Image source, EPA

Final preparations have been taking place for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral, scheduled to begin at 15:00 BST on Saturday.

The ceremony, which will be held at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, is being shaped by the pandemic.

Firstly, in line with Covid lockdown rules, there will be only 30 mourners at the ceremony.

As may be familiar to those who have unfortunately had to plan funerals in the past year, Buckingham Palace says the Queen has faced "some very difficult" decisions in selecting the mourners - there was originally an 800-strong congregation planned.

• Who are the 30 people going to Prince Philip's funeral?

In the chapel, the congregation will put on masks and socially distance. The Queen will be seated alone.

Royal historian Professor Kate Williams says she thinks it will be "a very striking image" to see the Queen sitting alone rather than with the other mourners.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said: "They'll be wearing masks and sitting in their bubbles in St George's Chapel. And the Queen doesn't have a bubble, the bubble was Prince Philip."

Prime minister Boris Johnson will watch the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral on television from his country residence of Chequers, Downing Street says.

He was understood to have been expected to attend the funeral by the royals but offered to step aside with the number of guests limited.

Read more about the plans here.

Image source, Dorset Police

A man who spat at a police officer who later tested positive for Covid-19 has been jailed.

PC Joe Terry said he was "angry" at being exposed to the risk of the virus while arresting 41-year-old Steven Licorish in Bournemouth on 6 January.

Licorish, of no fixed abode, had pleaded guilty to assault by beating of an emergency worker and being drunk and disorderly in public.

He has been sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court to 10 weeks in prison.

Licorish was found in a drunken state by PC Terry and a colleague after police were called to reports of a man obstructing traffic, the court heard.

Footage played to the court from a body-worn camera showed the officers attempting to calm Licorish as he shouted racist abuse at himself, before he was then seen spitting on PC Terry's stab vest.

Richard Elliott, prosecuting, said the constable was immediately concerned he may have contracted Covid, developing symptoms two days later before later testing positive and falling ill for two weeks.

Richard Martin, mitigating, told the court his client was "horrified" by his behaviour but did not have Covid symptoms and has not tested positive for the virus.

Passing sentence, Judge Jonathan Fuller QC said although there was no evidence Licorish had caused PC Terry to catch Covid, the case highlighted "the very real dangers people on the frontline face".

You can read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

Gateshead, in north east England, will host the first Diamond League athletics fixture of the year on 23 May after Covid restrictions in Morocco stopped the event happening in the country's capital, Rabat.

The meet is an important build-up event for the rearranged Tokyo Olympics, which are due to start on 23 July.

UK Athletics chief Joanna Coates says the UK is a "lower risk option for athletes" because of the success of the vaccine rollout.

She also says a home-based event will help British athletes' preparations.

It is hoped some fans may be able to attend, subject to the easing of England's lockdown under the government's reopening roadmap.

You can read more here.

Image source, Reuters

• The World Health Organization (WHO) says that Covid cases around the world are continuing to increase at a "worrying rate", adding: "Globally, the number of new cases per week has nearly doubled over the past two months."
• Portugal has begun a new 15-day state of emergency, which allows it to implement curfews and quarantine. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa says he hopes it will be its last as the country prepared to ease some restrictions
• Australia is considering prioritising athletes for vaccinations ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. It is reportedly in talks with the government about allowing more than 400 Australian participants and support staff to jump the queue
• German Chancellor Angela Merkel is urging the country's parliament to approve a new law obliging regional leaders to impose curfews and lockdowns once coronavirus infections exceed a certain level
• Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has partially backtracked from an earlier decision that all primary schools should restart from Monday - the country remains near the peak of its third wave
• China's economy grew a record 18.3% in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the same quarter last year in a post-Covid comeback. It is the biggest jump in gross domestic product since China started keeping quarterly records in 1992.

Image source, Reuters

Here's a roundup of what's happened in the UK so far today:

• About 130,000 people in the UK - or 1 in 500 people - are estimated to have had coronavirus in the week to 10 April, down sharply from 185,000 people the previous week, analysis from the Office for National Statistics suggests
• The discovery of a new Covid-19 variant in the UK, which was first identified in India, features two mutations that could be a cause for concern, an expert has said
• Boris Johnson's trip to India will still go ahead later this month, Downing Street says, despite concerns about soaring cases and the newly identified variant
• England's R value is between 0.7 and 1.0, according to the latest government figures, meaning the epidemic is slightly shrinking or staying the same size
• A company in which Health Secretary Matt Hancock and his sister have shares has won contracts from NHS Wales. NHS Wales has given Topwood Ltd, which specialises in the secure storage, shredding and scanning of documents, £300,000 of business this year
• New rules on travelling between council areas and meeting people outdoors have come into force in Scotland today. People can now travel out of their local area for non-essential reasons and six people from up to six households can meet outdoors

• A group of university students are calling for a day of action to demand tuition fee refunds because of how the pandemic has affected their learning experience.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has received her first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine - more than two weeks after the country suspended its routine use for the under-60s.

Merkel, 66, said she was "happy" to receive the dose, her spokesman Steffen Seibert tweeted along with a photo of her accompanying vaccination paperwork.

"I would like to thank everyone who is involved in the vaccination campaign - and everyone who is vaccinated," she was quoted as saying, adding: "Vaccination is the key to overcoming the pandemic."

The head of the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, has urged US President Joe Biden to remove an embargo on the export of materials he said was hindering production of doses.

Adar Poonawalla tweeted the president's official Twitter account calling for the two countries to "truly unite in beating this virus".

He did not provide details about the materials required.

Poonawalla said recently that production capacity at his institute - which produces the Novavax and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines - was "very stressed" and he urged more vaccine makers to ramp up production.

The Serum Institute said earlier this month that it had been providing 65-70 million doses every month to India, and exported a total of nearly an equal amount of doses since it began production early this year.

• Read more: Can India's vaccine producers meet demand?

Image source, State of Guernsey

Guernsey is to begin easing its border restrictions by reintroducing shorter self-isolation periods for people arriving from some areas from 23 April.

Currently, all travellers arriving must self isolate for three weeks, unless they test negative on days one and 13.

But people arriving from category three jurisdictions - with fewer than 100 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people - will only have to self-isolate for a week if they test negative twice.

A four tier system of border control , externalis in place in Guernsey.

All countries and areas of the UK have been classified as category four since non-essential travel was banned in January, requiring the full self-isolation period for arrivals into Guernsey, Alderney and Sark.

The change on 23 April will see the reintroduction of category three jurisdictions, one week ahead of schedule.

People will be tested on arrival and day seven before they can leave self-isolation, but will be required to adhere to 'passive follow-up' rules for a further week.

You can read more here.

Ian Youngs
Entertainment and Arts Reporter, BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

Back in February, the government said that full-capacity indoor events would not resume in England until at least 21 June, under its roadmap for unlocking Covid restrictions.

But tickets for arena shows by Alicia Keys, Haim and Mrs Brown's Boys in June are still on sale despite the fact they can't go ahead as planned.

Fans can only get refunds if shows are officially rescheduled or cancelled.

Keys is scheduled to play in Manchester, London and Birmingham from 6-10 June - dates that have already been rescheduled once. Her spokeswoman confirmed the tour will not happen this June.

The English leg of the Mrs Brown's Boys comedy tour is scheduled to start in Hull on 7 June. A spokeswoman said they are likely to announce new plans next week.

The shows are not expected to go ahead with smaller, socially-distanced crowds, which could be allowed from 17 May.

Promoters Live Nation said on Thursday that announcements about shows scheduled for before 21 June involving Keys, Haim and more were "imminent". Fellow promoters SJM, who look after Mrs Brown's Boys among others, have not responded to a request.

You can read more here.

Image source, PA Media

The coronavirus reproduction number, or R value, in England is between 0.7 and 1.0, according to the latest government figures.

It means that, on average, every 10 people with Covid will infect between seven and 10 other people.

Last week, R in England was between 0.8 and 1.0.

If the R value is higher than one, then the number of cases keeps increasing.

But if the R number is lower the disease will eventually stop spreading, because not enough new people are being infected to sustain the outbreak.

• What is the R and how is it calculated?

The figures also suggest the number of new infections in England is shrinking by between 1% and 6% every day.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) says that the increasingly localised approach to managing Covid between nations means UK-level estimates are now less meaningful and may not accurately reflect the current picture.

Image source, Reuters

Boris Johnson's trip to India will still go ahead later this month, Downing Street says, despite concerns about soaring cases and a coronavirus variant which was first detected in the country.

Scientists are checking if the variant, where two mutations come together in the same virus, may be more infectious or less affected by vaccines.

• What are the risks of India's new Covid-19 variant?

A No 10 spokesman told reporters the prime minister's trip would go ahead, but be shorter than planned, with the main meetings shoehorned into one day.

Asked why India has not been put on the red list of countries - from which entry to the UK is banned - despite a high number of cases, No 10 insisted the list was "under constant review".

"We add and remove countries based on the latest scientific data and public health advice from a range of world-leading experts," the spokesman said.

"We won't hesitate to introduce tougher restrictions and add countries if we think it is necessary."

Philippa Roxby
Health reporter, BBC News

Image source, Reuters

The latest figures from the ONS estimate the amount of coronavirus in the UK is still coming down in all four nations.

With one in 500 people infected in the population in the week up to 10 April, we are back to where we were in early September.

That was before the autumn surge of the virus (caused by the Kent variant) and the winter second wave which followed.

Since late February, the percentage of people testing positive has steadily been decreasing across the country.

In most English regions, the picture is similar and in most age groups, despite fears of a spike when schools reopened, there’s no sign of a rise in infections in school-age children.

This week’s figures don’t cover shops reopening – the next few weeks’ surveys will give an insight into the impact of those relaxations.

The ONS still estimates there are 11,000 new positive cases in England every day, however.

Despite the protection given by vaccines, testing for the virus and then isolating those infected is still as important as ever.

Image source, PA Media

The Great North Run - the world's largest half-marathon - is facing a "struggle" because of issues getting insurance in case it has to be called off due to Covid-19, the founder says.

Sir Brendan Foster said "the key tool" in holding major events was missing and there had been "a huge market failure".

He said organisers faced being liable for costs and called on the government and insurance sector to meet.

The government said it was aware of the "wider concerns" around securing indemnity and was "exploring" support.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI), which represents the sector, said it was "happy to continue to engage with the government".

The Great North Run was due to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2020 but it was forced to be held virtually due to coronavirus.

This year's event is due to take place on 12 September, with about 57,000 adults set to run between Newcastle and South Shields.

Sir Brendan said organisers were "cautiously optimistic" it would take place but they would look to hold an alternative if the event was unable to go ahead as planned.

You can read more here.

Catherine grew up in a family that lived an alternative lifestyle. When social media came along, she became an ardent believer in anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.

She tells the BBC’s specialist disinformation reporter Marianna Spring about how she came to question these beliefs and her thoughts on how others affected by online conspiracy theories can be helped.

Catherine says: "I started to realise I needed to be more critical of myself and critical of the things I was reading and the things that I was watching."

She says she would not have believed in the pandemic 10 years ago, but would now "absolutely" have the Covid-19 vaccine when offered it.

Image source, Geograph / David Dixon

A football stadium has become a temporary court for non-custodial criminal cases to help clear a backlog of cases during the coronavirus pandemic.

Preston North End's Deepdale stadium is being used as a Nightingale Court, external by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).

The club said it was good to "have an activity" at the stadium after its "limited use" in the last year.

The pop-up courts will free up space for more jury trials at Preston Crown Court, the MoJ said.

Cases heard at the stadium will mainly include fines and community service orders.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

Germany's Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases says the UK is no longer a Covid "international risk area".

The UK, along with Ireland, Finland and Barbados, was removed from a list of areas that the RKI classifies as a potential coronavirus risk based on analysis from government ministries.

Those entering Germany within 10 days of leaving a risk area have to register with the authorities and quarantine for up to 10 days.

After a minimum of five days in quarantine, arrivals can be tested for Covid-19 and, if they provide a negative test result, their quarantine can end early.

Image source, PA Media

We're getting some interesting insight into the social impact of coronavirus this afternoon, with analysis from the Office for National Statistics, external.

Feelings of happiness reached their highest level since summer 2020 at the beginning of April at 7.2. However, that decreased to 6.9 in the week up to 11 April - just before some lockdown restrictions were eased.

Overall life satisfaction currently stands at 6.9, compared with 7.3 in February 2020. Anxiety is at 3.9 out of 10, compared with 3.5 in February 2020.

Image source, ONS

Positive sentiment about the Covid vaccine remains high at 94%.

But the proportion of adults who feel it will take more than a year for life to return to normal appears to be gradually increasing - 3 in 10 in the week up to 11 April, with 2 in 10 thinking it'd be six months or less.

Elsewhere, more than half of adults (53%) reported travelling to work, which has been gradually increasing over time - it was 44% in mid-February.

Find the full data here, external.

Image source, Reuters

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that Covid cases around the world are continuing to increase at a "worrying rate".

"Globally, the number of new cases per week has nearly doubled over the past two months," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tells reporters.

He says he is "very concerned" about a surge in coronavirus cases in Papua New Guinea, warning that it could lead to "a much larger epidemic".

"Papa New Guinea is a perfect example of why vaccine equity is so important," Tedros says.

The country has so far reported more than 9,300 Covid-19 cases and 82 coronavirus-related deaths.

"While these numbers are still smaller than other countries, the increase is sharp," Tedros adds.

He says that some countries which had previously avoided widespread transmission are now seeing steep increases in infections.

Tedros recently criticised what he described as a "shocking imbalance" in the distribution of coronavirus vaccines between rich and poor countries.

Robert Cuffe
BBC head of statistics

Image source, Reuters

About 130,000 people in the UK are estimated to have had coronavirus in the week to 10 April, down sharply from 185,000 people the previous week, estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest.

This is 0.2% of the population – or one in 500 people.

The ONS say that infections "decreased" in every nation of the UK.

In England, one in 480 people are estimated to be testing positive for coronavirus, compared with one in 340 last week. It is the lowest figure since the week to 19 September 2020, when the estimate stood at one in 500.

• How many coronavirus cases are there in my area?

In Scotland, one in 500 people are estimated to be testing positive, with one in 410 the week before.

In Wales, that figure is one in 920, with one in 800 last week.

In Northern Ireland, estimates also fell from one in 710 versus one in 300 last week.

Robert Cuffe
BBC head of statistics

Image source, EPA

Yesterday we reported our analysis of data that suggested most positive rapid tests from March had correctly spotted coronavirus.

And the Guardian today reported leaked modelling from the Department for Health, external suggesting that their performance could in fact be much worse.

The Department for Health say that the models are “based on too small a sample size to draw conclusions” but you’d be forgiven for feeling confused.

What do we know for sure?

Rapid tests aren’t perfect.

But, in theory, if people use rapid tests repeatedly and regularly then they can spot infections that might otherwise slip through the net.

If those people then self-isolate, that can slow the spread of the virus.

All that theory only works if people use them in the way they’re supposed to.

If you don’t take a medicine as directed, the medicine won’t make you better.

It’s hard to know how all the theory shakes out because the government has not published proper data assessing their impact.

If the data we reported yesterday are borne out, most people who test positive at the moment probably do have coronavirus and that would be confirmed on retest.

But we don’t know exactly how good the tests are, how many people are using them as directed and how many people are successfully isolating.

Bodies like the Royal Statistical Society and experts on the UK National Screening Committee have repeatedly called for better data to assess how well mass testing is working.

And until we see those data, discussions about the promised theoretical benefits of mass testing will be confused and based on glimpses at the data: on leaks and half-hidden data spotted by eagle eyed reporters.