Summary

  • Death toll in England rises by 327

  • Work times 'could be staggered' as lockdown eases

  • Businesses call for 'phased lockdown exit'

  • Doctors 'buy own PPE or rely on donations'

  • Two arrested in anti-lockdown protest

  • £2m stolen in coronavirus-related scams

  • Celebrity hairdressers to pamper NHS staff

  • Lockdown leads daily pinta back to your doorstep

  1. Good bye and thank youpublished at 17:00 BST 3 May 2020

    Adam Williams
    BBC England

    That's all from the BBC England's coronavirus live page for today.

    Thanks for being with us and sharing in the latest stories amid the lockdown across the country.

    The team will be back with more coverage and updates from Monday morning.

    Until then, you can keep up to date with the latest in your region right here.

    Take care and stay safe.

  2. Testing falls below the government’s daily targetpublished at 16:57 BST 3 May 2020

    Daily coronavirus testing has fallen below the government’s target of 100,000 tests per day by the end of April, the BBC's Reality Check has discovered.

    For the 24 hours up to 9am today, there were 76,496 coronavirus tests, representing a “little bit of a dip”, according to Prof Stephen Powis, NHS England’s medical director.

    The Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who set the testing goal originally, said on Friday the target had been met.

    He explained that there had been 122,347 tests (although these included testing kits which are counted when they are sent out, so it does not mean they were used or processed on that particular day).

    The figures announced yesterday (for the 24 hours up to 9am on Saturday) showed 105,937 tests had taken place.

  3. Police and fire service wish happy 100th birthdaypublished at 16:47 BST 3 May 2020

    Sonia Kataria
    BBC News

    Police officers and firefighters arrived outside a 100-year-old woman's house on Sunday to wish her Happy Birthday.

    Rutland Police said: "Local Oakham lady Margot turned 100 today.

    "Her family couldn’t be present for obvious reasons so the neighbours came out and sang her ‘Happy Birthday’.

    Rutland Police and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service with an Oakham lady a Happy 100th BirthdayImage source, Rutland Police

    Officers went along with colleagues from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and joined in the cheering and clapping with neighbours and friends.

  4. How does lockdown affect babies?published at 16:42 BST 3 May 2020

    New mothers, one of whom is also an educational psychologist, share their experiences of giving birth and raising babies in lockdown.

  5. Cancer therapists start lockdown 'kindness calls'published at 16:36 BST 3 May 2020

    Cancer support workers and therapists unable to see patients face to face are making "kindness calls" to offer help and provide contact.

    They cannot work from their Trinity Holistic Centre base in Middlesbrough during the coronavirus lockdown.

    But volunteer Maxine Nicholson said it is "absolutely essential" the service continues.

    Maxine NIcholsonImage source, Maxine NIcholson

    She added that they don't want to furlough staff, despite losing all their usual income, because "some of the patients might suffer emotionally" without the new service.

    Therese Milner from Stockton, who is in remission from lymphoma, said it was "nice to know that someone else is checking up on you".

  6. £2m stolen through coronavirus-related scamspublished at 16:30 BST 3 May 2020

    Sonia Kataria
    BBC News

    About £2m has been lost as a result of Covid-19 related scams in the UK, according to Action Fraud, with more than 800 people falling victim.

    Fact fake blocksImage source, Getty Images

    Nottinghamshire Police said there has been a rise in scams targeting vulnerable people during the lockdown.

    Det Ch Insp Yvonne Dales, from the force's economic and cyber crime unit, said: “During this unprecedented time, people can appear to be genuine... but always take the time to think about what someone is actually asking from you."

    She added that fraudsters have been door knocking and offering to do shopping, but take money or bank cards and do not return.

    Man ringing a door bellImage source, Getty Images

    Another scam involves fake websites which offer items such as face masks and hand sanitiser for sale, but once paid for, they never arrive.

    She warned although fraudsters often target the elderly or those recently bereaved, "fraud can happen to anyone".

    The force has released guidance to help people avoid becoming a victim to a scam, external.

  7. 14-day quarantine a possibility when entering UKpublished at 16:23 BST 3 May 2020

    Transport secretary Grant Shapps says he is "actively looking" at possible restrictions for people entering the UK to prevent further spread of coronavirus.

    Mr Shapps told the BBC that not taking such a step earlier on in the pandemic was backed by the scientific advice at the time and allowed millions of people to return home and be with their families.

  8. Can nature help improve our mood during lockdown?published at 16:15 BST 3 May 2020

    A daisy viewed from above

    As the coronavirus lockdown continues, more people are taking advantage of the increased spare time to explore nature in their neighbourhood.

    University researchers from across England have documented how walking in the countryside and time spent out in the garden can lift your mood and improve your mental health.

    Find out how and why nature can have such a positive effect on your wellbeing.

  9. Gove to lead government daily briefingpublished at 16:11 BST 3 May 2020

    Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove will be leading the government's latest daily coronavirus briefing shortly.

    He'll be joined by NHS England Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis.

    You can follow the coverage from Downing Street right here on our news live page.

  10. Premier League clubs open to neutral venues if no relegationpublished at 15:59 BST 3 May 2020

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport

    A growing number of Premier League clubs are understood to be open to playing the remaining fixtures this season at neutral venues, but with the threat of relegation removed.

    Top-flight clubs have been told that using up to 10 neutral stadiums will be the only way to finish a season which has been suspended since 13 March because of coronavirus.

    London StadiumImage source, Getty Images

    Brighton say they are "not in favour" of using neutral venues because it may affect the "integrity" of the league.

    There are still 92 fixtures left to be played in the current season, which all 20 Premier League clubs are committed to completing when it is safe to do so.

  11. How coronavirus can hit the kidneyspublished at 15:50 BST 3 May 2020

    New figures show more than 2,000 patients admitted to intensive care with Covid-19 suffered kidney failure.

    They all needed specialist renal treatment to keep them alive.

    Maurice, who spent 20 days on a ventilator in intensive care, spoke to the BBC.

  12. Arrests made during anti-lockdown protestpublished at 15:42 BST 3 May 2020

    Glastonbury protest

    Two men have been arrested at an anti-lockdown protest in Glastonbury on Sunday.

    It was the third protest held in the town but Avon and Somerser Police dispersed the gathering and the two men were taken into custody.

    Three other people were given fixed penalty notices under the coronavirus legislation.

    Glastonbury protest
  13. Double rainbow causes splash across the pondpublished at 15:29 BST 3 May 2020

    A video Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service shared on Thursday of crews clapping for carers has made headlines in the US.

    To make the moment even more special a double rainbow appeared while crews were clapping and the fire service posted it on social media.

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    The fire service tweeted earlier today to say the amazing clip has made Fox News in America, external.

  14. Care worker urges people to take up professionpublished at 15:18 BST 3 May 2020

    A care worker recruited as part of a campaign to recruit 4,000 extra staff in Cornwall has urged others to give the profession a go.

    The Proud to Care campaign was set up to find more people to work in care homes and look after people in their own homes during the coronavirus crisis and has attracted nearly 600 inquiries so far.

    Melissa

    Cornwall Council says it has already screened 350 applications and the first new recruits are already working or being trained.

    One of them, Melissa Kacorri, 27, urged anyone thinking about care working as a career to "give it a go".

    "If you are scared because of the current situation please don't be," she said. "You are not expected to go into anywhere without the relevant PPE."

  15. Contact tracing: What is it and how does it work?published at 15:07 BST 3 May 2020

    An NHS app aimed at limiting a second wave of coronavirus will be trialled on the Isle of Wight this week, according to transport secretary Grant Shapps.

    It will be the first place where the new contact-tracing app will be used before being rolled out more widely later this month.

    But what is contact tracing? BBC Click's Chris Fox explains below.

  16. Wildlife charity helps connection to naturepublished at 14:56 BST 3 May 2020

    KingfisherImage source, EPA

    Somerset Wildlife Trust is using technology to try and bring nature to life for people stuck at home during lockdown.

    The charity has launched an online feature - , externalSundays@6 - where wildlife authors read extracts of their books to help people feel connected to nature.

    Stephen Moss, trust president and author of Hares and Hummingbirds, came up with the idea.

    "It's to take advantage during this terrible crisis that there are very few silver linings," he said..

    "The one that is, is that people are noticing nature and that is true wherever you live.

    "There's birds singing in our towns, in our villages, and in the countryside and we can hear it because we don't have much traffic, and we don't have much aircraft going over."

  17. Death toll in England rises by 327published at 14:46 BST 3 May 2020
    Breaking

    A further 327 people with coronavirus have died in England, bringing the total number of confirmed hospital deaths in the country to 21,180.

  18. Vaccine creator's museum in donor pleapublished at 14:37 BST 3 May 2020

    Jenner museumImage source, The Jenner Trust

    The museum that celebrates the life of the father of the vaccine, Dr Edward Jenner, has issued a cash appeal as it strives to survive.

    The charity which runs the museum - at the Gloucestershire scientist's former home - says it might not get through the year without it.

    The house in Berkeley is where Dr Jenner, who died in 1823, carried out pioneering research which eventually led to the creation of the world’s first vaccination against diseases and eradicated smallpox.

    His ground-breaking research is being used centuries later to help find a coronavirus vaccine.

    Last year, the museum avoided closure after a £20,000 fundraising campaign.

    But on its website, the charity now says: “We do not know how long we will need to remain closed for, but every passing day without income puts the museum’s future at risk.

    "We know that times are hard for everyone at the moment, but we want to provide a beacon of hope through these uncertain circumstances."

    Edward JennerImage source, The Jenner Trust
  19. Tiger hunt that fortunately lacked 'bite'published at 14:29 BST 3 May 2020

    A usually peaceful corner of the Kent countryside became a hive of activity on Saturday as a full-blown land and air police search took hold.

    Armed officers shattered the lockdown calm in the village of Ightham after reports of a big cat apparently on the loose.

    But, as they arrived at the address they were scrambled to, they were met by an 85-year-old sculptor called Juliet Simpson.

    Tiger hoaxImage source, Juliet Simpson

    And very soon the penny dropped.

    Mrs Simpson's life-size model of a tiger, rather than the real thing, was what had sparked the alert.

    "I took them down to the sculpture where they all had a good laugh and took a lot of photographs," she told BBC Radio Kent.

    And it seems this isn't the first time "a tiger" has caught police unawares as this Robert Hall story from Hampshire in 2011 also explains.

  20. Nightingale hospital 'should take all coronavirus patients'published at 14:22 BST 3 May 2020

    Local Democracy Reporting Service

    Bristol Nightingale HospitalImage source, get

    All coronavirus patients in Bristol should be treated exclusively at the city's Nightingale hospital to free up the main hospitals, opposition councillors say.

    Bristol City Council's Lib Dem group claims patients are avoiding appointments fearing they would contract the virus.

    Leader Gary Hopkins, said: "They are massively handicapped in trying to deal with the backlog, with operating theatres turned over to Covid-19 and many patients frightened to come into hospital because of Covid-19 fears.

    "Covid-19 is highly dangerous and infectious, and hospital staff are hard pushed enough without dealing with the dangers of internal cross infection."

    The Bristol Nightingale will be used for patients from across Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset as well as Bristol.

    NHS Nightingale Hospital Bristol chief officer Marie-Noelle Orzel said: "Capacity still exists in hospitals throughout the Severn network region to care for patients with coronavirus, as well as other patients who may need urgent and emergency treatment, with the Nightingale Bristol standing ready if and when needed.

    "A degree of flexibility has been built into the planning so that as the clinical picture and patient requirements evolve, the hospital will be able to adapt accordingly."