Image source, Reuters

Most of Europe should be open for travellers from the UK under the government's planned easing of flight restrictions, EasyJet boss Johan Lundgren has said.

But he told the BBC the "clock is ticking" and airlines need clarity, with the list of permitted destinations yet to be published ahead of the expected relaxing of travel curbs next month.

It is expected the government will use a traffic light system to rank countries with high vaccination rates and other data, showing which are suitable for travel.

Mr Lundgren will use a speech later today to detail research from Yale University experts which suggest that unrestricted travel to some of the most popular holiday destinations would only increase hospital admissions by 4%.

He will say the research suggests much of Europe, including key destinations such as Spain, Portugal and Greece, should be "green" in the traffic light system.

"As the rest of the economy emerges from this lockdown with some precautions in place, there is no reason why the same is not possible for travel," he is due to say, crediting the progress of the vaccination rollout.

Frances Mao
Sydney

Image source, Mandeep Sharma

Mandeep Sharma feels utterly deserted by his government.

He is one of the 9,000 Australian nationals stranded in India right now, left to fend for themselves after Canberra this week banned all flights from the pandemic-ravaged nation until mid-May.

He has a wife and two daughters in Adelaide and fears their separation could drag on for months. Catching Covid in India is also a real risk.

The Australian government's flight ban was the latest action taken to keep the virus out of the country. Infection rates are near zero, and Australia has had far fewer fatalities than most countries, thanks to strict border controls and quarantine measures.

Still, those policies have left many Australians locked out. The ban on Indian arrivals marked an escalation - the first time the country has stopped evacuations and blocked citizens from returning home altogether. It's intensified calls for more to be done to get Australians home.

Why can't so many Australian go home? Read the full story.

Rhoda Odhiambo
BBC health reporter, Nairobi

Image source, Reuters

A prominent Kenyan doctor who became an anti-vaccine campaigner and conspiracy theorist has died from the disease.

Dr Stephen Karanja said it was unnecessary to vaccinate Kenyans against Covid-19.

Instead, he argued for steam inhalation and a cocktail of drugs, including hydroxychloroquine and zinc.

He also spread conspiracy theories, involving Bill Gates and population control.

Dr Karanja died on Thursday in the high-dependency unit of a private hospital in the capital Nairobi.

More than 800,000 Kenyans have now been vaccinated, with no severe side effects being reported.

Before his death, Dr Karanja was the chair of the Catholic Doctors Association, which described him “as a true medical soldier”.

Image source, Brenda O'Donnell

Independent shopkeers in Northern Ireland say they're feeling a mixture of "anticipation but trepidation" as they prepare to open their doors to the public for the first time in four months.

Bookshop owner Jenni Doherty, from Londonderry, says it's like "being excited for going on holiday, but you're maybe a bit nervous about flying".

"All of us in retail might be feeling a bit rusty," she said

Brenda O'Donnell, who runs a clothing shop in Omagh, County Tyrone, said she missed the social interaction with customers, many of whom didn't shop online.

"I can't wait to get the doors open, to see the footfall and even to have a bit of buzz in the street," she said.

Image source, PA Media

On what would have been coronavirus fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore's 101st birthday, a sculptor is reaching the final stages of creating a bronze statue in his memory.

Andrian Melka began work on a 2m (6ft 6in) clay statue of Sir Tom in February following the news of his death, and has crowdfunded for it to be cast in bronze and donated to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Andrian, of Bolton Percy in North Yorkshire, hopes the sculpture will provide inspiration for staff, patients and visitors and remind them that "one step in front of the other will get you somewhere".

The statue portrays the 100-year-old fundraiser giving the thumbs-up as he completed 100 laps of his garden in Bedfordshire ahead of his milestone birthday last year.

Andrian says: "I was really inspired by Captain Tom, not only for raising so much money for the NHS but also in encouraging others to put one foot in front of the other and remain optimistic during challenging times."

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

The number of Covid-related deaths in Brazil has passed 400,000, the second-highest in the world, as the country continues to struggle with vaccinations.

There were 3,001 deaths in 24 hours, down from a peak of more than 4,000 in early April. The 14-day average of deaths and cases remains high despite a slight decline.

President Jair Bolsonaro, who has frequently spoken out against lockdowns, masks and defended unproved drugs as treatment, is facing widespread criticism and his support has plummeted.

The outbreak has been fuelled by more transmissible variants of the virus and a lack of national measures.

The situation has improved in many areas, including where the health system was on the brink of collapse, after states and cities imposed restrictions, but they are already being eased.

The occupancy rate in intensive care unit remains at or above 90% in more than a third of the states.

Meanwhile, some cities have had to temporarily halt their vaccination programmes amid a shortage of doses.

The success of the UK's vaccine programme and savings built up over lockdown mean the UK is about to experience its biggest surge in growth since the aftermath of World War Two, Barclays boss Jes Staley has said.

It comes as Barclays revealed its own profits for the first three months of this year had more than doubled from last year to £2.4bn.

"We estimate the UK economy will grow at its fastest rate since 1948. That's pretty spectacular," he said.

The bank estimates UK consumers and businesses have an extra £200bn in their bank accounts built up during the pandemic, which will help the UK join the US in experiencing some of the fastest economic growth in decades.

Image source, Getty Images

Officials in the Indian capital have been urged to find more sites for cremations as local morgues and crematoriums are overwhelmed by Covid deaths.

A second wave of the virus is ravaging parts of India, with almost 400,000 new cases reported on Thursday - another record increase for any country.

There were another 3,500 deaths nationwide on Thursday and nearly 400 in Delhi. The total number of infections in the country has now passed 18 million.

A senior Delhi police officer said people were having to cremate family members in crematoriums not designated to take Covid victims. "That's why we suggested more crematoriums should be set up," the officer said..

An emergency consignment of oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other medical supplies has arrived from the US. It is the latest international aid to reach the country. But oxygen supplies and hospital beds remain in desperately short supply.

The central government is facing mounting criticism over its handling of the pandemic and its decision to allow large election rallies and religious festivals to go ahead in recent weeks.

Police are searching for nine men after violence at anti-lockdown protests in London last Saturday.

The Metropolitan Police said 14 officers were injured as they attempted to disperse a crowd of about 100 people who remained at the end of the protest.

Police said the crowd was listening to music and gathered closely together in breach of coronavirus regulations. But when police asked the crowd to leave, they said they came under "sustained and violent attack".

Det Ch Insp Nat Norris described the violence against officers as "some of the worst I have seen in recent years", with missiles thrown at police.

Five of the officers required medical attention, the Met said.

“These officers were simply trying to do their job and it can never be acceptable for them to be attacked in this way," Det Ch Insp Norris said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Image source, Met Police

Image source, Getty Images

If you've ever thought that the Glastonbury Festival would be perfect if it wasn't for all those noisy bands, 2021 could be your lucky year.

With the festival cancelled for the second year running due to the pandemic, Worthy Farm is being opened to campers this summer, with fields featuring local food traders, a bar and village store.

Organisers Michael and Emily Eavis are aiming for a family-friendly atmosphere and warned the site would not be a "party venue", with both live music and sound systems banned.

The Pyramid field, usually home to the festival's main stage, will be open for picnics and bike rides.

Two installations aimed at children, The Kidz' Field Pink Castle and Green Kids Cadmus Ship, will also be open for use.

A statement on the festival website invites campers to "experience the farm in a way you've never been able to before" and to expect "nature, fresh air, calm and tranquillity".

Image source, Reuters

Portugal lifts lockdown restrictions imposed in January at midnight on all but eight municipalities, after seeing infection rates fall to the lowest level in the European Union. The border with Spain will reopen for essential travel after several months, sport will be allowed without spectators and from tomorrow restaurants can stay open until 22:30.

France begins its four-phase reopening from Monday, President Emmanuel Macron has told local newspapers. From Monday you can travel without restriction beyond the 10km (6 mile) current limit. Then from 19 May museums, cinemas and theatres will reopen and people can eat outdoors. On 9 June you can eat indoors, sport resumes outdoors with a health pass, the curfew is put back to 23:00, and foreign visitors can return with a health pass. The remainder of restrictions are set to be lifted on 30 June.

Ireland is also bringing in a phased reopening over six weeks from 10 May, when hairdressers and click-and-collect shopping can resume. Travel will be allowed outside your own county for the first time since Christmas and up to 50 people will be allowed at weddings and funerals.

Ukraine is barring entry to foreign nationals travelling from India from midnight tomorrow. It has recorded another 10,000 infections in 24 hours.

The Dutch government has decided to allow 3,500 people in to watch all the rehearsals of the Eurovision Song Contest next month as well as all three TV shows. That’s 20% capacity of the Ahoy arena in Rotterdam, but tickets will only be available with a negative test and a face mask for people who bought them for last year’s cancelled contest. The big days are the semi-finals on 18 and 20 May and the final on 22 May.

A hospital in the Romanian capital Bucharest is organising a vaccination marathon for four days from next Thursday for anyone without an appointment. The western city of Timisoara held one last week and vaccinated 6,700 people.

Image source, Getty Images

After four months of lockdown, shops, gyms, pubs, restaurants and cafes in Northern Ireland can reopen today.

Hospitality businesses can only operate outdoors, however, with table service and only six people from two households at a table.

Gyms and swimming pools, including those based in leisure centres, can only open for individual training or for one-to-one coaching with a personal trainer.

Restrictions on meeting up outside have also been slightly further eased, with 15 people from three households allowed to meet in a private garden.

Earlier closing times for takeaway businesses and off-licences, imposed at the onset of the lockdown in December, have also been removed.

Image source, PA Media

On what would have been the NHS fundraiser’s 101st birthday, the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore are taking up his walking challenge - and urging others to create their own challenges.

His family will follow in his footsteps with 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden, the feat which captured the hearts of a nation and raised almost £33m for NHS charities.

They are asking other people to devise their own “100 challenges” with David Beckham pledging to do 100 keepy-uppies and Dame Mary Berry baking 100 cakes.

Captain Sir Tom’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore said repeating his walking challenge would be a reflective time for the family.

"It's tinged with a little sadness but mostly absolutely about hope for the future and ensuring that his lasting legacy of hope lives on," she said.

Image source, Reuters

Text messages are being sent out urging people aged 40 and 41 to book their vaccine appointments, as the rollout extends to all over-40s in England.

The extension of the rollout comes just days after vaccinations were opened to 42-year-olds in England.

NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said nearly 750,000 appointments were made in those two days.

And 90% of over-45s have now received at least one dose of the vaccine, he said.

Since the vaccination programme began in December, about 34 million people have had at least one dose in the UK - nearly two-thirds of the adult population.

Meanwhile, more than 14 million people have now had two Covid jabs.

Image source, Getty

There were zero recorded Covid-19 deaths in Iarge parts of the UK during April, a BBC analysis suggests.

About 22 million people live in areas which did not report any deaths, compared to just 50,000 people in January’s peak.

Fewer than 600 deaths within 28 days of a positive test have been reported so far this month, compared with more than 30,000 in the first four weeks of January.

"This is really good news," said Dr Mike Tildesley, an expert in the spread on infectious diseases. "It's a really good sign and we've seen several parts of the country where prevalence is really, really low. So, I think it gives us confidence."

But he echoed another expert who urged caution.

Prof Graham Medley, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, warned that we have seen before “when things go wrong, they can go wrong quickly”.

Image source, Reuters

Good morning and welcome to today’s live coverage of the pandemic. We’ll be bringing you updates throughout the day, but here’s a quick summary of the headlines:

• About 22 million people in the UK are living in areas which saw zero reported Covid deaths in April, BBC analysis shows. This “give us confidence” as the country carefully eases restrictions, one expert said.
• All people aged 40 and over in England are being invited to book their Covid vaccinations. It comes as NHS England said 90% of people over-45 have had at least one jab.
• Shops and gyms are reopening in Northern Ireland, while pubs, restaurants and cafes will be able to serve outside from today.
• But across the UK, bar and restaurant owners say they are struggling to recruit staff for reopening, with many hospitality workers having left the industry or moved out of the UK.
• Amazon has reported a huge rise in sales and a tripling of profits in the first three months of the year, as the online retailer continues to benefit from the home delivery boom during the pandemic.
• Police in Delhi have asked local authorities to identify more sites for cremation as India tackles its Covid surge. The nation reported the world’s biggest one-day rise in infections on Thursday, with 386,452 recorded.
• And deaths in Brazil from Covid-19 have passed 400,000 as the country struggled with its vaccine rollout. Congress has opened an inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic.