Summary

  • Updates for Norfolk

  1. 'Too many' restriction breaches, police saypublished at 09:27 British Summer Time 8 April 2020

    Katy Lewis
    BBC News Online

    Police in Norwich have said there were "too many" reports of breaches of the coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday night.

    Officers were called to a barbecue with more than 10 people in attendance, sunbathers in Chapelfield Park and people playing football in school grounds.

    "Please #ProtecttheNHS and do your part," the force said in a tweet.

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  2. Tim Burgess: Listening to music ‘together, apart’published at 00:32 British Summer Time 8 April 2020

    How online listening parties at home, with The Charlatans singer, became the new going out.

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  3. The family isolating in a van on a Greek Islandpublished at 00:09 British Summer Time 8 April 2020

    Martin and Kate Thacker, their daughters Shannon and Phoebe, two dogs and cat are living in a van.

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  4. Students help make protective gear for frontline workerspublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 7 April 2020

    Zoe Applegate
    BBC News

    A high school is trying to help to keep NHS staff safe on the frontline of the crisis.

    Hethersett Academy's technology department has been using 3D printers to make protective face shields, following concerns about shortages.

    Textile students at the school near Norwich have also joined in, making washable fabric bags to help hospital employees take their scrubs to and from work safely.

    Kate Finlay, head of the design and technology department, said: "Before the schools closed, online there was a lot of talk about helping with personal protective equipment - a lot of other European countries have done it and they made the drawings available, so we’ve been using an approved face shield drawing."

    Ms Finlay added there was information on Norfolk Scrubs Volunteers, external if anyone wanted to make scrubs or the bags which can then be picked up from makers’ homes.

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  5. Run Norwich 10km race rescheduled until later this yearpublished at 16:24 British Summer Time 7 April 2020

    Patrick Byrne
    BBC News

    The annual 10km Run Norwich, external race, postponed because of the coronavirus crisis, has been rescheduled to Sunday, 18 October.

    Runners of all abilities and ages take part in what is hailed as "the largest and most critical" of the fundraising events run by Norwich City's Community Sports Foundation, external.

    Run Norwich raceImage source, Run Norwich

    "The money raised annually from Run Norwich helps us to continue our vital work in the community for people with disabilities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds," the foundation's website says.

    "This work will become even more important in the coming months as our community relies on our support to bounce back during this difficult time.

    "In addition, we have partnered with 12 other local causes, external this year to provide them with fundraising places in Run Norwich; each of these causes are under similar pressure to sustain their services for the groups that they support."

    The race takes runners past some of the city’s most attractive landmarks, including Norwich Castle, The Forum, Norwich Cathedral, Norwich City Football Club, and many more.

  6. EDP editor appeals for support during crisispublished at 14:49 British Summer Time 7 April 2020

    Zoe Applegate
    BBC News

    The editor of a local newspaper has appealed for people to take out subscriptions or donate to keep it going as sales and advertising income plummets.

    EDP headquarters in NorwichImage source, Stephen Richards/Geograph

    David Powles said although the Eastern Daily Press, external has plenty of readers, things were "tough" due to businesses closing and cutting their advertising.

    He paid tribute to about 60-70 of its journalists now working from home who have kept the paper coming out every day.

    "We are more important than ever before - people still want the news, they want it more - so we had to work out a way how we could do that safely where none of us had to be in the office," he said.

    "The big challenge has been around commercial and advertising… that’s been the area that has been pretty dire and we have seen a big drop.

    "Still people are supporting us and they deserve our thanks and credit."

  7. UEA making 170 litres of sanitiser a day, with help from breweriespublished at 14:05 British Summer Time 7 April 2020

    Pete Cooper
    BBC News

    Technicians at the University of East Anglia in Norwich have been using materials from local brewers to produce hand sanitiser to help the NHS and local councils

    Many distilleries have switched from making spirits, such as gin, to hand sanitiser and brewer BrewDog has also been making alcohol gel in its Aberdeenshire factory, external.

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  8. Pandemic sees hospital recruits 400 more staffpublished at 12:58 British Summer Time 7 April 2020

    Zoe Applegate
    BBC News

    More than 400 people have been recruited to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital in the wake of coronavirus, its medical director said.

    Prof Erika DentonImage source, NNUH

    Prof Erika Denton said some of them had come out of retirement, while student doctors on the verge of qualifying have joined early.

    Student nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists have also started working at the hospital ahead of schedule.

    Prof Denton said the day procedure unit was being converted into an emergency department for those with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.

    A new 10-bed isolation unit and 25 high-dependency beds were also being set up as part of a £9m extra NHS investment, she said.

    She added the nearby private Spire hospital would be doing "much of our NHS elective surgical work" to ensure some operations still went ahead and to keep those patients totally isolated from any others with Covid-19.

    The hospital currently has 85 coronavirus patients and a further 50 awaiting test results.

  9. Coronavirus: Your Questions Answeredpublished at 12:48 British Summer Time 7 April 2020

    BBC Radio Norfolk has been answering your questions on the coronavirus outbreak.

    Question: I have to take shopping to my elderly Mum every week and I really want to see her, is it okay for me to chat with her in her garden if she opens the back door and keeps her distance? Also does she need to wash the shopping bags, or should handwashing suffice? Answer: Opening the back door and talking is pretty low risk, but you must make a judgment based on your Mum’s health. Regarding the shopping, use an alcohol gel yourself to prevent transmitting anything onto the bags, and it might be worth your mum allowing non-perishable items to stand for a day to reduce risk.
  10. County lines drug-dealers carrying on as usualpublished at 11:54 British Summer Time 6 April 2020

    Patrick Byrne
    BBC News

    County lines dealersImage source, Getty Images

    County lines drug-dealers are continuing to try to operate despite the coronavirus lockdown measures.

    Norfolk Police reports several arrests of pushers as it tries to enforce the new "stay at home" rules for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

    • In Music House Lane, Norwich on 25 March officers looking for a missing person found a large amount of class A drugs and mobile phones. Two boys, 16 and 17, along with a 62-year-old man were arrested
    • On 26 March, police at Norwich railway station arrested a 17-year-old female from London on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs
    • On 31 March, officers arrested four people at an address in Pockthorpe Gate, Norwich, on suspicion of Class A drugs offences after finding drugs, cash and mobile phones, leading to the arrest of two men from London and a local man and woman
    • Also on 31 March, police want to an address in Great Yarmouth following concerns for the safety of an individual and found a 17-year-old from London area who fled, but was later arrested with the support of the police dog unit. He was charged with two counts of possessing drugs with intent to supply, assault and resisting arrest

    Deputy Chief Constable Paul Sanford said: "We continue to adapt to the ever-evolving legislation and the challenges we face in response to coronavirus and we are still committed to frontline policing and protecting our communities from the crimes that matter the most."

  11. National garden camp-out raises £80k for NHSpublished at 14:55 British Summer Time 5 April 2020

    People slept in tents, camper vans and in their living rooms in the Great British Camp-Out.

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  12. Cardiff's Murphy joins delivery volunteers during pandemicpublished at 16:24 British Summer Time 4 April 2020

    Watch as Cardiff City winger Josh Murphy delivers food packages to the elderly in his local community of Downham Market, Norfolk.

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  13. Teen stranded in Fiji 'in the dark' over UK returnpublished at 15:26 British Summer Time 3 April 2020

    Healthcare assistant Emily Rash, 19, fears access to food and accommodation will become a problem.

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  14. Forest Live 2020 cancelled over coronavirus rulespublished at 14:30 British Summer Time 3 April 2020

    Patrick Byrne
    BBC News

    A series of outdoor summer concerts that would have brought former Oasis mainman Noel Gallagher back to Suffolk has been called off.

    Forestry England, external has cancelled Forest Live 2020, external at all its venues, including High Lodge Visitor Centre in Thetford Forest, because of coronavirus restrictions.

    Noel Gallagher

    A spokesman said: “We really hope that everyone’s support to fight COVID-19 means the situation will have improved by the summer.

    "As well as our valued customers, we work with a large number of volunteers, artists and contractors to make these concerts happen and have taken this decision in the interest of safety for everyone involved."

    Ticket holders will be automatically refunded but Forestry England asked for everyone's "patience and understanding at this busy time".

    These were the headline acts that had been due to appear the venue at Santon Downham in Suffolk:

    • Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - 18 June
    • James Morrison and Will Young - 19 June
    • Madness - 20 June
    • Rag‘n’Bone Man - 21 June

    Rag'n'Bone Man recently played a surprise gig in Gorleston in Norfolk as a favour for his dad.

  15. East of England joins in with #ClapForOurCarerspublished at 08:39 British Summer Time 3 April 2020

    People across the UK have taken part in a second Clap For Our Carers tribute, saluting NHS staff and other key workers on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Delivery drivers, supermarket staff, care workers and bin collectors were among those honoured by the nation with thousands across the East of England joining in the moment at 20:00 GMT on Thursday.

    Households banged pots and pans, while others played the bagpipes to show their support.

  16. 'Hero's welcome' for paramedic at supermarketpublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 2 April 2020

    Applause from shoppers "made me feel special after a tough run of shifts", says David Tillyer.

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  17. School teachers use design stock to make PPEpublished at 17:16 British Summer Time 2 April 2020

    Four staff members at Norwich School have been making hundreds of face-shields for healthcare staff.

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  18. UEA chemists produce 1,200 litres of sanitiser gelpublished at 17:03 British Summer Time 2 April 2020

    Patrick Byrne
    BBC News

    In just over a week technicians at University of East Anglia, external in Norwich have made 1,200 litres of hand sanitiser, to support local councils and NHS hospitals.

    This amounts to thousands of safe hand washes for people living and working in critical and sometimes clinically hazardous areas.

    UEA techniciansImage source, UEA

    Chemistry labs at the University of East Anglia were quiet after teaching and research stopped, so Norfolk County Council, external and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, external asked staff to produce gel.

    As production got under way, Prof Mark Searcey said: "All of the technicians, basically, who were normally in the science teaching building, jumped at the chance to actually make a contribution."

    The university has appealed for businesses to come forward to help them produce the gel and supply ingredients.

  19. Seal pup found miles from home releasedpublished at 16:03 British Summer Time 2 April 2020

    The pup is thought to have swum upstream from its North Sea home in search of food.

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  20. 'I just couldn't stick it anymore'published at 15:59 British Summer Time 2 April 2020

    A supermarket worker has told BBC Radio Norfolk that shoppers are making it hard for staff by ignoring social distancing guidelines.

    Carol told presenter Chris Goreham she'd had to leave work early today because she "couldn't stick it anymore".