All the latest from Beds, Bucks, Cambs, Essex, Herts, Norfolk, Northants and Suffolk
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The last batch of key worker hand sanitiser created on a university campus has been bottled.
Technicians from the University of East Anglia have created nearly 4,000 litres of the Covid-19 sanitiser over the past 12 weeks, which they reckon has cleaned 1.3 million pairs of hands.
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UEA opened up labs on its Norwich campus to make the product, supported with supplies from businesses, including Southwold brewers Adnams.
The sanitiser was distributed to 15 local health and social care facilities, NHS trusts and community organisations in the East of England, but with demand reducing the university says the project has come to a natural conclusion.
A 93-year-old woman who dressed in red, white and blue with her husband’s wartime medals on display on VE Day this year was left downcast when no-one passed the door of her home in Basildon to see.
Eileen Cockburn was hoping to speak to neighbours and passers-by from her garden but after several hours alone, returned indoors feeling quite dejected and lonely.
Image source, VEday75.orgLater she received a heart-warming letter from children who attend Airplay, the RAF Benevolent Fund’s, external youth support programme.
They had written to 220 elderly members of the RAF family during the coronavirus lockdown.
She was delighted and said: “Receiving their letters was the best thing that could happen to a 93-year-old lady who has been stuck indoors on her own for nine or 10 weeks.
“I was feeling quite down but I felt so different when I started reading the letters.”
A hospice that issued an emergency appeal after normal fundraising efforts declined when the coronavirus lockdown started has raised £120,000 - but now needs £600,000 to keep going.
St Clare Hospice, external serves the West Essex and East Hertfordshire area and anticipated an immediate £100,000 gap in its voluntary income in the first three months of lockdown.
Image source, St Clare HospiceThe hospice’s director of income generation, Rosie Knowles, said: “The response to our urgent fundraising appeal from our local communities has been awe-inspiring.
“Within just a few days of the appeal we had seen incredible support, with some large anonymous donations coming through off the back of our urgent appeal.
“Although the urgent fundraising appeal has helped to soften the blow, we will still be faced with a potential £600,000 hole.”
Hot meals are being delivered to vulnerable people who are unable to attend their usual day centre.
Money has been given to Over Day Centre, so it can feed people in Over and Cottenham, Cambridgeshire.
It has been made possible because of a grant of £10,000 from developers, Countryside to South Cambridgeshire District Council.
So far nearly 100 two course meals have been made.
Image source, South Cambridgeshire District CouncilA second food scheme is being set up from a hub in Duxford, with meals being prepared by the C3 Church in Cambridge.
The registration of births will continue in Northamptonshire from Monday with online bookings for face-to-face sessions opening up.
Northamptonshire County Council said anyone with outstanding exceptional birth registrations or those who had their birth registration appointment cancelled when lockdown started would be contacted first.
They will also be asked to complete and return a birth registration questionnaire in advance to minimise their time in the office, and will be contacted to arrange an appointment.
Sandra Naden-Horley, cabinet member for corporate and community services, said: “The past few months have been unprecedented and we are now facing a backlog of appointments which will take some time to manage.
Image source, Getty Images
BBC Essex
A specialist intensive care unit is being created at Basildon Hospital, external for patients in Mid and South Essex most severely affected by coronavirus.
Southend, external and Broomfield, external Hospitals will carry out surgery and treat cancer patients whose treatment may have been delayed due to the pandemic.
But campaigners fear it could see care at the two hospitals downgraded.
"In an email to Mid and South Essex Hospital , externalstaff, management say this new specialist coronavirus care unit will open next month ready for potential surges in Covid patients," BBC reporter Simon Dedman said.
"Some medics say it makes sense having a separate unit to allow regular surgery and treatment to take place. Others, like local NHS campaigners, fear Broomfield and Southend could be downgraded by stealth.
"Mid and South Essex Hospitals insist that’s not the case and no intensive care beds will be cut at those hospitals."
An attempt to make the Foreign Office release evidence on diplomatic immunity is rejected.
Read MoreA man arrested after the woman was found dead in Kettering will face no further action, police say.
Read MoreShareholders are to discuss plans for nearly 1,700 new homes at Southend's Queensway estate.
Read MoreA letter to Norwich School says a pupil was asked to apologise for wearing a Black Lives Matter badge.
Read More
Image source, Getty ImagesAn actor has praised a hospital for its "amazing" care.
Daz Crawford, from the US TV Show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, said the treatment he received at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital was so good, it was like he was at a "hotel".
He said he was "really blown away" with how he was looked after and that everyone was "so nice".
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A council has revealed a funding gap of £32.6m over two years, brought on coronavirus.
Bedford Borough Council's executive will meet next week to discuss the matter.
The council said the pandemic would place "unprecedented pressure" on it to "deliver care for the vulnerable, elderly and shielded, while keeping vital day-to-day operations running in challenging circumstances".
Image source, David Howard/GeographMichael Headley, portfolio holder for finance, said: "We are expecting difficult decisions ahead and with so much still unknown about the course that the coronavirus pandemic will take and the final impact it will have on the economy, we will be keeping a very close eye on the unfolding funding shortfall and doing our best to minimise the impact on local services.”
A Ministry of Defence police, external officer who was recently serving on a project in Essex has died of Covid-19.
The Defence Police Federation, external announced the death of PC John Hewitt.
Image source, John HewittFederation chairman Eamon Keating, said in a Facebook, external post: “This is devastating news. The thoughts of Ministry of Defence Police officers and the police family across the country are with John’s wife Maria and children, his wider family, friends and close colleagues.”
Mr Hewitt, 53, leaves wife Maria, sons Jonathan and Josh, stepchildren Declan and Niamh and grandchildren Orla and Anthony.
He joined the Ministry of Defence Police in 1990 and served at Clyde and Garlogie before working in Essex.
His wife is an ex-Ministry of Defence Police officer who also served at the Clyde and Garlogie before leaving the force to become a nurse in 2014.
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Merging five councils into one new local authority has cost about £10m.
Last year, Wycombe, South Bucks, Chiltern and Aylesbury Vale and Buckinghamshire County Council became defunct, when Buckinghamshire Council was created.
A cabinet meeting heard £9.939m was spent in 2019/20, an underspend of £2.9m against the council's orginal budget.
Councillor Katrina Brown said this saving was achieved through the use of the authority’s “excellent in-house expertise” which meant it could “avoid expensive external designers.”
Another £9.5m is expected to be spent on completing the transition this financial year.
BBC Essex
A 30-year-old lorry driver and their passenger have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry to the UK after 14 people were found in the back of the vehicle.
Essex Police closed the M11 near Harlow between junctions eight and nine, while officers attended the scene after being called shortly before 18:00 on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the force said: "Officers located the lorry near junction 9 of the M11 and closed both carriageways to ensure a safe exit for those inside the container.
"Fourteen people from inside the lorry were checked over by the East of England Ambulance Service.
"They have since been detained on suspicion of immigration offences."
Image source, Andy BrookesWildlife has been taking maximum advantage of the absence of human activity, as this picture of a robin family nesting among the nuts and bolts in a workshop in Norfolk shows.
Image source, Peterborough CathedralPeterborough Cathedral will reopen its doors for private prayer and reflection daily from Monday between 10:00 and 13:00.
New measures have been put in place to keep people safe.
Access to the nave only will be allowed. Visitors are asked to stay for no more than 15 minutes, to use hand sanitiser on entry and exit and to keep to social distancing rules.
The café, shop and toilets will remain closed.
The Dean of Peterborough, the Very Reverend Chris Dalliston, said: "We are excited to be able to welcome people through our doors once again, albeit in this new and somewhat unfamiliar way.
"I hope that people will find it comforting to return to their cathedral and reflect on what continues to be a very challenging time."
Holiday park operator Center Parcs, external said its leisure complexes in Elveden and Woburn Forests would remain closed until at least 12 July.
"Whilst we do not have a confirmed date for re-opening yet, we’re busy working on our reopening plans and we are getting nearer to welcoming our guests back to the forest," it said.
"We have taken a best-practice approach to our plans at this stage and are now very close to finalising things."
Image source, Christine Johnson/GeographA hospital ward sister has said patient recovery times will be helped with visitors being allowed back on site.
Anyone wanting to visit a patient at Ipswich Hospital, external must wear a face mask, book their trip in advance, and can only stay for 45 minutes.
Image source, NHS East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation TrustSister Naomi Gunton said: "Anxiety levels will reduce because we are able to have better conversations, and when you are ill you want your loved one there.
"It's been a really tricky three months. It was the right thing to do, not to have visitors, but it will be great to get back to some more normal processes."
