It is part of the government's goal of achieving 100,000 tests each day by the end of April.

A distillery producing hand sanitising gel instead of its usual spirits, is asking us to nominate vulnerable and isolated people so they can send the product to them for free.

Anthony Winterbourne, who runs Fenspirits, external in Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, has been making the gel with colleagues since mid-March, selling it "at cost to the government".

He has sent out more than 4,500 free packs so far.

Image source, Fenspirits

Since they asked for nominations on social media, he said requests had come in from across the UK, as well as from a woman living in Australia whose parents were "vulnerable and alone in King's Lynn".

"There are so many people who tell us they need this product - it's heartbreaking - but we are trying to make a difference," said Mr Winterbourne.

Image source, Fenspirits

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

Image source, Kelley Donner

A student from Anglia Ruskin University has produced a picture book to help explain the Covid-19 pandemic to youngsters, with profits from UK sales in April going to local charities.

The book, called The Day The Lines Changed, is written and illustrated by Kelley Donner, who lives in Cambridge with her husband and three young sons.

Image source, Kelley Donner

Aimed at children up to eight years old, it aims to explain what is happening in the country via the experiences of a family of green lines.

The 45-year-old, who is originally from Kansas in the United States, said: "My children have asked a lot of questions about what the coronavirus is, how it travels, where it came from, whether their grandparents will be OK, and why they can’t go to school.

"I realised teachers, parents, and caregivers need resources right now to help them explain what a pandemic is, while still giving children a much-needed positive view of the future.

"I hope this story will help to make those difficult conversations a little bit easier.”

Profits will be donated to charities including Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust’s Head to Toe, which focuses on mental health, and the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.

Staff at Houghton Primary School, external in Cambridgeshire are reaching out to families struggling during the Covid-19 restrictions.

After an online plea, staff at the school in Wyton put together food packages to help families who cannot access free school meals over the Easter period.

Image source, Cambridgeshire County Council

Head teacher Georgina Young said: "I’m so proud of the amazing team we have.

"None of our staff want any of our students or their families to struggle, particularly at what is usually a time of celebration.

"I know our food parcels will be well appreciated."

Image source, Peterborough City Council

An engineering company has stepped in to help keep a Post Office open.

Sawtry PO in Cambridgeshire was due to close last week over safety concerns for its staff and customers.

Local company Spirotech, external was approached to create a protective screen for the counter - with the same created for staff at Boots and John Greens newsagent in the village.

County councillor Simon Bywater said: "If the post office had closed it wouldn’t have only affected Sawtry, but all the villages around it too.

"It’s particularly vital for the elderly in our community, who may already feel isolated due to social restrictions."

Mark Palmer spat at his wife and said, "I hope you get coronavirus and die."

A motorcyclist has died in a crash on the A1175 near Market Deeping.

Image source, Google

Lincolnshire Police said the man was riding a red Kawasaki motorbike when it crashed near to Hop Pole at about 19:00 last night.

The force said the 25-year-old man, from Peterborough, died at the scene.

Officers investigating the incident say it is believed the man was may have been riding with another motorbike at the time of the crash, possibly a green Kawasaki.

Det Sgt Luke Wells said: "I am appealing to the rider of the green motorbike who may have been riding with the red Kawasaki to make contact with the Police directly. I believe this rider may be a key witness to the investigation."

Officers have returned to the scene today as part of the investigation, and the adjacent field and water filled ditch are being searched for property.

Conversion work will begin on Wednesday at Marshall Aerospace and Defence in Cambridge.

Pete Cooper
BBC News

Image source, Paul Constable

Photographer Paul Constable took this amazing photo of Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire on his "daily walk".

Government advice is to only exercise outside once a day and stick to social-distancing guidelines with people not from your own home.

A company that makes 3-D printers in Peterborough is putting its expertise to good use - creating parts for protective face shields for frontline health workers.

Engineers at Photocentric, external are using the machines they build to produce up to 10,000 "separators" for visors a day.

The hope is to create 100,000 a week.

A shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment) is a major issue for frontline health staff as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

"The NHS has been deluged with offers," said managing director Paul Holt.

"We decided to just do it ourselves. We can print it, manufacture it digitally and make it in scale and at cost."

He said the firm has received orders from several hospitals, private businesses who want to donate - as well as from across Europe and America.

Doctors are having to choose who lives and dies, the daughter of a cancer patient says.

Alex Pope
BBC News Online

Image source, Bedford Borough Council

The most important message we keep on hearing from the government is to social-distance and to stay two metres away from everyone.

In Bedford, signs have been put up by each river crossing along the Embankment asking people "to make sure the bridge and exit is clear before crossing".

Sadly, out on my daily walk by the Great Ouse on Monday, this did not happen.

Three teenagers tried to join me on a bridge and when I asked them to move back they did not seem to understand what I was requesting.

Luckily for me Bedfordshire Police were on hand to offer to advice to the teenagers.

Image source, Phil Mynott.

Free legal advice is being offered online by the Law Centre at Anglia Ruskin University, external (ARU).

The service is now available via video conferencing or e-mail to people who require specialist professional advice, in partnership with local law firms and assisted by law students who are usually based in Chelmsford, Cambridge and London.

Sarah Calder, director of the Law Clinic, said: "Like most services during the current global pandemic, we have had to be creative to ensure we can keep things 'business as usual' as much as we can.

"The need for legal advice does not cease due to a pandemic, and it is important to us that we can continue to serve our communities at what is a difficult time for everyone.”

The 53-year-old had not been seen since he left his home wearing his work uniform.

Helen Burchell
BBC News

What do you do to share your fine art collection with the world when you're not allowed to open your museum due to coronavirus restrictions?

The Fitzwilliam Museum, external in Cambridge has given us this fine interpretation of Tintoretto’s Adoration of the Shepherds - using children's toys.

A number of museums have been trying this out - including the Getty in Los Angeles - which challenged people to recreate some of its art collection, external using stuff they have lying around the house.

Back in Cambridge, staff at the Fitzwilliam are working on a virtual tour of some of its exhibits enabling people to enjoy them from the comfort of their armchairs.

A health care support worker, who is also a nurse apprentice, took to song to inspire her colleagues and earned a rousing round of applause at a hospital on Sunday.

Hannah Gingell, 20, sang Adele's Rise Up and played the piano in the main atrium of the Royal Papworth Hospital, external in Cambridge.

"Thank you Hannah for providing us with this beautiful reminder of the power of perseverance and hope for all of the NHS staff in the fight against COVID-19," Andra Day, from the hospital, said in a Facebook post.

Ms Gingell said "I’d been looking at the piano for a while but didn’t have the guts to play it.

"A friend of mine was posting songs on Facebook to cheer people up and I thought of Rise Up.

"On Sunday I was on break from a really busy shift, I just decided to have a go while it was quiet.

"I’ve been absolutely amazed at the reaction and never expected this to happen but I’m glad the message is spreading - I watch my incredible team ‘rise up’ every day."Although it’s not easy working in critical care at the moment, we have an incredible team and we will get through this."

The team give their £719 pot to an NHS hospital charity instead of having an end-of-season party.

Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

The Cambridge University Library, external is asking people to help capture how the public is responding to the coronavirus pandemic as it builds a history of the outbreak

Historians want to ensure records about the outbreak are captured for future generations of researchers.

It says it is looking for records of all kinds and particularly wants to reflect the response of its community of staff and students to the present situation, as people adjust to new patterns of work and socialising.

Caylin Smith, digital preservation manager, said: "We’re looking to collect all kinds of digital and physical materials relating to the pandemic

"These include, but are not limited to, videos, photographs and images (including posters and leaflets), audio recordings, creative projects, as well as journals and diaries."

Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

Peterborough City Council, external said bin crews were "hugely encouraged" by messages of support left out for them and it called for residents to help them further by making their jobs "a little easier and safer".

Help would include:

• Only placing rubbish in their black bins and not in plastic bags alongside it as non-essential waste will slow crews down
• Wiping the handles of bins before and after they are put out for collection
• Leaving notes, drawings and messages of support and waving to crews as they go by

Image source, Peterborough City Council

Councillor Marco Cereste said: "I’d like to thank everyone who has left messages to the bin crews for carrying out this vital function. They are key workers and in the past I think everyone has taken them for granted – not anymore.

“I know they are hugely encouraged by all the drawings, notes and waves they have been receiving."

In addition, bulky waste collections have been temporarily suspended in the city for the next four weeks to put more frontline crews on general waste and recycling collections.

Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

We've been hearing about schools giving protective equipment usually used in science lessons to NHS staff but some schools in Cambridgeshire are using their design and technology departments to make them.

Jack Hunt and Arthur Mellows schools in Peterborough have started making and delivering more than 650 visors to assist key workers and emergency services as they take to the frontline in hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes.

Image source, Cambridgeshire County Council

Peterborough City Council leader John Holdich, said it was a "tremendous effort".

Jack Hunt head teacher, Pamela Kilbey, said: "We are so proud of the team and have been heartened to hear about the difference the visors are making to staff in the range of places we have distributed them."

The council said a further 12,000 masks were being donated from China this week, as a result of contacts made by Cambridgeshire County Council leader Steve Count, who over the past few years has been working to build links between foreign investors in China and businesses in the county.