in a Shropshire town are being urged to put their homemade VE Day decorations on display tomorrow.
Great Dawley Town Council appealed, external to residents this week to fill windows, gardens and houses with poppies under lockdown.
Image source, Great Dawley Town Council
Allen Cook
BBC News
People in Stoke-on-Trent are being urged not to head to the city's main hospital this evening to take part in this week's clap for carers.
This will be the seventh week in a row when appreciation is shown by clapping for health professionals and other key workers, during the coronavirus pandemic.
But the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust said it did not invite members of the public to gather on site, given social distancing rules.
The Stoke-on-Trent Live website reported dozens of residents turned up last week as NHS staff applauded their colleagues., external
BBC Radio Stoke
With other tips and recycling centres reopening across the West Midlands, pressure is growing for Stoke-on-Trent's to follow suit.
Image source, GoogleStaffordshire's are due to be back in use from 14 May, external while others in Shropshire and Birmingham are already being used by residents.
The Labour group in Stoke-on-Trent is behind a petition urging the city council to follow suit and more than 260 people have signed it. , external
The Conservative leader of the authority, Abi Brown, says it is working on getting them up and running soon.
"I think the thing to remember is that all tips are different, all across the country. The two tips are very different in the city so we're looking at how we can apply the guidance to hopefully set a date really soon," she said.
Robert Cuffe
BBC head of statistics
Black men and women are nearly twice as likely to die with Covid-19 as their white counterparts, according to new analysis from the Office for National Statistics.
The analysis combines data on Covid-19 deaths with information on ethnicity from the 2011 Census.
It takes account of age, where people live and some measures of deprivation, disadvantage and health. After adjusting for all these factors, black men and women were 90% more likely to die with Covid-19 than white people.
Men and women from Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities were also at higher risk than white people, though not by as much with the data showing their increased risk was between 30- 80%.
But an analysis based on the census data cannot fully explain the reasons for the higher risk because it does not take into account people’s current health, if they are in more crowded living conditions, are exposed to the virus through front-line roles - or other differences between communities that can increase risk.
Sunshine and blue skies have sent our BBC Weather Watchers scurrying out to take photos of the glorious scenes across the West Midlands today.
These three are from users Ken M in Lydbury North, Shropshire, Mr Twister in Leek, Staffordshire and BoardWalk in Cofton Hackett, Worcestershire.
If you're going out for your daily exercise, why not take a camera with you.
Image source, Ken M
Image source, Mr Twister
Image source, BoardWalkAllen Cook
BBC News
We do enjoy seeing the videos of people, now recovered from coronavirus, being applauded as they leave hospital.
Here's one of 87-year-old Beryl Hewlett.
Beryl Hewlett being clapped as she left hospital
She spent more than a month at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, in Gobowen, after at first breaking her hip in a fall while shopping.
Hospital officials said, external she then tested positive for Covid-19 at the end of March and, despite only showing mild symptoms, had to wait to get a negative test result before being able to leave.
Nurses and doctors gave her a guard of honour as she left the hospital yesterday to return to her assisted living accommodation in Whitchurch.
Birmingham Live
These are some of Birmingham Live's headlines:
BBC Radio Stoke
A 13-year-old girl's been left shaken after being grabbed by men in a park, Cheshire Police said., external
Image source, GoogleThe youngster was in Queens Park, Crewe, Cheshire on Sunday afternoon when the trio, all with scarves over their mouths, came up and talked to her.
One of them then grabbed her arm and she shouted for help, attracting the attention of other men who came over.
Officers said she was then able to ride off on her bicycle.
People are being reminded to make only essential trips to household recycling sites, as there is heavy congestion around four sites that have opened in Birmingham.
About 150 vehicles are queuing to get into the Kings Norton site on Lifford Lane with Kings Road in Tyseley also busy.
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The retail chain will expand its online beauty concept to shopping centres when the lockdown ends.
Read MoreTwo of Worcestershire's most popular music festivals are the latest events to fall victim to the pandemic.
Organisers of the Mello Festival had hoped to go ahead at the end of July with the likes of Black Box, Steeleye Span and Hazel O'Connor on the bill at Hanley Castle, near Malvern.
But this morning organisers have announced they're postponing it until next year's late May Bank Holiday, from 28 May 2021. , external
Elsewhere, the Sunshine Festival in Upton-upon-Severn with headliners Wet Wet Wet, Tony Hadley and David Essex is off too. , external
Organisers have postponed for 12 months until the August Bank Holiday in 2021.
A Pret A Manger store in Birmingham is to reopen for takeaway and deliver, the company has announced.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe sandwich chain's CEO Pano Christou said in a blog post a trial in 30 of its stores gave him "confidence" to reopen 70 more, including the Colemore Row store in Birmingham as well as Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester.
"Shops will be fitted with perspex screens at the tills and with restricted customers", he explained.
"We'll provide hand sanitiser for customers, and face coverings to our team members who prefer to wear one."
Two men have been arrested after a man was found with knife wounds in Kings Norton, Birmingham.
Officers were called to reports of the stabbing in Icknield Street just after 01:15, said West Midlands Police.
It's believed the incident followed disorder at a nearby block of flats.
The victim, in his 20s, suffered "superficial injuries," the force added.
Two men, aged 24 and 25, were detained on suspicion of wounding and remain in police custody for questioning.
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Kathryn Stanczyszyn
Political Reporter, BBC WM
About 150 vehicles are queuing to get into a household waste recycling centre in Birmingham.
The Kings Norton centre on Lifford Lane opened at 11:00 along with three others in Sutton Coldfield, Perry Barr and Tyseley.
Vehicles have been allowed to queue from 08:00 with congestion on all approaches to the site.
I have been told some people who turned up at 03:30 were turned away.
Pictures of locals celebrating Victory in Europe (VE) Day in Wolverhampton have been released by the city archives. , external
VE Day on 8 May 1945 saw Britain and its Allies formally accept Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender after almost six years of war.
Image source, Wolverhampton City Archives
Image source, Wolverhampton City ArchivesDerbyshire auctioneer Hansons say hardback first editions are "as rare as hens' teeth".
Read MoreCannabis plants with a street value of more than £200,000 have been seized from two buildings in Stoke-on-Trent.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceThe first was on St Georges Avenue, Tunstall, where Staffordshire Police said , externalofficers found 210 plants yesterday morning.
A 30-year-old man, of no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis and taken into custody.
The same day they also founds plants at a house on Furnace Road, Dresden.
Stoke-on-Trent Live
From the Stoke-on-Trent Live website today:
Dan Harvey, from Birmingham, heard some masks had left NHS staff in pain.
Read More
BBC Make A Difference
Britain will be commemorating the 75th anniversary of VE Day tomorrow, when the guns fell silent at the end of WW2 in Europe.
Due to the coronavirus restrictions, most VE Day 75 events and street parties have had to be cancelled or postponed but we still want you to be able to mark the occasion, share your pride in our country and honour the men and women of WW2.
The BBC has created ‘Great British Bunting’ printable templates to help you create a display in your window at home. Visit the BBC Make A Difference Website for more information.
Follow these steps to make your bunting to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
