A figure of a masked angel has been created by a laser cutting company at Terrington St Clement in Norfolk to mark the courage and dedication of staff dealing with coronavirus patients at the Queen Elizabeth ll Hospital, external in King's Lynn.

The design, by managing director of Javik Laser Creations, external James Hodge, was inspired by his paramedic partner and an NHS worker neighbour "who go out to work every day and put everyone else first".

Image source, Javik Laser Creations

Mr Hodge said: "It was done on a new machine and to my own surprise I was successful.

"I have spoken to the hospital but I do not know where it is going to go yet. I didn't want to get in their way as it has been a fraught day for them losing one of their colleagues and several patients.

"I just want to say the staff there are a different breed, not seeing their families and knowing all the risks. They are all amazing."

The plaque on the figure says: "Dedicated to all the staff at the Queen Elizabeth ll Hospital for their tireless work during the coronavirus crisis 2020."

A "valued" healthcare assistant died after testing positive for Covid-19, a hospital said.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, external (QEH) in King's Lynn, Norfolk, said its staff were "coming to terms" with the "devastating" news that Christine Emerson died over the weekend.

Image source, Queen Elizabeth Hospital

It said Mrs Emerson was a "much-loved" wife to Michael and a "cherished" mother and grandmother.

The hospital offered its condolences to her family.

In a joint statement, chief executive Caroline Shaw and and Professor Steve Barnett, QEH chairman, said: "The whole family at QEH is deeply saddened at losing Chrissie Emerson who was such a valued colleague."

The youngsters star in a film made by a nurse to urge people to protect the NHS from coronavirus.

Here's how the coronavirus pandemic is being covered by the papers in Cambridgeshire:

• Cambridge News, external has a round-up of police action taken to enforce lockdown restrictions in the county
• Peterborough Today reports, external that a local school is donating "hundreds" of items of personal protective equipment to health workers
• And the Hunts Post, external warns of "scammers" posing as council staff, who are asking for donations to food parcels

Here's a look at the latest coverage of the coronavirus pandemic from Norfolk:

• The chairman of the National Care Association has told workers in Norfolk to travel to their nearest Covid-19 testing centre in Sheffield, a 300-mile round trip which would take more than five hours, the Eastern Daily Press, external reports

• Four more patients have died at the Queen Elizabeth ll Hospital in King's Lynn from Covid-19 bringing the total to 56, according to the Lynn News, external

• An eight-year-old boy from Oulton Broad has made his neighbours smile by hanging his hand-crafted wooden heart up on his driveway - emblazoned with the names of key workers and NHS staff, the Great Yarmouth Mercury, external reports

Fees paid to providers of adult social care in Cambridgeshire are being increased by 10%.

Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council said the money would support care providers and recognise the financial pressure they are facing.

An extra £450,000 a month is going into the care sector in Peterborough, while the rest of Cambridgeshire will get a £1.4m increase.

Some of this spending will be met by each council's share of the government's emergency fund for supporting the additional costs of coronavirus.

Image source, Getty Images

Anna Bailey, chairwoman of Cambridgeshire County Council’s adult services committee, said: "We will get this additional money to them from the beginning of next week – and it will continue until at least the end of June."

Brentwood Town Hall, external turned blue last night as part of the weekly Clap for our Carers event

Cpl Eddie Griffin, 14, from the town's Imperial Youth Band, external played trumpet, leading into police sirens being sounded and blue lights going on in tribute to the NHS, emergency services and caring professions.

Image source, Brentwood Borough Council

People are being warned to be on their guard against fraudsters claiming to be from a Suffolk council.

West Suffolk Council said vulnerable people had been asked for their bank details so they could be sent food parcels during the coronavirus pandemic.

But it said people would never be asked by officials to give this information in return for the essentials.

Seaside spots around the east coast that would normally be teeming with visitors were eerily quiet as people observed the coronavirus lockdown over the Easter weekend.

Apart from a few residents taking their permitted exercise and giving their dogs a stretch on the sand, popular beaches in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex were almost empty, these aerial pictures show.

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council went as far as publicising a "Don't Visit Southend" campaign before the weekend, urging tourists to stay away to protect the local population.

It thanked people on Twitter for staying at home and said nearly £10m in grants had been paid out to 944 small businesses to try and keep them afloat during the pandemic.

Tourists largely stayed away from East of England seaside spots as people heeded the coronavirus lockdown.

Sarah Jenkins
BBC News

The Lord Mayor's Celebration in Norwich, which was due to take place in July, has been cancelled.

Norwich City Council, external said it was not possible to organise the event "due to social distancing guidelines".

Instead of planning the three-day event, members of the council's culture and events team are assisting the Norwich Community Response Hub, which is helping those who are vulnerable during the lockdown.

The Lord Mayor's Celebration was scheduled to take place from Friday 3 July to Sunday 5 July and would have brought free performances and activities to the city centre.

Leader of Norwich City Council, Alan Walters, said: "While it has become inevitable, we are very disappointed that we will be unable to hold this much-loved, free event for Norwich residents this summer.

"The safety of artists, participants, staff and attendees is always central to our events, and this year it is not possible to achieve this while also following important social distancing guidance."

Sarah Jenkins
BBC News

Two councils say they need more foster carers to support children during the coronavirus pandemic.

Cambridgeshire County Council, external and Peterborough City Council, external are asking anyone who could support children to get in touch, after the number of people enquiring about becoming carers "dipped".

Image source, Getty Images

Simon Bywater, Cambridgeshire County Council chairman of the Children and Young People Committee, said: "While many of us have family and friends who are there to support us in these difficult times, there are many children and young people across the county who are in need of that support more than ever."

The councils said all carers would receive training, 24-hour access to support and allowances.

Peterborough city councillor Lynne Ayres said teams would adhere to government advice and social distancing rules throughout the application process.

At least one dog a day is being dumped in the Fens area of Cambridgeshire since the pandemic, a warden has said.

Caroline Trigg is a dog warden at Fenland District Council, external and also runs Ravenswood Pet Rescue, external, which needs donations to help rescue efforts and buy pet food for owners in need.

Ms Trigg said the council had been called to help 15 dogs since the country went into lockdown, while her group had delivered animal feed to 125 homes.

"We have had a massive increase - we would probably get one or two a week in general," she said.

"I think people are panicking about being able to afford to feed their dogs and vet bills.

"It is really, really sad... unfortunately, sometimes pets come at the bottom of the order of priorities in the family home."

People across the county appeared to respect the lockdown rules over the bank holiday weekend despite the great weather, councils have said.

Image source, North Norfolk District Council

It was reported to be quiet in Great Yarmouth and along the north Norfolk coast.

North Norfolk District Council leader Sarah Butikofer said the authority is preparing to welcome visitors back when the time is right.

"We have got a team who are working on that constantly... making sure just as soon as we are allowed to get things open again, we are up and running," she said.

"We want to welcome visitors back to north Norfolk just as soon as we can."

Alex Pope
BBC News Online

Praise has been issued to people who are staying at home and not going to the seaside for the Easter holidays.

Image source, Ch Insp Lily Benbow

Ch Insp Lily Benbow, District Commander for Tendring in Essex, said on Twitter, external: "It feels strange to say but I was glad to see an empty seafront in Clacton today.

"Thanks for staying away."

Image source, Ch Insp Lily Benbow

Essex Police added that "what you're doing is really making a difference".

Image source, Ch Insp Lily Benbow

Two people have been jailed - and two others fined - for breaching coronavirus restrictions after a supermarket theft in King's Lynn.

The four, all from Peterborough, were arrested after reports of shoplifting at the Sainsbury's store on the Hardwick Industrial Estate on Monday evening.

They admitted the offences and appeared at Norwich Magistrates' Court for sentencing via video link.

Image source, Google

Scarlett Harvey, 29, of Eastern Avenue was found guilty of theft, drug possession and breaching movement restrictions and breaking a community order. She was jailed for 13 weeks.

Anton Oakley, 31, of Redmile Walk, was jailed for 14 weeks for a number of drug and driving offences.

Junior Modest, 46, of Crabtree, was found guilty of theft and breaching movement restrictions. He was fined £317 and given a community order.

Tanveer Bashir, 39, of Gladstone Street was also convicted of breaching movement restrictions and was fined a total of £317.

How's this for a little key worker "mowtivation"?

Photographer Colin Reeve captured the letters, which were crafted into the front garden of a house in Marshland St James, Norfolk.

Image source, Colin Reeve

The money will go towards providing medicine and food for those most in need in the Basildon area.

Sarah Jenkins
BBC News

Castle Point Borough Council, external has closed all its seafront car parks "to aid social distancing".

The authority, which covers Canvey Island, Benfleet, Thundersley and Hadleigh, said the car parks would be closed "for the foreseeable future" in order to "encourage people to stay at home".

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A pot of cash in excess of £60,000 has been established by a Suffolk council to support groups and projects in the district.

Babergh District Council, external has established the locality grant scheme, which gives each councillor £2,000 to spend on supporting community groups, projects, events and good causes in their wards.

That pot is expected to be an annual commitment, and is funded from the council’s existing transformation budget.