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Live Reporting

James Law and David Cosgrove

All times stated are UK

  1. Back tomorrow

    James Law

    BBC News

    That's about it for today's updates from around England, but we'll be back tomorrow with more live coverage of the coronavirus crisis.

    Have a good evening - but please make sure you follow the government's advice to stay at home.

    Thanks for joining us.

  2. Foodbank uses limousine for deliveries

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    A foodbank used a limousine to help deliver 800kg of supplies to people whose resources have been stretched thin during the coronavirus.

    Councillor Paul Turpin and John Beaumont from American Pie Limousines

    Gleadless Valley teamed up with rental company American Pie Limousines on Friday, using a white Rolls Royce to deliver essential packages to those in need in Sheffield.

  3. Police condemn 'bad trip' naked party-goer

    A party-goer who ended up naked in a road after taking drugs has been labelled "selfish" after three ambulances had to attend.

    Hampshire Police said the reveler had "dropped acid and suffered a bad trip" in Horndean.

    The force, which is investigating the matter under new Covid-19 powers, described it as a "selfish and avoidable deployment" during the pandemic, when people should be socially distancing.

    View more on twitter
  4. Hospital tells patients not to go to its A&E

    Watford General Hospital

    Watford General Hospital blamed a shortage of oxygen for closing its A&E unit to new patients.

  5. Five-year-old dies with virus in UK

    A five-year-old with underlying health conditions is among the latest reported victims of coronavirus in the UK, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has said.

    The latest figures show 4,313 people with the virus have now died in the UK - up by 708 on Friday's figure.

    There are now 41,903 confirmed cases, according to the Department of Health.

  6. Beach quiet amid 'stay at home' warning

    Simon Armstrong

    BBC News

    Sun-seekers in North Tyneside appear to have followed government advice to stay at home.

    This picture was taken at Tynemouth's Longsands beach earlier and shows a largely deserted shoreline below the crisp blue sky.

    However, a number of surfers did take to the water.

    A solitary dog walker on Tynemouth Longsands beach on North Tyneside

    Northumbria Police officers have been patrolling the town's streets on horseback as officials try to drive home the message for people to stay at home to help slow the spread of Covid-19.

    Two Northumbria Police officers on horseback in Tynemouth
  7. Disused hospital could reopen to treat virus patients

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    A disused psychiatric hospital in York could be reopened to treat coronavirus patients.

    Bootham Park hospital

    York Central's Labour MP Rachael Maskell said Bootham Park Hospital was under consideration if the NHS needed to increase capacity to cope with a high number of seriously ill residents.

    She said: “There could be a very high level of sick people in the city and we can’t see where they are all going to go. We will need serious space."

    The Grade-I listed hospital was built in 1777 and closed in 2015.

    Last year it was announced it would be sold off after attempts to keep it publicly-owned had failed.

  8. What powers do the police have?

    Police have wide-ranging powers to help fight coronavirus, by enforcing social distancing measures designed to keep people apart.

    The three key tools officers have been given are:

    • The power to detain someone to be tested if they are believed to be infectious
    • The power to restrict people's right to move around and be part of a gathering.
    Police talk to drivers

    Police have been told to be "consistent" when applying measures introduced to stop the spread of coronavirus.

    It follows criticism that some forces have gone too far when trying to ensure people follow the rules.

  9. 'Serious questions' over why Cheltenham Festival went ahead

    There are "serious questions" about why the Cheltenham Festival went ahead last month amid the coronavirus outbreak, the shadow sports minister says.

    There were 251,684 racegoers in attendance across the four days of the festival, while 68,500 attended Gold Cup day on 13 March.

    Cheltenham festival

    Catherine West told BBC Sport it was "worrying to hear several Cheltenham racegoers have contracted Covid-19".

    The event took place just days before the government banned mass gatherings.

  10. Pandemic support group for 'ladies, babies and bumps'

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Joe Burn

    A group to support new and expecting mums during the lockdown has been set up in Stoke-on-Trent.

    The Baby Talk group gives parents a place to find advice and support online.

    A pregnant woman

    Candi Chetwynd who created the group and is also a councillor for Smallthorne, said: "I decided to set up Baby Talk as a safe, welcoming and supportive space for ladies, babies and bumps to hang out in their living rooms during these isolating times.

    "I feel that ladies at this point in their life are finding lockdown to be doubly isolating so the best way to break that isolation is through virtual interaction with others who are in the same boat."

  11. Yorkshire national parks urge people to stay away

    North Yorkshire's national parks are urging people to stay away this weekend.

    The Yorkshire Dales

    The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has told people to heed government instructions and stay at home.

    Visitor centres, car parks and toilets are all closed, while public rights of way remain open for residents to take exercise and shop for essentials.

    North York Moors

    Bosses at the North York Moors have the same message and say they are grateful that people are responding.

  12. NHS trusts merger plan delayed by Covid-19

    Artist's impression of new hospital building

    The £147m reorganisation of services in Bournemouth and Poole was due to be completed in July.

  13. Two people forced to disinfect phone box after licking it

    Samantha Noble

    BBC News Online

    Two people who licked a telephone box were escorted back to it by police and supervised while they cleaned it.

    Newark Police said on Facebook that officers had tracked down the suspects and "explained the potential consequences of their actions".

    The pair then "cleaned it top to bottom with disinfectant".

    Phone box

    The Nottinghamshire officers also said they had visited numerous homes after reports of residents not following government guidance on social distancing.

    "The majority of residents are keeping to the guidelines which in turn will help the NHS save lives," they said.

  14. M6 in Lancashire clear of traffic

    While a few green spaces across the country have some footfall on this sunny Saturday, a usually-busy stretch of the M6 looks dormant.

    Lancashire Road Police expressed their delight on Twitter that most people seemed to be listening to instructions from the government to stay at home.

    View more on twitter
  15. Liverpool place some non-playing staff on furlough

    Premier League leaders Liverpool are the latest top-flight club to place some non-playing staff on temporary leave.

    Staff affected will receive 80% of their salary through the government's job retention scheme and the club will make up the difference.

    Anfield

    "There is ongoing active engagement about the topic of salary deductions during the period matches are not being played to schedule," the club said.

    "These discussions are complex and as a result the process is ongoing."

  16. A new high in UK deaths - but cases are slowing

    Robert Cuffe

    BBC head of statistics

    The number of 708 deaths is a new high, but a fall in cases indicates the UK is slightly below trend.

    The drop in new confirmed cases from 4,450 on Friday to 3,735 cases shows a continued slowdown.

    New cases were growing by about 20% a day up to last weekend. In the last week, that slowed to about 10% a day.

    That's even after allowing for the expansion of testing to include NHS workers. Even if Saturday's fall is followed by rises, it is evidence that case growth is slowing.

    The figure of 708 new deaths is a record high, but it is also below scientific expectations. Deaths have been growing by just under 25% each day. That means doubling every 3.5 days.

    A continuation of that would have taken us from 684 deaths on Friday to more than 800.

    The first day of a below trend growth is too soon to call a turn, but there is hope that the slowdown we're seeing in case numbers will eventually feed through into the numbers of new deaths.

    Coronavirus statistics
  17. More than 600 virus deaths in England in 24 hours

    NHS England has reported a further 637 hospital deaths from coronavirus in hospitals across the country.

    That brings the total number of reported deaths in hospitals in England to 3,939.

  18. Phone company 'greedy' over hospital charges

    An NHS trust has been told it would have to pay almost £10,000 a month to provide patients with free phone calls during the pandemic.

    Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust asked the company that provides bedside telephones about diverting the costs to the trust and was told it would be charged £9,984 a month.

    Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust

    Hospedia was contacted by the BBC but has not commented.

    The trust said it was disappointed with the company's suggested charges and has raised the matter with NHS England, which awarded it the contract to provide phone and TV services across dozens of NHS trusts.

  19. Garden shed auction makes £30k for NHS

    Samantha Noble

    BBC News Online

    An auction broadcast from a garden shed has raised about £30,000 for the NHS.

    Auctioneer Charles Hanson, who has appeared on Bargain Hunt, said the funds will be donated to Derby and Burton Hospitals' Covid-19 appeal.

    The top selling lot of Friday night's auction was a day out antique shopping with Drew Prichard, from TV’s Salvage Hunters, which sold for £3,700. His cap made another £480.

    Mr Prichard said: "It’s very important to support the NHS right now.”

    Charles Hanson

    A day out with Derby metal detectorist Adam Staples, who helped to uncover a coin hoard in Somerset, sold for £2,100.

    Mr Hanson's BBC Bargain Hunt items - including his own gavel, tea for four in his shed and a day out at Hansons Auctioneers - sold for £1,770.

    Meanwhile, a tour around Derbyshire’s Chatsworth House accompanied by the Duke of Devonshire made £1,550.