Summary

  • Live updates resume on Monday 4 May

  1. Goodbye! We’ll be back on Mondaypublished at 19:02 BST 1 May 2020

    Thank you for joining us for another week of coverage focusing on coronavirus developments across the South East.

    We'll be back on Monday with more from 09:00 BST.

    Meantime, if you think there’s a story we should be covering, you can email or contact us on Facebook, external or Twitter, external.

  2. Coronavirus: Evening updatepublished at 18:08 BST 1 May 2020

    Five things you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak this evening.

    Read More
  3. Turner Contemporary gallery opens virtual tourpublished at 17:50 BST 1 May 2020

    Exhibit at Turner Contemporary We Will Walk exhibitionImage source, Turner Contemporary

    The Turner Contemporary art gallery in Margate, Kent, has opened a virtual tour of its exhibition We Will Walk - Art and Reistance in the American South.

    The gallery has made it open to all visitors to its website, external and YouTube channel (@TCMargate) while it is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The works on display show art shaped by the American Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

    We Will Walk brings together sculptures, paintings, quilts and installations by more than 20 African American artists from Alabama and the Deep South.

    The exhibition also features a series of guitars by Freeman Vines, including one made from the wood of an old hanging tree.

    Exhibit at Turner Contemporary We Will Walk exhibitionImage source, Turner Contemporary
  4. Couple's lockdown seaside trip amid 'exam stress'published at 17:47 BST 1 May 2020

    The pair told police they felt their 265-mile drive from Surrey to Cornwall was essential.

    Read More
  5. Testing will help 'unlock the lockdown' - Hancockpublished at 17:30 BST 1 May 2020

    The health secretary says the government has reached its target of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day.

    Read More
  6. Masks stolen from ambulance as crew treated patientpublished at 17:23 BST 1 May 2020

    NHS officials have condemned the theft of a box of masks from an ambulance while paramedics treated a critically-ill patient.

    The incident happened on Friday near Camberley, Surrey, the South East Coast Ambulance Service tweeted, external.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post
  7. As it happened: US approves drug for coronavirus treatmentpublished at 17:10 BST 1 May 2020

    The US Food and Drug Administration gives emergency approval for the experimental antiviral drug remdesivir.

    Read More
  8. Sewing up the lockdownpublished at 17:08 BST 1 May 2020

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    A group in Shoreham-by-Sea is asking people to get sewing, to create a giant patchwork reflecting how the lockdown is affecting communities.

    Tazzie Dixon is behind the idea, which is called A Stitch in Our Time.

    She wants people to take a piece of cloth and draw a picture reflecting their feelings, and sew over the sketch.

    The completed tapestries should be sent to the Sold, external charity shop in Shoreham.

    Tazzy says she’s drawn waves because she misses her sea swimming group, but the picture could be anything.

    Quote Message

    Somebody in our group has sewn a Buddha, which is one of her favourite pictures that she looks at every day. Something like that can just cheer you up when you’re feeling a bit low”.

    Tazzy Dixon, A Stitch In Our Time

  9. Council braces itself for up to £130m cost from coronavirus crisispublished at 15:05 BST 1 May 2020

    Ciaran Duggan
    Local Democracy Reporter

    Kent County Council HQ

    Concerns have been raised that the coronavirus crisis could cost Kent County Council (KCC) up to £130million over the next 12 months.

    KCC have said the Covid-19 emergency has put its finances under “enormous pressure” as the council desperately keeps critical frontline services running.

    This comes shortly after County Hall received around £28million this week in the second round of coronavirus funding from the Government.

    The county council received around £39m in the first tranche at the end of March. KCC’s Labour Group leader councillor Dara Farrell (Lab) says the Government has been “firefighting” the damage of Covid-19 to England’s councils through grant funding while the KCC administration has said it needs more cash.

    A spokesman for the council said: “Nobody knows how long the crisis will last but whilst £67m in grant from Government is welcome, we are forecasting that its response to the crisis could cost up to £130m this financial year.”

  10. Doubt over plans to reopen rubbish tipspublished at 14:28 BST 1 May 2020

    Some authorities say waste sites will reopen at the weekend, while others say further guidance is needed.

    Read More
  11. Regulator to take insurers to court over claimspublished at 14:24 BST 1 May 2020

    The watchdog says some firms may be covered for losses under policies that have not been paid by insurers.

    Read More
  12. Teenager leaves hospital to guard of honourpublished at 13:04 BST 1 May 2020

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    Lily Kitcher, 17, spent eight days in intensive care at the Eastbourne District General Hospital before finally over-coming the disease.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post
  13. Virus could cost council £19m, report warnspublished at 12:38 BST 1 May 2020

    Huw Oxburgh
    Local Democracy Reporter

    The coronavirus pandemic could cost an East Sussex council more than £19m, a report to be discussed next week has warned.

    In a virtual meeting next Thursday, Lewes District Council’s cabinet is set to discuss a report warning the council’s predicted annual income – from council tax, business rates and other charges – could be set to fall by £11.57m, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

    At the same time, the report adds, a rising demand for council services during lockdown could see costs increase by more than £8m – meaning the authority could have to find more than £19m in order to balance its books.

    For context, the council’s total reserves sat at £9.321m as of 1 April this year, although more than £6m of this had already been ring-fenced for various projects.

    While the figures are considered to be a “worst-case scenario”, the report concludes that managing the long-term financial impact of the pandemic will be “impossible” without additional government funding.

    In the report, a council said: “Based on our current experience, the council estimates additional costs arising from the pandemic of approximately £380,000 per week.

    “This is an approximate impact and worst-case scenario which takes into account significant loss of income, additional costs including increased demand in homelessness and housing need.

    “There will be some offset to these costs from reduced purchases of non-essential supplies and services, however, this is not anticipated to be significant."

  14. Postman brings cheer by doing his round - dressed as a post boxpublished at 12:00 BST 1 May 2020

    A village postman decided to bring some cheer to his customers on lockdown - by doing his round dressed as a postbox.

    Adam Crook raised smiles in Lydden, near Dover, Kent, as he delivered letters and parcels in a pillar box red outfit.

    This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip X post

    Allow X content?

    This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of X post
  15. Countryside criminals use lockdown as coverpublished at 11:25 BST 1 May 2020

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    Criminals are taking advantage of the lockdown to target farms and rural businesses, according to the National Farmers’ Union (NFU).

    It says there’s been a rise in break-ins, with fly tipping increasing “substantially”.

    Quote Message

    It just gives a window of opportunity for the criminals to get out and about and target what they generally see as soft targets out on farms”.

    Peter Appleton, Chairman, East Sussex NFU

    One beekeeper told the BBC he discovered 18 hives, worth about £4,000, destroyed in what seems to be an act of vandalism.

    Quote Message

    It was literally just to destroy them, they were all kicked over, it’s just a mess up there”.

    Doug Pierce, South Downs Honey

    With a turnover of £30,000, Doug said the losses have set his expansion plans back by two years.

  16. Good morning from the Coronavirus: South East live teampublished at 08:57 BST 1 May 2020

    Good morning and welcome again to another day of coverage focusing on coronavirus developments across the South East.

    We'll be bringing you the latest news and updates until 17:00 BST.

    If you think there’s a story we should be covering, you can email or contact us on on Facebook, external or Twitter, external.

  17. Covid inquiry: The UK pandemic in numberspublished at 19:43 BST 30 April 2020

    Explore the data on how the coronavirus pandemic unfolded in the UK.

    Read More
  18. Goodbye! We’ll be back tomorrowpublished at 19:07 BST 30 April 2020

    Thank you for joining us for another day of coverage focusing on coronavirus developments across the South East.

    We'll be back tomorrow with more from 09:00 BST.

    Meantime, if you think there’s a story we should be covering, you can email or contact us on Facebook, external or Twitter, external.

  19. Captain Tom's appeal tops £32m on 100th birthdaypublished at 18:38 BST 30 April 2020

    A host of tributes help the war veteran who has raised money for the NHS mark his 100th birthday.

    Read More
  20. Coronavirus: Evening updatepublished at 18:36 BST 30 April 2020

    Five things you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak this evening.

    Read More