Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

For everybody at home wondering what their usually bustling town and city centres look like at the moment, some of the region's key workers are keeping us posted.

Today, an officer on foot patrol through St Peters Street in St Albans, Insp Steve Alison, tweeted, external his thanks to the city's residents for "staying home and keeping us safe" and gave us a very quiet looking view of Market Place and the cathedral in the distance.

Image source, Insp Steve Alison

Sarah Jenkins
BBC News

Midwives from the Luton and Dunstable Hospital are operating out of a community centre for pre- and post-natal appointments.

Luton Council offered Chaul End community centre to the maternity team as a temporary home and it looks as though they are settling in well.

Image source, Google

A stall which was used by volunteer groups handing out food to homeless people has been removed.

Norwich City Council said it had taken down the covered stall on the Haymarket opposite Primark, following advice on social distancing during the Coronavirus outbreak.

"We’re not planning to bring our stall back," it added.

"The expert medical guidance on social distancing has highlighted the importance of best practice around food provision for the most vulnerable.

"This is about making sure we get food to people safely, rather than bringing people to food, and we are working positively with a number of groups involved in providing food in this way."

It said it was working with organisations to engage with rough sleepers, secure temporary accommodation and deliver food to people directly.

Some volunteer groups criticised the decision on social media, as reported in the Eastern Daily Press, external.

Image source, The People's Picnic

Pete Cooper
BBC News

West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds has donated gloves, aprons and masks to the staff at the town's West Suffolk Hospital.

The equipment came from the college's health and beauty department.

All schools and colleges in the UK are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Here's how the newspapers are reporting the coronavirus pandemic...

• The Norwich Evening News reports, external that OPEN, a Norwich charity supporting thousands of vulnerable young people, is fighting for survival after losing funding
• One of Norfolk’s oldest auction houses has cancelled auctions for the first time in more than 150 years, according to the Eastern Daily Press, external
• While the Great Yarmouth Mercury, external reports that a family has offered a four-pack of toilet roll as a reward for find their missing cockatiel

Sarah Jenkins
BBC News

A Berkhamsted landowner has shown their love for the NHS by getting creative in their field.

The photo below was taken by a local resident on Whelpley Hill in the Hertfordshire town.

Image source, Tanya Assarat

Here's how the papers in Suffolk are reporting the coronavirus pandemic

• The East Anglian Daily Times, external reports the first meals from acting couple Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory’s new scheme are due to be served up, as they aim to feed NHS staff fighting coronavirus
• There are scenes of silent streets in Ipswich and Felixstowe in the Ipswich Star, external, as people obey the coronavirus lockdown message
• And the Suffolk Free Press reports, external on businesses in the Sudbury area providing a vital lifeline

Staff on a hospital ward wanted to send out a "powerful message" to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Roger Hirst, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex and the county council have thanked a catering company for "an incredible act of kindness".

Image source, Essex County Council

Posting on Facebook, external they both said "Big thank you" to Witham-based Purple Olive Catering, external who feed 226 vulnerable people in the Essex.

What are the newspapers in Beds, Herts and Bucks reporting?

• The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Thames Valley and the Chief Constable, are seeking to allocate around £100,000 of funds to support organisations affected by coronavirus, the Bucks Herald, external reports
• The MK Citizen, external reports that police sent guests packing after a Woburn Sands' resident invited a crowd of family and friends to a barbecue
• Hertfordshire school primary school allocations are going ahead, but appeals could ‘be delayed’, the Herts Advertiser, external reports
• The Welwyn Hatfield Times, external reports that the Herts Big Weekend has been called off

A driver has been caught flouting lockdown procedures after setting out on a 180-mile round trip to pick up a friend from London.

Image source, PA Media

The driver, from Spalding, was stopped on the M1 by Hertfordshire Police at the weekend.

When officer asked what they were doing they told officers they were en route to London to pick up a friend before driving to Peterborough to see others.

Writing on Twitter, external the force said: "REALLY is this essential? Come on people COVID19 is a KILLER, STAY AT HOME."

A "growing number" of design and technology teachers are making face shields for NHS staff.

Pauline Bennett was short of drugs for her bone marrow disease and said she feared for her life.

Ipswich MP Tom Hunt has become the latest politician to be struck down with coronavirus-like symptoms, after he developed a cough and fever on Sunday evening.

The Conservative - who has not been tested - said he would be self-isolating for a week at his flat in the town, but would be able to carry on with constituency business via email and phone.

"My symptoms are quite moderate, but they did come on quickly," he said.

Mr Hunt was at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, when he quizzed Boris Johnson - who himself confirmed he had coronavirus two days later, shortly followed by the Health Secretary - West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock.

Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed's husband is an ICU doctor who has developed coronavirus symptoms.

Pete Cooper
BBC News

Christmas events are already being cancelled due to coronavirus.

West Suffolk Council, external has said it is calling off this year’s Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre to "help public services concentrate on tackling" their response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Fayre was due to be held between 26 and 29 November.

Image source, Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre

Cllr John Griffiths, leader of the council, said: "We know how popular the Fayre is and it is with a heavy heart we have taken this decision.

"But in the circumstances, and when you see events like the Olympics being postponed, it is the right one."

With kids's rainbow posters appearing in windows across the land, one ageing rocker dad has given it his own twist.

David Scott, 51, late of St Neots and now living near Hitchin, has attempted to out-do his children.

Posting on Facebook, he said "the oldest child in the house makes his contribution to the Covid-19 rainbow display".

Image source, David Scott

Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live

Smiths Group has confirmed it is working with the government for a "significant ramp up" in the production of its portable ventilators.

Image source, Smiths Group

The company, which has a site on the Bramingham estate in Luton, said production of its paraPAC plus ventilators, external, which deliver oxygen to the lungs to help patients' breathe, will "rapidly increase" from hundreds a month to thousands a month to fulfill 10,000 units.

Chief executive officer, Andrew Reynolds Smith, said: "It is our duty and an honour to be supporting the government to save as many lives as possible.

"We are playing a key role working with the Ventilator Challenge UK Consortium, external to put in place the production and component capability to increase manufacturing of our lightweight portable ventilator as fast as possible.

"It is inspiring to work with the very best UK technology and engineering companies with a spirit of grit and determination to deliver these life saving devices to our incredible health service."

The East of England Co-operative, external have announced a series of changes to how they operate their food stores to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The group, based in Ipswich and with stores across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk said it would be no longer accepting member reward cards to avoid handling them, but advised customers to keep receipts to add the points at a later date.

Stores will also no longer hand out green tokens, which go in the charity-of-your-choice boxes.

Image source, EoE Co-op

In line with many other supermarket the Co-op will also be installing screens at checkouts and have signs on the floor to keep shoppers 2m (6ft 6in) apart.

How are the newspapers in Northamptonshire reporting the coronavirus pandemic?

• The Northamptonshire Telegraph, external reports that the county's police dogs are still out on the beat despite the coronavirus lockdown — particularly their newest recruit
• It also reveals, external how Corby and East Northants MP Tom Pursglove is working with the foreign office to get locals who are stranded abroad back home
• The Northampton Chronicle & Echo, external has a story about Primark staff being "scared" as pictures taken inside its Islip warehouse show social distancing guidelines flouted