Updates from Monday 13 July to Sunday 19 July
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News
Our live coverage has ended for the day.
We'll be back with you from 08:00 on Friday with all the latest news, sport, travel and weather.
Remember we'll be answering your questions on jobs in an employment special on Facebook and the BBC website from 19:00, external.
BBC Midlands Today
On BBC Midlands Today this evening we'll be exploring the world of employment.
We'll hear from those who are on furlough and serving their redundancy notice, through to some of the firms doing well in the region.
Image source, Getty ImagesAs part of the jobs special we'll be answering your questions from 19:00 over on the BBC Midlands, external and BBC local radio station Facebook pages with our job panel including an employment lawyer, recruitment advisor and Citizens Advice expert - presented by the BBC's Trish Adudu.
So if you've got a question -email us- send us a message via Facebook - or drop us a tweet.
A playground will remain closed, despite lockdown rules being relaxed, over fears of a costly insurance payout if a child were to catch coronavirus.
Image source, Getty ImagesWhitmore Parish Council in Staffordshire said it had "reluctantly" made the decision after advice from its insurers.
Officials said they "cannot guarantee the safety of users" but would review the situation next month.
Residents said they faced a 30-minute drive to reach alternative facilities.
Daniel Wainwright
BBC England Data Unit
Local councils in England have been told how much they will get from a third tranche of funding to help them cope with the cost of the pandemic.
The £500m from the government comes on top of £3.2bn already provided, which local authorities had warned would not be enough to prevent some of them from running out of money.
A further £600m was also given to support social care providers.
England's biggest council, Birmingham, gets just under £14m, bringing the total it has received from all three tranches to £84m.
However, the council had forecast a shortfall of about £212m over two years.
Local Government minister Simon Clarke said: "We’ve set out a comprehensive package of support for councils, including an unprecedented scheme to reimburse them for loss of income during the pandemic."
The BBC Weather Watchers have been out capturing images of a cloudy day across the West Midlands.
These were taken in Burton upon Trent by Poetic Verse; Leek, Staffordshire by Videoman and Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire by Saxyannie.
Image source, Poetic verse
Image source, Videoman
Image source, SaxyannieA public health official in the West Midlands has warned that 40% of new coronavirus cases are not being reached by the government's test and trace scheme.
The Department of Health says 79% of those who tested positive were contacted, and of the nearly 14,000 contacts they gave 71% of them were reached and asked to self-isolate.
But Lisa McNally, director of public health for Sandwell, says her staff could help close the 40% gap locally.
She asked the team behind test and trace if her local public health team could have contact details of cases so they could do it themselves, but was told she couldn't have the data.
Quote MessageMy team are local people so they know how to get in touch with people, they know about the community groups that people go to. They also have in our team a number of people who speak local languages so if that is a barrier we could also get through. We're not saying that we could get 100% but I'm sure we could close that 40% gap to some degree."
Lisa McNally, Sandwell Council director of public health
Coventry Live
Some of today's headlines on Coventry Live include:
Beverley Knight has said she's "completely gutted" over the cancellation of a series of drive-in concerts due to concerns about local coronavirus lockdowns.
The Wolverhampton artist was among the acts due to perform at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham and 11 other locations across the country over the summer.
Image source, Twitter/Beverley KnightThe drive-in shows, organised by Live Nation, were announced last month, and were also expected to feature performances by Kaiser Chiefs, Dizzee Rascal, Sigala and others.
Promoters said the "latest developments over local lockdowns" meant they couldn't proceed "with any confidence".
Ticket-holders will get full refunds.
A man has died after paramedics were called to a medical emergency on a Warwickshire canal boat earlier.
He was found in a critical condition on the boat on the canal at Bulkington Road near Bedworth shortly after 07:40, said the ambulance service.
He was confirmed dead at the scene.
A fire has closed Foleshill Road in Coventry to traffic and pedestrians.
Image source, West Midlands PoliceThe fire is in a building opposite Edgwick park, police say.
The road is closed between Queen Mary's Road and Blackwell Road with traffic being diverted away from the area.
A project to transform a derelict piece of land in Walsall into a 250-home development is set to given the go-ahead.
Image source, GoogleWalsall Council’s planning committee is expected to grant permission for the scheme to regenerate the ex-Caparo engineering site on Old Birchills.
Outline planning permission was granted in October last year and now members are being asked to give their approval to the proposed layout and appearance.
Bosses behind the development say it will provide much-needed houses for the borough as well as bring land that has lain empty for over a decade back into use.
Paulius Petrasiunas died after he was attacked with a machete in Heath Town, Wolverhampton, on Monday.
Read MoreFormer Worcestershire, Leicestershire and Shropshire wicketkeeper David Humphries dies, at the age of 66.
Read MoreArmed police detain a suspect on Thursday as investigations continue at the home in Redditch.
Read MoreThese are some of the Express and Star headlines:
Port Vale sign former Oldham Athletic defender Zak Mills following his release by their League Two rivals.
Read MoreA "beautiful and unusual" lizard has been found dumped on a Birmingham street.
Image source, RSPCAThe RSPCA said the Chinese water dragon had been found "wandering along a city street" last Friday by a member of the public.
The lizard, also known as the Asian water dragon or green water dragon - is native to China and mainland Southeast Asia, the charity said.
If no one comes forward to claim him a suitable new home will be found, it added.
BBC Business News
Online retailer Boohoo has been criticised by MPs who say it has failed to address claims of exploitation at factories in Leicester.
Image source, BoohooThe Conservative MP for Ludlow Philip Dunne, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee of MPs, said he found it "incredible" Boohoo was surprised by allegations of poor working conditions.
Boohoo had said it was "shocked and appalled" , externalby reports that workers had been paid as little as £3.50 per hour.
But Mr Dunne suggested the firm was already aware of the issues after being quizzed by the committee on the same subject in 2018.
Boohoo said it would respond "in due course".
A parish council says it has "reluctantly" taken the advice of its insurers.
Read MoreThe former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has called on the government to make an "urgent intervention" after a leaked letter appeared to reveal "escalating poor care" at Shropshire's main hospitals.
The Independent has reported, external the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, could be only the second ever to be placed in special administration for safety reasons.
Reacting to the story Jeremy Hunt said he would be writing to the health secretary as "intervention is now required to keep patients safe".
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Responding to the story, Prof Ted Baker, the Care Quality Commission’s chief inspector of hospitals, said: “We will be publishing the report from CQC’s latest inspection of medical care provided by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust in the coming weeks.
"In the meantime we are in urgent discussions with system partners including NHS England and Improvement to agree the most appropriate way forward for the trust to ensure the safety of patients and support the necessary improvements in care."
