The Chestnut Group runs a number of restaurants and hotels across Suffolk and was hoping to open all of them indoors from today.

But they say they haven't been able to because of a hospitality recruitment crisis being felt across the country.

The Northgate in Bury St Edmunds, is one of their sites that hasn't opened today as planned. They’re short of everyone from chefs to housekeepers.

"We haven’t been able to recruit enough people to run a seven-day rota," says founder of the group Philip Turner. "Across our group of hotels and restaurants, we’re losing around eight to 10 trading days a week.

"That translates into around one and a half million pounds of trade annually."

He says there are a number of reasons for the staff shortage including people leaving the industry and fears around furlough ending.

He says the "uncertainty for the industry" has been horrendous.

"Every single time we have news of a new variant or something like that, it’s always ‘can you go to the pub for a drink, should you got to the pub for a drink’," Turner says.

"And so for the people who work in this sector, they are absolutely paranoid that if they come and work for us and there’s another lockdown, they will have started too late to be eligible for the furlough scheme."

Tulip Mazumdar
Global Health Correspondent

The international project to ensure equal access to Covid-19 vaccines is 140 million doses short because of India's continuing Covid crisis.

The Serum Institute of India (SII), the largest single supplier to the Covax scheme, has made none of its planned shipments since exports were suspended in March.

The UN children's agency Unicef buys and distributes vaccines for Covax.

Unicef is calling on the G7 countries - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, as well as the EU, to donate their surplus supplies urgently.

Some countries have ordered enough to vaccinate their population many times over, including the UK, US and Canada.

They are due to meet in the UK next month.

Unicef says data it has commissioned suggests that together this group of countries could donate around 153 million doses, while still meeting their commitments to vaccinate their own populations.

Read more

Dan Ascher
Business Reporter

Fresh figures showing how many people visited High Streets on the first day of relaxed restrictions are in - and they are not pretty.

Data specialists Springboard have been counting footfall across the country and they say that up to 17:00 BST today, visits to High Streets were down by 1.6%, compared to this time last week.

But the picture was worse at retail parks where numbers were down by 5.4%. Across all locations, numbers were down 3%, Springboard said.

Regionally, the number of shoppers in London showed the biggest fall, with the number of people out and about in the shops down by 6.3% compared with last week.

"Heavy rain showers acted as somewhat of a dampener on the first day that indoor hospitality reopened," said Diane Wehrle from Springboard.

Simon Browning
Business Reporter

With flights from the UK to Portugal resuming today, British accents have returned to resorts here in the Algarve.

Julian Marciniak and Jordan Catherall arrived in Faro a few hours ago after travelling from Leyland in Lancashire and have already been at the beach here at Praia D’oura in Albuferia.

I asked the boys how the past year has been. “We work in retail, both of us at Iceland and we’ve worked the whole year through – it’s been weird,” they say.

I chatted to them as they came off the beach. Shirts open and beach shorts on.

“It feels unreal [to be here], I just can’t describe it” says Julian.

“The weather is great, it feels so relaxing, the sea is freezing, but it was so refreshing and we’re here in the sun” adds Jordan.

All I could do was wish them the best – sounds like they’ve earned it.

I type this while sitting in BJ’s Bar, owned by Brenda from Birmingham. “It is absolutely brilliant that Brits are back, Portugal has suffered,” she says.

Fighting back tears she tells me she’s not seen her daughter since January 2020 – “to be able to travel back now is wonderful”.

There is jubilation here. The number of tourists right now is small but holiday operators and airlines tell us demand is rising. This Saturday has been called "Super Saturday" by British Airways because of the number of flights heading to Faro.

It’s good to see businesses feeling positive, enthusiastic and energetic. This industry has been hammered but the sun is definitely now shining.

Viva Portugal!

Radio 4 PM

Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth says “we need to do more door-to-door vaccination” in communities where take-up is low.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, the MP for Leicester South suggested that lessons can be learned from the approach taken in the city, where door-to-door testing was first piloted earlier in the pandemic.

He also called for the government to “get on now, in those hotspot areas like Blackburn and Bolton, with vaccinating those who are above 18".

As he was mentioning in the House of Commons earlier too, he also wants the government to look at what the science is saying about children getting vaccinated.

The first wave of returning British holiday-makers are now thinking about heading out for the evening.

Head waiter Nuno Leandro, at Akvavit restaurant on the marina in Vilamoura, is welcoming them with open arms.

“This is going to be fantastic for Portugal,” he tells us, while preparing a cool drink in the 30 degree heat.

“We’ve got bookings for this week and our regulars are coming back.”

Sure enough, the phone starts to ring again. He’s been working here for 20 years and says the past year has been the worst for business.

But were there times when he enjoyed the tranquility, without the hordes of British visitors, I ask?

He’s having none of it. “Never," he shoots back. “They’re great friends and we need them.”

Uncertain period as we move from lockdowns to relying on vaccinespublished at 19:12 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

19:12 BST 17 May 2021

James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent, BBC News

Should we be celebrating the easing of restrictions or worried by the continued spread of a new variant?

The big picture is we are in a much better place than the start of the year - when around 1.25 million people were estimated to have the virus and the NHS was feeling the pressure.

Now there are fewer than 1,000 people in hospital with Covid - 97% lower than the peak.

However, we are in a transitional phase as the burden of suppressing the virus is shifting from lockdowns to the vaccine. That process is not yet complete.

It means there is still the potential for a more transmissible variant to cause a spike in cases and people needing hospital treatment.

There is still uncertainty about how transmissible B.1.617.2 is and, in turn, how great a threat it poses.

However, the planned easing in mid-June is already in significant doubt.

As Matt Hancock mentioned in the Commons earlier, the town of Bedford is currently among the UK’s worst hotspots for Covid rates in the UK, with the spread of the Indian variant driving a steep increase in cases.

Local councillor Louise Jackson says the situation is “very concerning”, with only Bolton having a higher proportion of cases.

“We have the second highest rate in the country right now and the Indian variant does seem to be the dominant strain here so we’ve got to do a lot of things really to try and bring that under control here.”

Latest figures show the town has 121.2 cases per 100,000 people, up from 43.9 a week earlier and the highest for the area since 23 February.

She says she doesn’t think the town was ready to see lockdown restrictions relaxed “but now that that has happened we would like people to try to remain outdoors if they can - take advantage of those venues that have got outside space".

She also called on anyone eligible to get the vaccine to take up the offer, adding that they were looking at trying to expand the programme so that they "can get that vaccine out into communities as well”.

BBC Newsbeat

This is the moment Sam Round and her mum Sandra hugged for the first time in more than a year, at Sandra's home in Kingswinford in the West Midlands.

The advice on hugs has changed as part of the easing of lockdown measures in England, Wales and Scotland.

Sam said she felt “excited and emotional” to finally be hugging her mum - or "mom" as West Midlanders say.

Sandra was diagnosed with cancer just before the pandemic hit, and has had successful treatment over the past year.

Sandra said it feels "absolutely fantastic” to be able to hug loved ones again.

Rachel Schraer
BBC Health Reporter

Image source, PA Media

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), which regulates drugs and vaccines in the EU, has approved the Pfizer vaccine to be stored at normal fridge temperatures for a month rather than just five days.

The vaccine has to be kept in deep freeze storage of about -70 degrees to preserve it – requiring special facilities not found in your average GP surgery or pharmacy.

That’s why it’s had to be delivered mainly via hospitals and specially set-up vaccine centres.

Once defrosted, it can be kept in a normal fridge - but only for a limited period. That’s because the genetic material it contains (mRNA) is extremely fragile and falls apart easily.

Previously, evidence had shown the vaccine was still effective after five days in the fridge, but further studies submitted to the regulator have now shown it remains stable for up 31 days at a temperature of 2-8 degrees.

This is hugely helpful for countries’ vaccine programmes, giving them the flexibility to jab more people in a wider variety of settings - with fewer doses, in theory, having to be thrown away.

The EMA said “Increased flexibility in the storage and handling of the vaccine is expected to have a significant impact on planning and logistics of vaccine roll-out in EU member states”.

Horse racing fans have been welcomed back to Redcar - although capacity at the course is reduced.

Entry is via pre-paid ticket only and while racing has been taking place behind closed doors, it's the first meeting with spectators since October 2019.

Amy Fair from Redcar racecourse says: "We are being very cautious and we have a reduced capacity compared to what we would have normally - it's considerably reduced."

In the past traditional big race meetings, such as Ladies Day, would see about 7,000 people at the course but the current run of meetings is a fraction of that.

"Our total capacity for the grandstand side only is just over 2,000 people, so for today's meeting we're looking around 1,000 people coming racing," Amy says.

Image source, Getty Images

Marianna Spring
Specialist disinformation and social media reporter

Some concerns have been raised about vaccine hesitancy in Bolton, where infections caused by the Indian Covid-19 variant have spiked and an urgent vaccination campaign has been taking place.

Across the UK, anti-vaccine content on social media has played a part in reluctance to get the jab - a topic which I’ve been investigating for the BBC for several months.

Committed activists have exploited the fears with falsehoods, including myths about fertility and periods that have scared younger women off getting a Covid jab.

There have also been false claims about vaccines specifically directed at South Asian communities. I interviewed those affected for BBC Panorama back in February.

What's the solution? Social media sites have made repeated commitments to tackle harmful anti-vaccine content online - including a new campaign launched today by YouTube to encourage young people to take the vaccine.

But critics argue these sites have acted too late. Meanwhile, committed citizens have stepped into the breach. That includes two Brits using honeytrap Facebook groups in a bid to help those who have been taken in by these conspiracy theories.

• There's more in the latest episode of the Anti-Vax Files, which you can find here

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has compared people who refuse Covid vaccines to drink drivers.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, he called for people to consider how vaccine refusal affects others.

Eleanor Roper & Annabel Rackham
BBC Newsbeat

Image source, Fez/Aubrey Simpson

Live music is back on the agenda with today’s lockdown easing in England – and five-part indie band Fez are gearing up for their first show in 15 months.

The band - made up of Rollo Ellison, Zak de la Bedoyere, Mischa Dhar, Lewis Rennie-Campbell and Ed Wing – is playing in Hackney, east London, tonight.

Rollo says what he's missed most during lockdown is socialising with other musicians and "interacting with an artistic community”.

"I think we've managed to stay quite productive just by digging deep and writing more material,” he says.

“But I think like a lot of other bands we got cut off just at a time that we were about to release a lot of stuff."

Small music venues have been hit hard by the pandemic and rely on bands like Fez to keep them open.

"It's really tough for anyone in the music industry or any creative industry to be honest, which is why I love being in a band and being able to play music and connect with people by performing live," Rollo says.

Hear more from the band on Newsbeat on BBC Sounds.

• Films, exhibitions and more things you can see now venues are reopening
• Music industry 'should support struggling small gig venues'

Image source, Getty Images

If you're looking for a catch-up on some of the key coronavirus updates so far today, have a read of our evening briefing here.

It includes that:

• Indian variant cases are up by 1,313 in the UK to 2,323. Of these, 483 were in Bolton and Blackburn where it is the dominant strain
• Surge vaccinations are gathering pace in areas most affected by the rise of the variant
• it is not clear if step four of the UK government's roadmap out of lockdown will go ahead as planned on 21 June because of the Indian variant
• Some holidaymakers have been heading to green list countries from today, which have the lowest number of restrictions if you're travelling back to the UK from them
• And one of the activities people can do again from today is bingo. Regular player Bob Lusher said: "It is the biggest thing I've missed during lockdown."

Earlier, we brought you the UK's latest government Covid statistics, which showed there were another 1,979 positive cases.

Head here to find out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average.

Image source, UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout

The House of Commons has moved a "step closer to returning to normality", Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle says.

A total of 64 MPs are now able to speak in the chamber, almost double the previous number. Microphones have been installed in the under galleries of the House too - MPs can usually watch proceedings from this location but not speak.

Overall capacity in the Commons chamber has increased from 53 to 79, which includes MPs, clerks and officials.

And MPs are still able to contribute to proceedings via Zoom.

Sir Lindsay told MPs: "They must wear masks when in the chamber other than when speaking. That is one of the steps which means we're able to allow more members into the chamber."

He added that he would suspend proceedings if the chamber was getting overcrowded, however.

Reality Check

Asked about why India was not put on the travel “red list” at the same time as neighbouring Bangladesh and Pakistan (on 9 April), Matt Hancock told the Commons: “The truth is that when we put Pakistan on the red list and indeed Bangladesh, the positivity of those arriving from Pakistan and Bangladesh was three times higher [than] that from India.”

The positivity rate is the proportion of people tested who have Covid-19.

But we don’t know the different rates at that time because his department has not published all the figures we need.

We do have the positivity rate broken down by country for the whole period from 26 March to 22 April., external

But what we need for a comparison is the figures available on 2 April, when it was announced that Pakistan and Bangladesh would be added to the red list. India was added three weeks later.

The figures up to 22 April for travellers arriving in England show:

• 6% from India had Covid
• 6% from Pakistan had Covid
• 4% from Bangladesh had Covid

Many of those positive tests were sent for sequencing to find out if there were new variants present - 56% of the positive tests from India had new variants, 2% from Pakistan and 60% from Bangladesh.

You can read more about India’s addition to the red list here.

Simon Browning
Business Reporter

The sun shone through the plane windows the whole journey all the way up to touch down in Faro.

It was as smooth and simple an arrival as you could hope for when on your holidays or a work trip.

We queued for all of five minutes at passport control. Passport checked and stamped - and our Covid certificates checked. That was a relief as we didn’t know what to expect with Covid test checks.

By the time we were at the carousel our luggage was there and we were on our way outside into the 27C sun (sorry - I know the weather is grim today in the UK).

Joana was one of those working in the car park. She was so happy to meet us.

She said she’d missed British people so much in the last year - adding "they’re vital to the Algarve, you have been for so long".

Portugal handled our arrival well. But remember, numbers coming in today are tiny by comparison with previous summers. How it’ll handle real volumes or tourists with tests and paperwork no-one knows yet. But a solid start on day one.

The SNP’s Dr Philippa Whitford also raises questions about travel restrictions, asking why there was a delay in adding India to the UK’s “red list” of countries.

She says the Indian variant has been doubling every week in the UK despite lockdown so “why is he ignoring” advice from the government scientists “and opening up areas like Bolton”.

It isn’t possible to outrun the virus through vaccination alone, she says, adding the variant is “in danger of surging” if local travel restrictions aren’t implemented.

Matt Hancock responds by reiterating that decisions were made on evidence at the time, adding it was “striking” that the Scottish government also placed India on the red list at the same as Westminster.