BBC Politics

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus, Downing Street has said.

Mr Johnson has mild symptoms and will self-isolate in Downing Street.

"He was tested for coronavirus on the personal advice of England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty," a statement said.

He will still be in charge of the government's handling of the crisis, the statement added.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Planned maintenance on Devon’s roads has been suspended but highways teams will continue to carry out essential repairs.

Devon County Council has temporarily suspended planned maintenance work in order to focus on the repair of critical infrastructure to maintain the local network for key workers.

Image source, LDRS

Highway maintenance workers have been classified by the government as key to delivering essential service during the coronavirus pandemic.

Councillor Stuart Hughes said staff were being advised to observe social distancing precautions and called on people not approach maintenance crews.

He said: "They should be applauded for their vital work in keeping our roads safe for everyone during these uncertain times."

Ed Oldfield
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plymouth City Council has launched a Plymouth Good Neighbours Scheme to coordinate volunteers during the coronavirus pandemic.

It will gather names and skills and match volunteers with the right group, either directly or through the city’s voluntary sector organisations and partners.

The council said in statement on Thursday night: "A small army of community volunteers is assembling, ready to help Plymouth’s most vulnerable through the coronavirus outbreak.

"In times of crisis, the good in people often shows through and many are reaching out to the council with offers of helping hands with various skills and from all walks of life.

"Now, the new Plymouth Good Neighbours scheme will see the council join forces with community groups and charities across the city to provide a central place for people to put their hat in the ring to help."

Anyone who wants to help should go to www.plymouth.gov.uk/goodneighboursscheme, external.

Daniel Clark
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Parents are ignoring advice on restricting movements and lifting their children over fences into locked play parks, Torridge District Council has reported.

And joint patrols with Devon and Cornwall Police on Thursday saw them respond to reports of licensed premises in the district flouting closure rules.

Government legislation that came into force this week requires all licensed premises to close, while all play parks in the district that are run by the council have been closed in a bid to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Comments underneath the tweet from residents added that they had seen the activities described taking place.

Jan Williams, the council’s environmental health and community safety manager, tweeted about licensed premises breaking the rules.

Torridge District Council and Devon and Cornwall Police said they were unable to provide details of which play parks and licensed premises the unlawful activities were taking place at.

The Clap for Carers event celebrating NHS workers on Thursday night was a "goosebumps moment" for staff at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, according to a senior administrator.

Leanne Ashmead, A&E manager at the hospital, said the initiative was "emotional" for members of her team who were able to step outside and listen.

"It's proof that people are thinking of them in what is a really challenging time," she said.

On a personal level, Ms Ashmead said it was "difficult to describe" her feelings in words.

"I made a big point of opening the front door just before eight o’clock to hear the moment at which the streets burst into applause and cheering.

"It epitomised the reason why I work for the NHS, I just want to serve the public and our wonderful institution.

"To see really how much that means to people is wonderful."

Ms Ashmead added she would be reminding herself and her team of the "incredibly special" event at "pressure moments" during the crisis.

"It's like nothing we've ever experienced before."

Twitter

There are really long queues at Sainsbury's in Crabtree, Plymouth.

With limits on how many people can be in the store at any one time, the line to get in has spread out across the car park.

"The sun keeps rising no matter what and so can we. Come on people, we are one team, we need to work together by being on our own," says Julie Christie in Looe.

"This view from my bedroom window restores the fight in me every morning and keeps me going."

Image source, Julie Christie

Send us your pictures - whether from your window or during your daily exercise.

David Braine
Weather Forecaster

We have had several emails asking if the weather or climate can affect the spread or severity of coronavirus and whilst information on this new disease is very sparse we can look at how the weather has affected similar viruses in the past and try to make some observations.

Covid-19 is a respiratory disease that moves from human to human in a similar way to other viruses such as seasonal flu or coughs and colds, it is spread in mucous or water droplets from coughs, sneezes, and breathing from one person to another, and there are a variety of theories as to how long it can survive on a surface outside of the human body.

Seasonal flu or influenza has affected the human population for thousands of years, typically being more virulent in the world’s temperate regions, and more specifically in the winter months of both the northern and southern hemispheres.

There is evidence that seasonal flu has a harder time spreading in hot dry countries, where the viruses living outside of the body struggle with high temperature and arid environments.

There are some studies from scientists from universities in China, who have examined how the coronavirus has been transmitted in several Chinese cities, and have concluded that “high temperature and high relative humidity significantly reduce the transmission of Covid-19”.

The research also suggests that, as with many viruses, it may transmit more effectively between humans when humidity is low and the temperature is between 5C (41F) and 11C (52F), external.

At the moment the areas most affected by coronavirus lie between 30-50 degrees north of the equator and, as with seasonal flu, spring and summer could reduce the infection rate with higher temperatures and more UV light, which is known to have an effect on similar viruses.

No one has the answers as to what weather type can help or reduce the spread of Covid-19 but there are similarities to how seasonal flu behaves and there seem to be three critical factors:

• Viruses live well within the body at approximately 37C (99F) - normal body temperature. During a fever the virus can be killed which is the body’s response to the infection, normal flu viruses survive and transmit better outside the human body at a much lower temperature and level of humidity.
• Those who live in temperate regions tend to spend a lot of the winter time indoors and in close proximity to each other thus aiding the spread of viruses
• Vitamin D may play a part in the human immune system to fight viruses, in winter time when the sun is low in temperate regions and people spend more time indoors they typically get less sunshine and therefore make less vitamin D, and that might reduce the immune system.

There are no clear answers as to whether Covid-19 conforms to other types of virus that we know more about, and how much impact the weather will have on it, but sunshine does bring benefits to the immune system in the production of vitamin D, and a higher temperature may help control the survivability of the virus on surfaces.

So heading into spring and summer the sunshine may have an impact on the virus and how we cope with it.

Charley Adams
BBC News Online

Cornwall Council has contributed £100,000 to support community groups, which are in high demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Council staff have been working with the community and voluntary sector to help the residents of Cornwall who are most vulnerable during the crisis.

As a priority, staff have been working with central government and local partners to ensure community hubs are ready to respond where needed.

As the pandemic has developed, the council has seen huge demands placed on crisis groups such as Foodbank, homeless shelters and soup kitchens.

To help ensure these groups can continue to support vulnerable residents, Cornwall Council has contributed money to Cornwall Community Foundation’s Cornwall Coronavirus Emergency Appeal.

The foundation has taken a lead role in providing crisis support, offering small grants of £500 to £3,000 to organisations in Cornwall, to cover the additional costs of supporting people during the coronavirus crisis.

Twitter

A new campaign has been launched to tackle domestic abuse as cases are expected to increase due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and reassure victims that they will still have access to support services during the pandemic.

Police and victim support services have warned that domestic abuse may increase due to restrictions to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

Adam Durbin
BBC News Online

Police will be visiting "beauty spots" across the south west to inform people they must exercise in their local area, senior police officers have said.

Ch Supt Ian Drummond-Smith said officers would be patrolling beaches to "ensure everyone is following the new rules", following reports of "large gatherings" on Thursday.

The move follows the emergency legislation passed by parliament, but the legal status of driving to exercise remains unclear.

Supt Adrian Leisk tweeted that officers would be visiting beaches and car parks today to "reinforce" the message that people should not drive for their exercise.

Adam Durbin
BBC News Online

Another person died at Derriford Hospital after testing positive for coronavirus on Thursday, the NHS has confirmed, external.

This is the third patient to die at the hospital after contracting Covid-19.

So far, 578 people across the UK have died, external, 16 of whom are in the south west.

Emma Thomasson
BBC Spotlight

Have you ever thought about doing the ironing in a party frock or mowing the lawn in a tuxedo?

Amid restrictions on movement - people are staying at home and wearing their finest clothes.

Dressing up at home is the new going out.

The "Put your bins out in your ballgown" group started in Cornwall...

Ed Oldfield
Local Democracy Reporting Service

Plymouth MP Johnny Mercer is urging people to comply with travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Image source, PA

The MP for Plymouth Moor View says he fully backs roads police patrols challenging drivers about their journeys.

Mr Mercer made his comment in a post on his Twitter account, which shared a link to a news story on the Plymouth Live website about some of the excuses made by motorists who were ignoring the rules.

The MP said: "I’m afraid I will stand shoulder to shoulder with @DC_Police (Devon & Cornwall Police) throughout this period, and have no sympathy for constituents writing in moaning about them..."

Government instructions are for people to only leave the house for one of four reasons

• shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible
• one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household
• any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
• travelling to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home.

Johanna Carr
BBC News Online

A dairy in East Devon is working around the clock to maintain supplies to supermarkets during the Covid-19 pandemic while following government advice to keep its staff safe.

The Clinton Devon Farms Partnership manages two organic dairy farms, where a herd of 750 cows graze.

Image source, KOR Communications

Clinton Dairy supplies milk to the firm Muller, producing 5.4 million litres of milk each year.

It also runs a milk vending machine, which holds 100 litres of milk, at the nearby Otterton Mill visitor centre and has seen sales double since the crisis began.

Farms Manager Sam Briant-Evans, said it was pretty much business as usual at the dairy.

"Even at an immensely difficult time like this, the animals still need to be fed and milked, so the work doesn’t stop and we will continue to meet demand," he said.

“We are taking all the correct precautions and following daily government advice to ensure our teams are safe and protected at all times."

Johanna Carr
BBC News Online

The leader of Cornwall Council has warned the authority is preparing for a "significant numbers of deaths in Cornwall" due to coronavirus.

Julian German said the council was making preparations in cemeteries for burials and setting up a temporary mortuary "to cope with additional pressure on the system".

He said: "We are making these arrangements in a calm and measured way and are not proposing to give further details at this time. However we would stress the gravity of these preparatory actions reinforces the message to all of our communities of the importance of observing social distancing."

Mr German said people should follow government instructions and stay at home unless absolutely necessary.

Johanna Carr
BBC News Online

The Truro park and ride service is set to continue on its current timetable as reduced numbers allow for social distancing.

The Monday to Saturday service is also going to go ahead with its planned timetable extension from Monday.

The chancellor's coronavirus support package comes after the PM pledges to do "whatever we can".