Pete Cooper
BBC News

Southend-on-Sea saw the crowds return this weekend, but it wasn't always the same story further north around the East Anglian coast.

Lockdown exercise and travel restrictions were eased by the government, and the sun has continued to shine.

Along with Clacton, it appeared Great Yarmouth was not as busy either.

Last week the borough council told would-be tourists to "stay away", external insisting the toilets and car parks would remain closed, and it looks like people listened...

• The Eastern Daily Press , externalreports that holiday parks and attractions across Norfolk and Suffolk are making preparations ahead of potentially reopening in the summer
• It also reports that, external the owner of Norwich’s Chapelfield shopping centre, Intu, said it expects to breach covenants on its loans because of coronavirus
• The North Norfolk News, external reports that a third seaside carnival has cancelled

A Suffolk primary school shows how it is trying to prepare for more pupils to arrive in June.

Anglian Water says its seven leisure sites will remain closed until user safety is "certain".

Debbie Whiting believes children are better to fall behind in their learning but be safe.

Image source, Paul Russell

The relaxation of lockdown rules could lead to "something unexpectedly going wrong" as more people travel to our coasts, a lifeboat station said.

The Cromer RNLI branch , externalsaid if they were called out, it would force crews to "take extra risk because they may not be able to maintain safe distancing".

Image source, Paul Russell

"We therefore want to take all possible steps to ensure the public are aware of the risks to themselves and to others and are also aware of the ways to keep safe around our shores," a statement said.

It is reminding everyone to remain vigilant, take care on cliffs and have a plans if visiting potentially dangerous tidal areas.

The final stop of a tour by Dippy the Dinosaur, who used to grace the Hintze Hall at London's Natural History Museum, has been postponed.

The 26-metre (85ft) dinosaur, was due at Norwich Cathedral from 11 July until 31 October, but The Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure exhibition, external has now been delayed until a later date.

Image source, Trustees of the Natural History Museum

The Dean of Norwich, the Very Reverend Jane Hedges, said: "The cathedral is still very much looking forward to hosting the final stop on Dippy’s tour and is working closely with both the Natural History Museum and Rochdale’s Number One Riverside – where Dippy is currently located – to decide the best and safest way for Dippy to continue his tour."

Alex Burch, from the Natural History Museum, said: "To date Dippy has encouraged many thousands of visitors to engage with natural history and we very much want Dippy to complete his full tour and inspire even more people of all ages."

• A Norwich taxi firm being "given the go-ahead" to install protective screens, features in the Eastern Daily Press, external
• Seven more care homes, external with suspected coronavirus outbreaks is reported in the Great Yarmouth Mercury
• A councillor's pledge not to cut services despite a £4m coronavirus hit, external, is in the North Norfolk News

Margaret Seaman, 91, has been knitting her model hospital every day since 1 April to raise money.

A shopkeeper who has moved 12,000 plants through her two-bedroom bungalow since lockdown began has said her online business is blooming.

Image source, PA Media

Kerri Notman, 29, decided to close the doors at her plant and gift shop in Norwich a day before the coronavirus lockdown was formally announced.

She said she felt it was safer for customers and her family to run a delivery operation from her home near Mattishall in Norfolk, and that since doing so her online orders have tripled.

"We're doing 200 to 300 plants easily per day. I think everyone's just sitting at home bored and they want to buy more stuff, they want to make their houses look good and with all the shops closed they're spending their money online," she said.

Despite the government lifting restrictions on people going to public spaces, Norwich city centre remained quiet, as captured in these images by Imogen Baker.

Image source, Imogen Baker

Image source, Imogen Baker

She took these pictures a few hours ago on a trip to the bank.

A woman makes a social media video highlighting issues deaf people face when people wear masks.

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

Earlier we told you about calls from scientists for Norwich's population to carry out mass anti-body testing for coronavirus, now that a more reliable test has been found.

Image source, Getty Images

Prof Neil Hall, from the Earlham Institute, a Norwich based research centre, would like to run a pilot of some 10,000 residents first.

"One of the reasons why this virus has been so difficult to control is that you have asymptomatic carriage of the virus in the population, people who don't know that they're ill, and this is why it's moved so rapidly around the world," he said.

He added that by knowing more about where the "key points of transmission are" in Norwich, the knowledge would help the rest of the country know where to relax restrictions and where to keep them in place.

"The way we'd envisage doing it is we'd post out test kits to people, they would be barcoded, they'd self-swab and then someone would come round once a week to pick up the tests," said Prof Hall.

Earlham Institute board member, the former North Norfolk MP and health minister, Sir Norman Lamb said he had been in talks with the Department of Health about funding the mass test programme, which would cost in the region of £5m.

A government spokesman said: "We continually consider options to extend testing, but have no immediate plans for city-wide testing."

Mariam Issimdar
BBC News

Scientists in Norwich are working on a plan to test the city's population for Covid-19.

Image source, Geograph\Evelyn Simak

The Earlham Institute , externalin Norwich says the city centre, which has about about 140,000 people, is ideal to see if mass testing would be more effective in stopping the virus spreading.

A range of tests which the public could easily administer are being looked at including swabs and simple spit tests.

Professor Neil Hall, director of the Earlham Institute, admitted some people may not carry out the tests correctly but said testing on such a scale would still have some "positive impact" in helping the economy resume and public health.

Image source, University of East Anglia

An international student from China has used his own money to buy face masks for his local community.

Songze Chang, 24, from Shanxi, began distributing them around Norfolk.

The University of East Anglia student was inspired to do it after he was stopped while wearing one in the supermarket by an elderly man who had been looking to buy them in shops.

"I bought 100 face masks from China online and packed them up including some positive messages and an image of my national flag,” he said.

Image source, University of East Anglia

After posting his actions online he has received 8,000 masks from Chinese people who were inspired by his actions.

They have so far been donated to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Earlham Police station and local care homes.

"We are so proud of him and his friends for their selfless efforts", the university said.

Engineers have invented a device that beeps when wearers break the two-metre social distancing rule.

Image source, PATHFINDR

The portable "Safe Distancing Assistant" was developed in three weeks by the Norwich firm Pathfindr and uses "ultra-wideband" radio frequencies to operate.

The size of a pack of cards, the machine works by "speaking to" another unit in close proximity - and is designed for the workplace.

Some employees who cannot work from home are returning to their workplaces, after the government announced the easing of lockdown measures.

Image source, PATHFINDR

Managing director Matt Isherwood said. "Even being distracted by getting something off a supermarket shelf, we can forget you need to keep two metres apart and it's the same in the workplace where you're focused on a task in hand."

An independent report makes 12 recommendations including improvements to mental health training.

A Broads nature haven has reopened its gardens and car park to provide the public with a place for exercise as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased.

Image source, How Hill Trust

How Hill , externalnear Ludham in Norfolk will be asking for donations after its core work as a residential nature studies centre for schools has dried up for the summer.

Director Simon Partridge said people were already starting to park in the narrow local lanes as they sought new locations for their daily walks – so it made sense to reopen the centre’s car park to ease congestion and help the public explore the gardens.

It has been a study centre since 1968, and hosting some 3,000 children on residential and day trips each year.

Jon Welch
BBC News

Golfers will be rejoicing today after lockdown restrictions were loosened, making it possible for them to enjoy a round once more, albeit with some restrictions.

Some say golf is "a good walk spoiled", and many would agree.

Over the past few weeks, golfers' loss has been walkers' gain, with many clubs turning their courses over to local people for them to exercise on.

That's come to an end at Eaton Golf Club in Norwich, which posted this notice informing neighbours that access was being withdrawn.

"We would like to thank you for looking after our course so well in the lockdown period and hope that you have enjoyed it as much as we do," it reads.

Norwich say relegation from the Premier League should be scrapped if the top flight completes its season but the Championship does not.