Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

As single households across England prepare to set up "support bubbles", allowing them to regularly spend the night at one other person's home, the BBC has spoken to those who expect to benefit from the eased lockdown rule.

Founder of the Down's syndrome charity Project 21, external, Alex Munn from Kesgrave in Suffolk is "elated" at finally being able to meet and stay over at her mother's house.

The 26-year-old said her parents are divorced, but her father is shielding, so that helped her make her choice.

"It is a tough decision because you don't want to pick between close friends and family," she said.

Image source, Alex Munn

"I've personally felt, and rightly so, everybody else has kind of taken priority. I think a lot of single people are deemed quite safe and we're not vulnerable and we're not at risk.

"Actually sometimes it's been quite hard. Four months without having work or being able to see friends or family would be tough for anyone.

"Whilst I don't doubt homeschooling, working from home and keeping family members safe has been really, really tough, just as tough is waking up with the realisation you might not see anybody for the entire day.

"I am so thankful to my amazing friends and family who have supported me and checked in, not just in week one, but still do in week 12."

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Cambridgeshire County Council has sought advice from Public Health England, external over the apparent disparity between the county’s infection rate and the number of outbreaks in care homes.

Image source, Getty Images

A council report, which refers to data provided by care homes to Public Health England, shows that as of 17 May, some 64 out of 131 care homes in the county reported a suspected or confirmed outbreak and in Peterborough it was 15 out of 35 care homes – 43%.

"This is higher than the national figure of 37.8% of homes with a suspected or confirmed outbreak," the report said.

The document also said that as of 28 May, the rate of Covid-19 infections in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough local authority areas was 178.4 per 100,000 people and 207.9 per 100,000 people respectively, which is "comparatively lower than the overall rate in England of 269.6 per 100,000".

At a meeting of the adult’s committee, council service director for adults and safeguarding, Charlotte Black, said the disparity was "something we are trying to understand at the moment – we have sought advice from Public Health England".

She suggested it may be linked to how the data is recorded and reported, but said the council is "trying to get an official explanation for why that might be".

Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

Pastor Peter Nembhard, thought he was going to die after he was admitted to Basildon Hospital with coronavirus in the beginning of April and has thanked nurse Vanya Roach for helping him through his "fight".

Image source, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust

The 52-year-old from Grays was placed on a Covid ward on 2 April after testing positive and was put on a ventilator.

"My fight in hospital was with the breathing – I was really struggling to breathe," he said.

"There was one point that I had lost hope, as I thought I was going to die.

"I will never forget one particular nurse, Vanya Roach, who was like an angel to me. I felt as if God sent her directly to help me fight this.

"Vanya took the time to explain exactly what was happening; she sat down and fed me and really helped me through my fight."

Ms Roach, a staff nurse, said: "I’m so pleased he has recovered and is doing well. He had such a great fighting spirit and was really involved in his recovery."

A retired surgeon is riding 874 miles over three months, on a bike donated to him by the widow of a patient he treated, to raise funds for the NHS.

Image source, Bucks Healthcare

Chris Pool, external, 86, was an orthopaedic surgeon at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, external in Aylesbury for 29 years until he retired 18 years ago.

"I was given the bicycle 15 years ago by a grateful widow whose husband I helped in his terminal illness," he said.

"I started cycling when lockdown occurred and decided three weeks ago that I would do something for Stoke Mandeville Hospital."

He has so far ridden 200 miles and by the end will have ridden the equivalent of travelling from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

Neil Macdonald, chief executive of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, said his actions were "humbling and inspiring".

Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

A drive-through coronavirus testing site has been moved from Watford to Hemel Hempstead after travellers set up a camp in a car park on Wednesday evening.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

The testing centre at Watford Leisure Centre had been open on Thursdays and Sundays.

Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group, external (CCG) said people with a test booked are being redirected to a temporary base at Apsley.

A CCG statement said: "A group of travellers arrived on the site that was designated for the mobile testing unit.

"This means that we have had to change arrangements."

The new address is at the Hertfordshire County Council offices, external, Aspley Campus, Brindley Way, Hemel Hempstead HP3 9BF.

Watford Borough Council, external said it has started legal proceedings to move the travellers on.

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Holly King-Mand has gained more than 50,000 followers but says she now needs a rest.

Katy Lewis
BBC News Online

Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire has apologised after its website, external failed to cope with demand when tickets went on sale on Thursday for its reopening on Monday.

The Zoological Society of London, which runs the zoo, said the website was "overwhelmed with visitors" and buying tickets was temporarily turned off overnight.

In a Facebook, external post it said: "So that we can all relax this evening and have a break from refreshing our screens, ticketing has been temporarily turned off.

"Don't worry, we still have plenty of tickets left for all of you.

"We're working hard behind the scenes to try and fix the technical problems."

It added it was "delighted to have so much support" as it was "helping us to secure ZSL's future".

Homeless people living in hotels during the pandemic will be helped to move into permanent shelter.

Matt Precey
BBC Look East

Government statistics recording the latest number of daily coranavirus deaths , externalshow an increase of 23 in the region's hospitals, taking the regional total to 3,839.

The deaths, listed by NHS trust, were:

• Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals: 1
• Bedford Hospital: 1
• Buckinghamshire Healthcare: 2
• East Suffolk and North Essex (Ipswich and Colchester hospitals): 1

• Kettering General: 6
• Luton and Dunstable: 3
• Northampton General: 7

• West Herts Hospitals: 1
• West Suffolk: 1

The total number of Covid-19 deaths across the UK now stands at 41,279.

We will be bringing you all the latest pandemic news from across the East of England - from the latest statistics to how key workers and our communities are coping.

If you have a story you wish to share - good or bad - please contact BBC News Online (East).

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