All the latest from Beds, Bucks, Cambs, Essex, Herts, Norfolk, Northants and Suffolk
Deaths in BBC East region reach 1,963
Call for waste sites to reopen after fly-tipping in Norfolk
Primary school creates Lego film for NHS fundraiser Capt Tom
Northants nurse to run "London Marathon" on treadmill
Ex-England captain sends message to 99-year-old fundraiser
BBC Look East
Norma sent us this picture of a gift which was delivered to her in Clacton, Essex, by Vanessa of Vanessa's Florists.
Image source, NormaNorma said: "Her hug was passed on by signs from two metres away. Thanks Vanessa! Greatly appreciated and deeply grateful."
Doctors’ surgeries in St Albans and Harpenden are appealing for public donations of a particular kind of face mask.
While they have a supply of basic masks, GPs are asking the public if they can spare any FFP3 masks - the type commonly used within the building trade.
Image source, YouTubeMasks must be marked as FFP3 as this is the correct specification to reduce COVID-19 transmission
Dr Mike Smith from the Maltings Surgery in St Albans, who is co-ordinating the appeal, said: "We are trying to be innovative because we know that these are the same masks used by people who are exposed to dust and asbestos and we’ve had people involved in crafting and sculpture who’ve donated to us already."
If you can help, please contact the Maltings Surgery by email at MaltingsSurgery@nhs.net.
Orla Moore
BBC News
Five more deaths from coronavirus were recorded in the East of England on Wednesday evening.
Four people died in hospitals run by the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, and a fifth was reported at the West Suffolk Hospital.
They were among 28 people nationally whose deaths after testing positive for coronavirus were announced on Wednesday.
Here are the latest numbers of positive cases recorded in our region:
Further figures can be found at Public Health England, external.
Good morning and welcome to our live updates page today for the region.
Here's something cheerful amid the bad news. Richard Arnold sent these pictures of a banner put up in Coggeshall, Essex, to show support for "NHS key workers".
Image source, Richard Arnold
Image source, Richard ArnoldWe're closing our regional live updates page for the day and will be back at 08:00 on Thursday.
Thanks for joining us.
You can keep up with all the national and international news relating to the coronavirus pandemic on the BBC's main News index.
Image source, Science Photo LibraryWhen trying to articulate complex emotions, sometimes only a song will do...
Alex Potter and her son’s girlfriend, Fiona, a trainee paramedic, wrote this little ditty at the weekend.
They hope it spreads the word to stop the spread - and they have a very simple message.
About 4,000 members of staff at Norfolk County Council are now working from home or remote offices as they try to keep services running through the coronavirus lockdown.
Tom McCabe from the county council is chairing a multi-agency response committee for the pandemic.
He said: "County Hall is practically empty as we are very much following the message about staying away from places like that."
Mr McCabe also said some key council workers like social workers, binmen and road workers would continue to work.
Pete Cooper
BBC News
Gerry Holland sent us these pictures of Chelmsford today, as residents followed lockdown restrictions.
Image source, Gerry HollandGerry said: "Just out for our once a day walk into town... Fantastic to see Chelmsford city almost empty. Well done to the residents of our city helping to protect our hard working NHS staff."
Image source, Gerry HollandIt follows the strict new curbs on life in the UK to tackle the spread of coronavirus which were announced by the prime minister on Monday.
Image source, Gerry HollandA volunteer scheme aimed at supporting vulnerable people through the coronavirus pandemic has seen an "amazing response", according to Cambridgeshire County Council.
It said more than 75 new volunteers with suitable skills and backgrounds had been identified in the week since it was launched, with 12 recruited already.
They will be providing personal or health care to vulnerable people in their own homes or in care. This will include showering, giving medication and helping someone use the toilet.
The director of a chain of Norfolk funeral directors says her company has ordered more coffins as it prepares in "the lull before the storm".
Anne Beckett-Allen of Rosedale Funeral Home said her staff and bereaved families were also having to cope with regulations changing almost by the day.
She told BBC Radio Norfolk funeral directors were having to restrict family members from travelling together in the same car, and "arranging funerals over Skype and conference call".
The company, which has bases in Attleborough, Diss and Wymondham, has also banded together with other firms in the region to set up a support group for employees.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe prime minister has agreed to "come down like a tonne of bricks" on criminals exploiting the coronavirus crisis after the issue was raised by Ipswich's Conservative MP Tom Hunt.
During Prime Minister's Questions Mr Hunt said he was "concerned criminal elements might look to exploit this moment of national emergency to push their own insidious agenda".
He asked whether the prime minster would "promise that we will come down like a tonne of bricks on those such individuals".
Image source, HoPIn response Boris Johnson said: "The early signs are that criminal activity is not up, but in fact down, at the moment, but we will come down like a tonne of bricks on anybody who seeks to exploit the situation [with coronavirus]."
How are the newspapers in Essex reporting on the coronavirus crisis?
Local Democracy Reporting Service
People living in Suffolk have been urged not to dispose of garden waste in black bins, despite their garden waste collection services being suspended.
So far Ipswich, Babergh and Mid Suffolk councils have all suspended garden waste bin collections until further notice, so that crews can focus on collecting black bins and recyclable rubbish. East and West Suffolk councils are still running garden waste services.
However, recycling centres closed to the public on Tuesday, meaning the option of clearing garden waste there is no longer available.
A Babergh and Mid Suffolk spokeswoman said: “For those who aren’t able to compost, we kindly ask that they temporarily store it in their garden instead of placing it in the general waste bin."
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, external says it is reducing parking enforcement to focus only on safety, and issues such as obstruction.
It comes after an announcement on Monday that one hour yellow line restrictions were being suspended in residential areas to ensure people can stay at home.
The council is also speaking to its contractor APCOA to look at how parking enforcement staff could be redeployed to help the local community response to coronavirus., external
A hospital worker has marked her 21st birthday by taking on extra shifts at Norfolk's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Jill Forbes said she did not need the “perfect” day, as she and her colleagues continue to deal with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, external.
Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live
The St Albans Charter Market - usually held on a Wednesday and Saturday - has been "significantly reduced" given the country's new coronavirus restrictions.
From today, it will only have food traders in their usual spots along St Peters Street - permanent traders selling fruit and veg, bread, meat, cheese, fish, eggs, and other dry food goods.
Image source, Geograph/Ian CapperIt cannot allow hot food traders because, due to the positions of electricity points, stalls cannot be spaced out enough to maintain distancing.
From Saturday, organisers will also be asking traders to build their own set-ups if they wish to continue. They are looking at the possibility of allowing traders to set up on non-charter days.
Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live
Hospitals in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire are among the latest to ban visitors.
The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust, external has asked members of the public not to visit its hospitals at Hemel Hempstead, St Albans or Watford. There are exceptions for parents or guardians of paediatric patients and birthing partners during labour.
Image source, South Beds News AgencyMeanwhile, in Cambridgeshire, Addenbrooke's Hospital and The Rosie have imposed similar restrictions, external in an attempt to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus.
Police in Peterborough have reminded the public to "be responsible" after a group had to be dispersed from a park in the town.
Posting on Twitter, Peterborough Police said the group were playing football before a patrol in the Millfield area made them move on.
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Justin Dealey spoke to a "very emotional" Ivy about missing the service for her daughter Trish.
Read MorePete Cooper
BBC News
Florist Amanda Nisbett has been leaving bunches of flowers around Northampton for other to enjoy after a wedding order she had made was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Her sister Sarah Sullivan said that Amanda spent two days making the bunches called “chin up buttercup“.
Image source, Sarah SullivanSarah said her sister was "always thinking of others" and had placed the flowers around the town to "hopefully bring a bit of happiness".
Image source, Sarah Sullivan
