Council finance chiefs say they are "not in a position" to help all 68,000 businesses in the region.
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Latest mass vaccination centre opens
A fifth mass vaccination centre has opened its doors in the North East with the capacity to see up to 1,000 people a day.
Darlington's Arena, or Mowden Park stadium as its also known, is the second vaccination centre in the town.
Copyright: BBCDr Stewart Findlay who is the director for the Covid Vaccination Programme for the North East and North Cumbria said: "We're planing to do 500 to 600 vaccines a day and will continue to recruit staff so we have the ability to go up to 1,000 maybe 2,000 a day as the programme continues.
"We are expecting the vaccine supply to increase."
Copyright: BBCAcross the North East and Cumbria more than 900,000 people have now been given their first Covid vaccine.
Pennny Spring, Darlington's director of public heath said: "This is going to enable us to vaccinate so many more people so quickly."
Copyright: BBCDarlington Arena to become vaccination centre
A Covid-19 vaccination centre will open in Darlington next week.
It means more people can be given the jab as quickly as possible at the Darlington Arena site from Monday 1 March.
It's the fourth large vaccination centre in the North East, joining Newcastle's Centre for Life, Sunderland's Nightingale hospital and the Arnison Centre in Durham.
Such large centres can see up to 1,000 people a day, running 12 hours a day and for 7 days a week.
People will be invited to attend the centre by NHS England's national booking service, or they can wait until they receive an invitation from their own GP.
Copyright: GoogleQuote Message: Opening up the fourth vaccination centre in the region helps us to reach even more people as the programme continues to expand, giving even more people the opportunity to have their vaccine.” from Professor Neil Watson NHS Covid Vaccination ProgrammeDemolition of Spennymoor shopping precinct begins
Work has begun knocking down a former supermarket and shopping precinct in Spennymoor to make way for a new store.
It's hoped the work to raze Festival Walk and replace it with a new car park, Aldi store and other retail units will be complete by Spring next year.
Quote Message: The improvements underway in Spennymoor town centre will not only provide better facilities and a more pleasant environment for residents, but will reinstate the area’s reputation as a shopping destination". from Councillor Carl Marshall Durham County CouncilCopyright: Durham County CouncilLost Voice Guy appeals for North East voice
Britain's Got Talent winner Lee Ridley, who performs as Lost Voice Guy, is looking for a North East man to donate his voice.
The comedian has cerebral palsy and uses an electronic device to communicate.
He is trying to find someone to record their voice so he can use it on the device.
He said: "To be honest there's nothing wrong with my current voice except from the fact it sounds very posh.
"I should be reading the shipping forecast on Radio 4 and it isn't exactly the voice I would've had if I hadn't been disabled."
He wants to sound like his family, who are from Consett, in County Durham, so has started a competition which would see the owner of the winning accent spending about eight hours in a recording studio.
Copyright: BBCLee said: "I always wanted a Geordie accent but it isn't as simple as that because of the new technology involved and it costs quite a lot to create one and it's quite a long process.
"When a company approached me offering to make me a Geordie accent for my communication device, I jumped at the opportunity."
Anyone interested needs to record themselves reading a paragraph from his new book and send it to him. More details are on his website.
Snow forces 50 schools to close in County Durham
Some 50 schools have closed across County Durham due to snow and cold weather conditions.
While most pupils are home learning due to the national coronavirus lockdown, children of key workers, the vulnerable and those whose parents can't work from home have been allowed to attend.
Durham County Council has issued a list of schools affected and remote learning will continue. The closures are all temporary.
Burnside Primary School in Stanley wrote that the weather had made roads and paths "treacherous".
Other schools have experienced issues with staff being unable to travel, as well as broken heating systems.
Copyright: PA/Owen HumphreysA66 closed as snow hits region
The A66 between Bowes and Brough has been closed due to heavy snow which has fallen across large parts of the region.
Durham Police said the snow gates have been closed in both directions and drivers are urged to avoid the area.
Copyright: PA MediaMeanwhile, this was the scene in Durham earlier.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow for the whole North East which will be in force until Wednesday night.
Copyright: PA Media
