The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Essex has jumped by almost 70 in the last 24 hours.

As of 9am yesterday morning, there are 301 cases in the the Essex County Council area, up from 244, along with a further 31 positive cases in Southend, up from 24, and 41 in Thurrock, up from 37.

Figures released by NHS England also show 12 more deaths in Essex.

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Elsewhere, food and medical supplies were delivered to hundreds of vulnerable of people across Southend.

Volunteers and Southend Council staff helped deliver food parcels and supplies to 170 of the most vulnerable people.

Supermarkets across Southend also got involved in the council's call to arms.

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Andrew Baggott, leader of the Basildon Conservative Party, is demanding Basildon Council gets the plan together for firms before Government money comes in June.

He says all homeless people must be found emergency shelter as soon as possible.

The council is set to discuss the calls at a meeting tonight.

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Independent councillor Stephen Aylen, who represents the Belfairs ward, said that every day he has seen around 20 people attempting to play golf at the Belfairs Golf Club on Eastwood Road in Leigh.

The sport has not been classed as a daily form of activity under government advice and is therefore not a reason for a people to avoid following lockdown guidelines.

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Steel stockholder and supplier, Lemon Groundwork Solutions, in Wickford, will be donating 800 masks to Basildon Hospital in the hope that some of the NHS staff will be able to protect themselves and others.

The pallet of P3 masks are used for welding to protect from metal fumes as well as filtering out at least 95 per cent of airborne particles.

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First Essex has stated it will be continuing its services for keyworkers and prioritising hospital links.

However, due to very few people now travelling on buses because of the coronavirus outbreak, the firm have reduced their Monday to Saturday service to a "Sunday Service" level. 

A limited service will also be provided on routes that would not otherwise run on a Sunday.

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A Basildon man has made it home to his family after being stranded abroad for weeks.

Jonty Edmondson finally managed to secure a flight home from Cyprus on Sunday evening after four previous flights were cancelled.

The 20-year-old had flown to the country at the beginning of March for a pre-planned holiday.