BBC Radio Norfolk

The leader of a council whose district has a large proportion of older residents, second homes and thousands of holiday visitors, is concerned about safety as Covid-19 lockdown regulations are relaxed.

North Norfolk District Council, external leader Sarah Butikofer said it was "very worrying" and local people were bracing themselves for an influx of people.

Image source, DS Pugh/Geograph

She questioned the wisdom of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement on Sunday.

She said it may open the way for the return of tourists when the number of RNLI lifeguards will be less than last year because of the lack of training due to the coronavirus lockdown.

"We are bracing ourselves [for the influx of visitors] and it's very worrying. We love having visitors here - they're a huge part of our economy," she said.

"But if we open the beaches and car parks, which is probably likely on Wednesday, what will happen when all those people come?"

She emphasised the vulnerability of older people, the importance of social distancing, concerns over those wanting to go in to the sea, but also for the operatives opening car parks and those who clean the toilets.

A group of high school pupils have created a virtual choir of 30 voices to sing the World War Two hit 'When the Lights Go On Again'.

BBC Radio Norfolk joined forces with Springwood High School in King's Lynn to record the song, which looks forward to the end of wartime blackout conditions and the end of the war.

It was put together by the school's head of music, Peter Strudwick, for the anniversary of VE Day.

Scientists have found a link between lower-than-average levels of vitamin D and high numbers of COVID-19 cases and mortality rates across 20 European countries.

The research, led by Dr Lee Smith of Cambridgeshire and Essex-based Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Petre Cristian Ilie, lead urologist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, is published in the journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.

Image source, Getty Images

The highest average levels of vitamin D are found in northern Europe, due to the consumption of cod liver oil and vitamin D supplements, and possibly less sun avoidance than in southern Europe.

Dr Lee Smith, reader in physical activity and public health at ARU, said: "Vitamin D has been shown to protect against acute respiratory infections, and older adults, the group most deficient in vitamin D, are also the ones most seriously affected by Covid-19."

Image source, Greater Cambridge Recycles

Artwork featuring "thank-yous" to bin crews have been put on the side of refuse lorries.

Greater Cambridge Recycling, which collects rubbish for South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council, has decided to decorate them with brightly-coloured rainbows and special notes.

"Your support really does mean a lot to our crews, who are working extra hard at the moment", it said.

Image source, Greater Cambridge Recycles

Guy Delph shared his abuse images with his uncle, who sent them to fellow paedophiles.

Image source, Diamond Hampers

Volunteers have packed 71 hampers full of essential goods to give to care leavers after an appeal by local authorities in Cambridgeshire.

Food, toiletries, baby products, nappies, cleaning products and birthday presents were among the donations given to the young people, many without family support, as they cope with the lockdown.

Re-Imagine Resource Centre in Witchford and community organisation Diamond Hampers were among the donors.

Conservative member of Cambridgeshire County Council, Simon Bywater, thanked them "for everything they are doing to make life a little easier for others".

Leader Mark Cory says the move will prevent redundancies in the future.

West Suffolk Council says it will reintroduce its garden waste collection service from 1 June, after it was stopped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The service was suspended on 30 March, with more than 40 of its staff either having to shield themselves or someone vulnerable in their home from the virus.

The authority says there may be a change to collection days when the service resumes, and said it will contact customers with further details.

More details have been shared about how key workers in Norfolk can get coronavirus tests after complaints that some workers were being asked to travel 100s of miles for them.

The NHS said key workers with symptoms can either get tested through a dedicated local service or a national system.

Norfolk's three local testing sites are in Norwich, Gorleston and King's Lynn.

Image source, PA

North Norfolk's Conservative MP Duncan Baker said: "I had emails from constituents saying 'We're in North Walsham and we're being asked to have a test in Scotland'.

"My first response was to go to the CCG [Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group] and say 'Look this isn't good enough'. I have been able to… make sure they get tested at the local areas."

While NHS acute hospital staff can use their organisation's existing booking system and all other NHS employees can email NHScovidtesting@nnuh.nhs.uk, external, employers of essential workers - including including care home staff and teachers - should contact NorfolkRegistercovidtesting@nnuh.nhs.uk, external to register their organisations so workers can book local appointments.

Key workers can also book tests through the national system, and can choose to be sent home kits or travel to regional testing centres in Ipswich, Peterborough or Stansted.

More garden waste collections are to resume after they were suspended as councils got to grips with restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

All subscribers to East Suffolk Council's, external will receive their collection from Monday, 25 May during the following fortnight now the local authority is satisfied workers were safe.

James Mallinder, cabinet member for the environment, said: "In a large, rural district, with over 50,000 subscribers, managing collections whilst implementing social distancing is a considerable challenge.

Image source, Getty Images

"However, we are satisfied that we can deliver the service, while also ensuring that no more than two operatives are in each vehicle cab at any given time."

Several councils around the region have already resumed garden waste collections or are about to restart them while others have continued through the lockdown period.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Poor internet access and provider service is threatening the education of home-schooled pupils in Norfolk during the coronavirus lockdown, a children's welfare watchdog has warned.

The county was ranked in the lowest 5% in the country for the number of children living in homes with internet speeds below 10mbs – suitable for just one or two users in a study by the Children’s Commissioner for England, external.

The county was also ranked by the watchdog in the lowest 8% for the numbers of children living in homes with internet speeds below 2mbs.

The study looked at vulnerabilities of youngsters during the Covid-19 crisis.

Labour district councillor at Broadland, Natasha Harpley, external, said: "Digital inequality is becoming an increasingly acute problem during school closures.

"On top of not having compatible devices in order to complete work set by schools, many families are struggling to even access it due to slow or no internet at all."

A spokesman for Conservative-run Norfolk County Council, external said: "While this challenge is heightened in this unique situation, we’re working with schools and families across the county to ensure as many children as possible have the technology needed to continue their education at home."

• Testing centres are open for essential workers and over-65s with coronavirus symptoms, but the government website said the nearest available appointments were more than 300 miles away in Scotland or Cornwall, the Eastern Daily Press, external is reporting
• The treatment of Covid-19 in King's Lynn is featured in a Channel 4 documentary called NHS Heroes: Fighting to Save our Lives, the Lynn News, external says
• The manager of a pharmacy has thanked residents after they praised the branch on how well organised it has been during the pandemic, the Diss Express, external reports

Residents of part of Essex have been invited to show their appreciation of key workers during the Covid-19 pandemic by displaying rainbow artwork in a weekly collage.

Epping Forest District Council and Essex Police, external are to piece together the collage of rainbow artworks and pictures of window displays sent to them.

The rainbows represent thanks and appreciation to all the NHS staff and key workers and window displays can also give people something to look out for on their daily exercise, the council said.

Image source, Essex Police/Epping Forest DC

Councillor Nigel Bedford said: "People are getting more and more creative with their window artwork; they have already shared their stained glass windows, bead artwork, flowers and animals.

"The Community Collage project will form part of a lasting legacy. All of the artwork will be included in our real life wall murals displayed around the district."

Residents are invited to send in pictures of their artwork to the council, external to include in the weekly collage which will feature on its website.

Although all play areas are currently closed in parks, a council is using the lockdown to revamp one area.

Ipswich Borough Council, external said to "limit future disruption" and to "give you something to look forward to", work is starting this week on updating Christchurch Park's play area.

"All staff on site will be following the latest government guidance on safe working," a spokesman added.

Image source, Ipswich Borough Council

Two councils in Suffolk are the latest to resume garden waste collections which were suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Local authorities initially wanted to focus on protecting collections of general rubbish, clinical waste and recycling.

The collections, which householders have to pay extra for, will restart on Monday, 11 May across theBabergh and Mid Suffolk, externaldistricts.

Patrick Byrne
BBC News

A county town's main street market has reopened after closing six weeks ago due to the coronavirus lockdown, but only with three stalls.

A fishmonger, bread stall and a general food stall are back in business on Ipswich Market, external, with two-metre social distancing rules applied.

Fishmonger and market spokesman Mike Young said he was glad to be back, although it would only be on Fridays and Saturdays.

"We will police people keeping to the rules and we have been quite busy so far with our regular Friday customers who had heard we were open on the radio and from other places," he said.

"Some fishmongers had kept going (through the lockdown) and the supermarkets also had fish and were very good at policing the 2m distancing rules."

Mr Young was not worried about supplies of fish, despite Billingsgate (the major fish wholesale market in London) being closed for three weeks and only partially open in the last two weeks.

"One thing that is going to be huge is the home delivery business. We put something on social media yesterday [Thursday] at teatime and 11,300 people have seen it," he said.

Lowestoft's MP says the bridge will help the town's "post-Covid-19 economy".

BBC Radio Norfolk

A Norfolk family is helping to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep NHS workers safe.

Simon Marriott, and a team from the College of West Anglia, external, have been making face shields, mask clips and door openers and switch operators using 3D printers.

The plastic devices, opens doors and turns on switches, to avoid touch contact.

Image source, College of West Anglia

Summer and Ryan Marriott wanted to help as their aunt is a nurse and told them what she needed.

"The feedback that we have had from everyone is fantastic, anything that we can produce and send, they just think its fanastic", Simon said.

"It's a big community spirit that is happening around the area - it's just brilliant."

Peterborough's homecare team is appealing for volunteers.

The City Council says its service is under "extreme strain" as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

People interested in offering help can find out more here., external

Plenty of us have had birthdays or other family celebrations affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

But spare a thought for those who are marking the 100-year milestone.

Doris Holden from the Essex village of North Weald is one of them - but her neighbours were determined to still mark her celebrations with a singalong, balloons and banners...

Happy birthday, Doris!