Earlier EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren called for holidaymakers who return to the UK from low-risk countries to be able to take cheaper lateral flow tests rather than more expensive ones, or travel could be reopened only for "People who can afford it" - see our post at 10:51.

Asked about the issue, Boris Johnson says the government will look at the types of testing required.

"I raised that very issue myself yesterday, I do think we want to make things as easy as we possibly can," he says. "We are going to see what we can do to make things as flexible and affordable as possible."

The PM adds he does want to see international travel start up again but says "we have to be realistic, a lot of the destinations that we want to go to at the moment are suffering a new wave of the illness of Covid as we know".

"We can’t do it immediately, but that doesn’t mean that we’ve given up on 17 May," he says.

As we reported earlier, France is stepping up its vaccination campaign by opening more than 35 huge vaccination centres across the country.

One of the biggest so-called vaccinodromes opened on Tuesday morning at the national stadium, the Stade de France, just outside Paris. It aims to provide some 10,000 vaccinations a week.

Image source, AFP

The centres will be run by the fire service and the Red Cross, and it is hoped they will inoculate more than half a million people a week.

Some centres have already been opened for a while, such as the one at the Velodrome Stadium in the southern city of Marseille.

Image source, Getty Images

With the whole of France in lockdown for the next four weeks, the government's aim is to be sufficiently in control of the virus so that restrictions can be gradually eased in May.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, PA Media

Speaking during a visit to AstraZeneca's Macclesfield factory, Boris Johnson says people will not need "any kind of certificate" when the country opens restaurants next Monday or when pubs can serve people indoors in May.

"What we are looking at is what several other countries are looking at and that is the role of vaccination passports for overseas travel, I think that is going to be a fact of life, probably," he says.

"I think we are also going to look at the role of the number of signals you can give that you are not contagious. First of all immunity, if you've had it that's going to be important, and number two, a vaccination will be useful but don't forget the importance of testing," he says.

The prime minister points to the government's policy to offer two lateral flow tests per week to everyone in England and says it will be important in "giving people the confidence to open up".

But he repeats the "key thing" is to get everybody vaccinated.

Image source, PA Media

Amid continuing discussions about a potential link between the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine and rare blood clots, the UK prime minister says people should listen to the medical regulators.

Boris Johnson says: "On the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, the best thing people should do is look at what the MHRA say, our independent regulator - that's why we have them, that's why they are independent.

"Their advice to people is to keep going out there, get your jab, get your second jab."

He says "clearly" the vaccine is starting to have a beneficial effect on the handling of the pandemic.

Secondary school pupils will return to classrooms full-time after the Easter holidays in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon confirms.

For weeks they have been having face-to-face lessons on a part-time basis only.

The only exception will be for those children on the shielding list, she says.

Scotland recorded no deaths of Covid-19 patients for the fourth day running, but Sturgeon stresses it was Easter Monday yesterday and that figures are often lower on bank holidays and at the weekend due to lags in reporting.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says there is "good news" in case numbers with a decline still visible in the figures.

She says there is a "really positive picture" and reasons for optimism but warns: "Covid is down in Scotland, you can see that from the figures, but we can still see here, and even more starkly in other parts of the world, Covid is not out."

The first minister says people must continue to use their common sense to keep case numbers as low as possible.

The first batch of the Moderna vacccine has "arrived safely in Scotland", Sturgeon says.

But she says this does not mean the vaccine programme will be able to accelerate but says it does give "additional security of supply".

Image source, PA Media

Following Monday's easing of restrictions in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is giving a coronavirus briefing.

We will bring you the key points here but for full coverage you can join our colleagues in Scotland here.

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England is on track to further ease restrictions next Monday after the prime minister confirmed the next stage of the roadmap for leaving lockdown.

On the same day Wales will move to its next stage of restrictions with an end to the ban on travelling in and out of the nation, the reopening of non-essential shops and close-contact services, and the return of all pupils to schools.

In Scotland, hairdressers and barbers reopened yesterday, along with more shops and there was a resumption of outdoors non-contact sport for 12 to 17-year-olds.

From 12 April all pupils will be able to go back to school full time.

That same date also brings the next stage of easing in Northern Ireland with the "stay at home" message to be relaxed, non-essential retail able to operate a click and collect service and 10 people from two households able to meet in a private garden.

Remaining school pupils, those in year groups 8-11 will be allowed to return to the classroom and sports training of up to 15 people can resume.

For the current rules around the UK click here.

Image source, Getty Images

The Valneva Covid-19 vaccine, which is set to be manufactured in the UK, produces a "strong immune response", Health Secretary Matt Hancock says.

Data from an early-stage phase one/two study involving 153 people showed promising results for the jab, paving the way for a phase three clinical trial.

The vaccine was safe and generally well tolerated, with no safety concerns identified by an independent data safety monitoring board.

The company says the results showed the vaccine was "highly immunogenic with more than 90% of all study participants developing significant levels of antibodies" to the Covid virus spike protein.

The vaccine also induced T-cell responses, which help the body fend off a virus and play a role in long-lasting immunity.

Mr Hancock says: "This vaccine will be made onshore in Livingston in Scotland, giving another boost to British life science, and if approved will play an important role in protecting our communities.

"I look forward to seeing the results of the upcoming phase three trial."

The government has pre-ordered 60 million doses of the jab, which, if approved, should become available later in the year and into 2022.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi says the jab will provide "another powerful weapon in our arsenal" if it is ultimately approved for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Image source, Reuters

North Korea has announced it will not take part in the Tokyo Olympics this year, saying the decision has been made to protect its athletes from Covid-19.

It puts an end to South Korea's hopes of using the Games to engage with the North amid stalled cross-border talks.

In 2018, both sides entered a joint team at the Winter Olympics, which led to a series of historic summits.

Pyongyang says it has no cases of the virus, but experts say this is unlikely.

The country's health system is thought to be completely inadequate for dealing with the Covid pandemic, the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo says.

The announcement makes North Korea the first major country to skip the delayed 2020 Games because of the pandemic. The event is due to begin on 23 July.

Read more here.

The Labour Party is "sceptical" about the idea of "digital ID cards", the party's shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, says.

The government has said certificates showing vaccination, test or immunity status could be used to fully reopen the economy.

But a number of MPs have criticised the use of Covid certification domestically, describing it as "discriminatory".

"Boris Johnson needs to be clear and honest with the British people as to exactly what it is he is proposing," Ashworth tells BBC Breakfast.

Image source, Google

Staff at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea are "scared to go to work" over Covid concerns, a union says.

Members of the PCS union are beginning a four-day strike at the agency's headquarters.

DVLA sites in the city have recorded more than 500 Covid cases since September.

Agency officials say they are disappointed by the industrial action, which they say will affect motorists.

Public Health Wales declared a Covid-19 outbreak at the DVLA's contact centre in Swansea Vale in Llansamlet in December, following more than 350 cases at the site.

Adam Easton
Warsaw Correspondent

Image source, EPA

Close to 900 people have been admitted to hospital with Covid-19 in Poland in 24 hours, the health ministry has said. New infections started to fall over Easter but hospital admissions are still to peak in the country’s third wave, Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska says.

In the previous 24 hours, 888 people were admitted to hospital and 46 patients required ventilators. The number of both hospital beds and ventilators in use is at its highest since the pandemic began, with 76% of available beds and 78% of available ventilators in use.

In the worst affected region of Silesia in southern Poland, patients are being relocated to neighbouring provinces with less burdened hospitals.

Poland reported 8,245 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the health ministry says, down 60% compared with a week earlier. There were 60 virus-related deaths in the previous 24 hours.

The recent surge in cases is mainly due to the rampant UK variant of the virus that is responsible for almost all new infections.

In total, Poland has reported more than 2.4 million cases and more than 55,000 virus-related deaths. In contrast, Germany which has more than double the population of Poland, has registered just over 2.9 million infections and more than 77,000 deaths.

Poland became the 14th country in the world to surpass two million cases, but with a population of 38 million, it was the smallest. Poland has administered 6.6 million vaccine doses, and 14.5% of adults have received at least one dose.

• Pandemic peaks in Eastern Europe and ruins Easter

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Johan Lundgren, chief executive of easyJet, warns plans to require holidaymakers returning from "green" countries to take - and pay for - tests pre-departure and post-arrival will only open up international travel "for people who can afford it".

He tells BBC Breakfast: "If the government was choosing to take one of those PCR tests, [of] which the cost is way over and above what the cost is of an average easyJet fare as an example, you wouldn't open up international travel for everyone, you would open up international travel for people who can afford it.

"I don't think that is fair, I don't think it's right and I don't think it is necessarily established from a medical and scientific point of view that is the right thing to do."

He says cheaper lateral flow tests should be used instead, although these are not as accurate as the gold standard PCR tests.

Image source, EPA

Australian and New Zealand residents will be able to travel between the two nations without having to quarantine at either end from 19 April.

Since October, New Zealand travellers have been allowed to enter most Australian states without quarantine, though this had not been reciprocated.

Both nations have since contained Covid outbreaks and kept infection rates near zero.

The countries shut their borders in March last year and brought in compulsory quarantine for returning nationals.

When outbreaks have emerged, both Australia and New Zealand have instated snap lockdowns to halt the virus from spreading.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

The UK's medicines regulator looks "very closely" at reports of adverse reactions to coronavirus jabs, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has said.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said it has identified 30 cases of rare blood clot events out of 18.1 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab administered up to and including 24 March.

There have been seven deaths among the 30 cases.

But the regulator said the benefits of the vaccine in preventing coronavirus outweigh any risks - and it has urged the public to continue coming forward for the jab.

Zahawi told BBC Breakfast: "The regulators absolutely look at, very closely, any adverse incidents through the yellow card system.

"And June Raine, who is the chief executive of the MHRA, our independent regulator, said last night that if you get the invite for the vaccine, to take that invitation and get the vaccine and get protected.

"At the same time, they are looking at these very rare instances of blood clotting.

"To put it in perspective, we have done almost 20 million vaccinations using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

"Both vaccines [the other being Pfizer] have saved something like 6,300 lives between December and the end of February, so it's important to continue to follow what the clinicians, the scientists, the regulators tell us.

"And we will absolutely do exactly as they say."

As we've heard, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi says the government is considering a number of issues raised by the use of Covid certificates.

These certificates - showing proof of vaccination, a negative test result or immunity from previous infection - could play a role in allowing people to return to theatres, nightclubs and mass events like festivals, the government has suggested.

But many MPs have criticised the plans, with senior Tory backbencher Mark Harper calling for a vote on the issue.

Zahawi told BBC Breakfast it would be "remiss" of ministers not to "look at all the options that are available to us to take our lives back".

But he insisted no decision on their use had been made.

Image source, Getty Images

Leading travel industry figures have reacted to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's latest comments on the easing of restrictions in England, saying they need more clarity.

During Monday's Downing Street briefing, the PM said he was "hopeful" that foreign travel could begin again on 17 May as planned, but added more data was needed before a firm decision could be taken.

The Business Travel Association said the comments were "beyond disappointing" and called for "a clear pathway to international travel and trade".

More details on a risk-based traffic light system for travel are expected later this week.

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said the proposed system would "prevent meaningful travel even to low-risk destinations", while Mark Tanzer, chief executive of the Abta travel association, said travel "should not be suddenly closed off unless variants of concern dictate that this must happen".

As we've reported, government scientific advisers have warned that eventual indoor mixing is "highly likely" to lead to a resurgence in hospitalisations and deaths in the UK.

Asked about the predictions of a third wave, Prof Graham Medley, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It really just depends upon the impact of vaccination, particularly on transmission, so whether or not people can get infected and pass the virus on. And we just don't know that."

He said it was still unclear what effect the vaccine rollout would have on the course of the pandemic in three or four months' time.

"The only thing we can be sure of is that we don't know exactly what is going to happen - but we do know that, because the vaccine isn't 100% effective, there will be some transmission, and there will be some breakthrough of immunity."

Asked if mask-wearing and social distancing would have to continue past the end of 21 June, he said: "Yes, so the amount of infection and death is dependent upon not only the vaccine, but also what it is that people actually do.

"And then that's related to the policies that are put in place.

"Both of those are uncertain - both the policies but also then how people behave with the policies - so it's quite likely that we will have to see some kind of measures to reduce transmission for a long time."

Image source, Getty Images

There is less than a week until the next step of lockdown easing in England gets under way - with the prime minister confirming stage two of his road map last night.

Pubs and restaurants serving outside can reopen as planned from next Monday, along with non-essential shops, gyms, spas and hairdressers.

Other changes include members of the same household being able to take a holiday in England in self-contained accommodation; weddings can be attended by up to 15 people; children will be able to attend indoor activities and care home residents will be allowed two face-to-face visitors.

Trials will also begin to take place from mid-April to test the introduction of mass events in England, with later events testing the use of vaccine certificates.

You can read more on the road map for leaving lockdown in England and elsewhere in the UK here.