- Boris Johnson has set out the next stage of lockdown easing for England
- Pubs and restaurants can serve people inside from next Monday
- Galleries, theatres, cinemas and soft play centres can also reopen
- Hugging will be allowed but people should consider the vulnerabilities of their loved ones, he says
- People will be able to meet inside in groups of six, or two households
- Up to 30 people will be allowed to attend weddings, receptions, funerals and wakes
- The UK chief medical officers earlier lowered the Covid-19 alert level from four to three
- Zero coronavirus deaths were announced in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Monday
- Restrictions are also being eased across Europe, including in Ireland and Spains
- The Welsh cabinet will agree which restrictions to lift next when ministers meet later
- Northern Ireland has had five suspected cases of blood clot cases linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine
Welcome to our live coverage of the latest on the coronavirus pandemic.
It's a big day in England as the prime minister is expected to announce a further easing of lockdown restrictions.
Here's a round-up of the main headlines to get us started:
- Indoor hospitality and household mixing is set to return in England - and so could hugging – from 17 May, when foreign holidays will also return
- Boris Johnson will give a news conference from Downing Street at 17:00 BST and, as usual, we'll bring you the latest developments as they happen
- In Wales and Scotland indoor hospitality is also expected to reopen along with other measures from 17 May, while further restrictions may be lifted in Northern Ireland on 24 May
- Northern Ireland has had five suspected cases of blood clot cases linked to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine - that is from a total of 550,000 people given the vaccine up to 28 April
- Restrictions are also being eased across Europe: Cyprus is welcoming fully-vaccinated tourists for the first time today while non-essential travel between counties in Ireland will be allowed to resume
- China will set up a “separation line” on the peak of Mount Everest to avoid possible Covid-19 infections by climbers from virus-hit Nepal, state media reported, after dozens were taken ill from the summit’s base camp.
- Members of India’s opposition have called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a national lockdown as the country’s official death toll to date hits 238,270.
- Anthony Fauci says there’s “no doubt” the United States, which has reported the world’s worst overall Covid-19 death toll, has been undercounting fatal cases.
- The European Union has not yet renewed its contract for the supply AstraZeneca vaccines beyond June and is not certain it will, the bloc’s internal market commissioner Thierry Breton said, a day after a new contract with Pfizer is announced.
What we're expecting to hear from PM
We're due to hear from Boris Johnson later as he confirms what will be allowed in the next stage of England's lockdown easing. Here's what he's expected to say:- There can be a further relaxation of measures from 17 May, which could include being able to hug friends and family
- People will be able to meet in groups of up to 30 outdoors, while six people or two households can meet indoors
- Up to 30 people are to be allowed to attend weddings, receptions and wakes, as well as funerals
- People will be able to stay overnight with those not in their household or bubble
- Pubs, bars and restaurants can open indoors
- Cinemas and soft play areas will reopen
- Ministers are agreeing on the next steps this morning
One of the key areas people will be interested in is no doubt the hugging guidance.
But a government science adviser said that if hugs are allowed, they should be selective, brief, and should avoid face-to-face contact to minimise the risk of spreading the virus.
NI reports five suspected blood clot cases linked to vaccine
Northern Ireland has reported five suspected cases of blood clot cases linked to the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, out of 550,000 people given the jab up to 28 April.It's a similar proportion to other suspected cases from across the UK including England, which has had 198, Scotland on 18 and Wales on 9. There have been another 12 across the UK where it's not known which nation the affected individual is from.
In a statement, the Department of Health said the AstraZeneca vaccine had already saved thousands of lives in the UK and around the world and that adverse reactions were "extremely rare".
Medicines regulator the MHRA says that "for the vast majority of people, the benefits of preventing serious illness and death far outweigh any risks".
The absolute risk of death by clotting after the AstraZeneca vaccine is about one in a million. The Department of Health also said that many people are "alive and well today because of the vaccine".
Restrictions being eased across Europe too
- Cyprus is welcoming fully vaccinated tourists for the first time today. Visitors from around 65 countries who have received two jabs will be able to travel to the country without having to provide a negative Covid test or quarantine upon arrival. But as Cyprus is not on the UK government's green list, travellers will still be required to quarantine upon return to the UK once foreign holidays are allowed to resume from 17 May
- Restrictions in Ireland are being eased from Monday, meaning that non-essential travel between counties will be allowed to resume and some limits on indoor and outdoor meetings will be lifted
- Thousands of people celebrated in the streets of Spain in the early hours of Sunday as a six-month state of emergency came to an end. The decision means Spaniards are now allowed to travel between different regions of the country, while bars and restaurants can remain open until 23:00 albeit with limits on capacity
- The EU has said it is "on track" to launch its digital green certificate to allow international tourists to enter the bloc by June. On Saturday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a political agreement on the details of the pass scheme should be in place by the end of this month