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.

Police also seized heroin, crack cocaine and mobile phones as they raided 17 properties.

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."

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."

Staff at a hospital have found "some positives" in the current coronavirus outbreak after being able to release 84 patients who had tested positive for Covid-19.

The James Paget Hospital in Gorleston, Norfolk, tweeted on Monday to say that "in the midst of very sad news about those that have died", they had been able to discharge more than 80 who no longer needed acute care.

According to the latest figures from Public Health England, there are 595 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Norfolk.

People are still making good use of their "wobbly" homes on wheels while observing lockdown rules.

Technology is maintaining a special 'bond' with volunteers who normally visit care home residents.

Dani Cameron has tethered herself to swim on the spot and "almost expects to see a seal pop up".

Norwich City agree to sign Luxembourg forward Danel Sinani from F91 Dudelange on a three-year contract.

For the third week in a row, people up and down the country showed their appreciation to carers and the NHS by clapping on their doorstep at 20:00.

Many used saucepans, but 93-year-old Derek Cubitt, from Hethersett, Norfolk, decided to play You'll Never Walk Alone on his saxophone.

Hannah Harrison, who lives close by, said: "If that doesn't bring a tear to your eye I don't know what will."

This is the time of year for religious celebrations.

Passover started yesterday, it's Easter this weekend - and Ramadan starts towards the end of the month.

Churches across the East are set to live-stream their Easter services because of the ban on gatherings - and social distancing rules.

You can catch services throughout Holy Week and Easter week at Peterborough Cathedral, external - and Norwich Cathedral , externalstaff will post a series of videos and podcasts.

Monsignor John Armitage, of Our Lady of Walsingham, told the BBC the shrine had 500,000 views of a re-dedication service last weekend alone.

"Our website was ready and the live stream was ready - but we weren't ready - the site crashed," he said.

"It made it the largest 'pilgrimage' in the history of the shrine - since 1061. That's quite an achievement!"

This is one of our region's many community hubs, which are helping to feed and support vulnerable people during the coronavirus pandemic.

The town hall in Great Yarmouth has been filled with food, donated mainly by local businesses.

It is delivered via the food bank network and directly to people who have said they are struggling to feed themselves.

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.

A Norfolk couple have spoken of how they have "fallen through the gaps" and are struggling to make ends meet during the coronavirus lockdown.

Self-employed roofer Ben Cuss and his wife Annie, from Wymondham, Norfolk, have seen their earnings plummet from £3,000 a month to less than £100 a week.

Their story will be familiar to countless households.

Mr Cuss is waiting to "sign on" for Universal Credit, while his wife, a care worker who is expecting the couple's first child, is on statutory sick pay during the lockdown.

"We weren't splashing out on niceties, just living comfortably with a little bit put by for a rainy day," Mr Cuss told the BBC.

"Everyone's in the same boat. It's hard."

The MP for Great Yarmouth, Brandon Lewis, has sent a rather sweet "get well" message to the Prime Minister as he recovers from coronavirus in hospital.

Image source, Instagram

The message was baked into biscuits by his wife, Justine.

"Mrs Lewis has been busy baking a get well soon message for the prime minister – along with colour and photography support from Miss Lewis," the MP wrote on Instagram.

"Get well soon boss."

Mr Lewis, Minister for Northern Ireland, previously baked the words "stay home, save lives" into a beef Wellington

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

A drive-through swab testing facility has opened at the Norwich Research Park to test NHS frontline staff for coronavirus.

Scientists from across the park are joining forces with the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, external (NNUH) to help test for viral RNA, the material found in a virus that promotes its spread.

Frontline NHS staff in key roles, such as critical care workers, paramedics, emergency department staff, and primary care staff will be eligible for testing if they or a household contact develop symptoms of Covid-19.

It will mean staff can return to work more quickly by reducing isolation times.

Image source, NNUH

Sam Higginson, NNUH chief executive, said: "Quick and reliable testing is an essential part of the national effort to protect the NHS and save lives.

"The expectation is that staff in key clinical roles will be tested to support our staffing through the pandemic."

David Parfrey, executive chairman of Anglia Innovation Partnership LLP, which runs the research park, said: "For most of us, this is the biggest crisis we have faced in living memory.

"The combination of expertise and commitment shown by our colleagues right across the Park has underlined just how vital a resource this is to the national picture."

Here's a quick look at what's making the newspaper front pages in Norfolk this morning:

• Norfolk and Norwich Hospital consultant Dr Deborah Easby has paid tribute to the "phenomenal efforts" of her colleagues on the frontline - describing wearing PPE like "sensory deprivation", she tells the Eastern Daily Press, external
• An NHS worker has slammed a used car dealer for selling a Mini with faults that mean she cannot drive it to work, reports the Norwich Evening News, external
• The James Paget University Hospital, in Gorleston, has launched a "Letters of Love" campaign to patients in solitary lockdown, according to the Great Yarmouth Mercury, external

Zoe Applegate
BBC News

A cardiac nurse has told how she was moved to tears by a video of her young children performing a song they had written for her and her hospital colleagues.

Laura Aitken works at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and tweeted the video to colleagues to lift their spirits.

Alice, seven, and five-year-old Jack wrote new lyrics to A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman film, with their dad Chris, who accompanies them on guitar.

Signing off with the lyrics "All we want is to grow up and be like you", Mrs Aitken said her children "see me going to work and they see that it's difficult at the moment".