Jeremy Hunt, former health secretary, says clarity on the UK's border policy is "essential" with many variants having come from overseas.

The first wave, he adds, was "seeded" from people coming back from Spring breaks in places such as Italy, France and Spain in 2020.

He wants "absolute clarity" on whether people can go on holiday to amber list countries even when it is no longer illegal to do so.

Hancock gives the clarity Hunt asked for, saying "the answer is no".

"The official government advice is very clear," he adds, which is that people should not travel to amber or red list countries or territories.

People should not go to amber list countries for a holiday - and should not travel to non-green list countries and territories at all unless they have an exceptional reason, he says.

Hancock says the government's priority is "protecting the progress made at home". Countries that could go on the green list are being assessed every three weeks he adds, saying that monitoring is also going on to make sure places on the green list are still safe.

Matt Hancock says surge testing, as seen in South London, “can work” and that is the approach being taken in Bolton and Blackburn.

He adds the policy will also be used in other areas where it is needed.

He says the government has “procured enough Pfizer” to offer it to children - if it is clinically approved in the UK - adding he has closely followed trials showing the jab is safe for those aged 12-18.

However, he says “there is some time to go” before the UK is ready to vaccinate 18-year-olds, with other age groups a priority.

In answer to questions about travel restrictions to India, he says the government put them on the “red list” before the variant now spreading around the UK became a “variant of concern”.

Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth asks if the situation with the Indian variant "could have been avoided".

Our borders, he says, "have been about as secure as a sieve".

The delay in adding India to the red list was a "catastrophic misstep", says Ashworth. One month ago he urged Hancock to act quickly in response to the variant, he adds.

And while Hancock has talked about the effectiveness of vaccines against the variant, a JCVI scientist has said vaccines will almost certainly be less effective at reducing transmission of the variant, adds Ashworth.

There needs to be a plan for the variant to be contained "urgently", says Ashworth.

He asks Hancock to consider a number of measures before going into local lockdowns, which he's said to be considering.

Those measures include surge vaccination in all hotspot areas and going "hell for leather" rolling out vaccines to everyone.

He also wants to know the latest on plans to vaccinate children and asks if it is right that secondary school pupils no longer have to wear masks from today.

Matt Hancock says “as of today” people will be able to show whether they have had the vaccine through the NHS app.

He goes on to emphasise the importance of having a second dose of the jab in protecting against the virus, saying the government is now going to prioritise accelerating second doses for the most vulnerable groups.

Second doses for people over 50 will now be given eight weeks after the first, rather than 12.

He says this approach, approved by the JCVI, is the “best way to save the most lives”, rather than jumping ahead by given jabs to younger people.

The health secretary finishes his statement by saying that proceeding to step three of the easing of lockdown “marks an important step in our road to recovery” but we must proceed with “caution”.

So far the vaccine has saved 12,000 lives in the UK and prevented about 33,000 hospitalisations, says Matt Hancock.

It is protecting people at a "very rapid pace" and last week was the biggest week for vaccinations since the end of March.

He says he was "delighted" to see YouGov polling figures showing the UK has the highest enthusiasm for Covid-19 vaccinations in the world - with 90% saying they either have had, or will have, their jabs.

This, he tells MPs, is "no accident", with work starting on the campaign a year ago. He thanks all those who have publicly revealed they have been vaccinated, mentioning the Queen, comedian Lenny Henry and presenter Holly Willoughby among others.

From tomorrow, those aged 37 and over can come forward for a vaccine, he says.

Matt Hancock tells MPs the latest scientific assessment is that the variant first detected in India, known also as the B.1.617 variant, is more transmissible - but we don't know yet to what extent.

He also says there isn't the "complete picture" yet, but early laboratory data from Oxford University indicates vaccines will be effective against the variant. It corroborates other information from the Royal Bolton Hospital and data from India as well.

While that's reassuring, higher transmission rates cause a "real risk", adds Hancock.

It all supports the strategy of cautiously replacing restrictions on people's freedom with the protection they get from the vaccine, he adds.

We've been hearing about the rise in cases of the Indian variant in Bolton and Blackburn, in Lancashire.

Matt Hancock now tells the House of Commons there is also surge testing taking place in Bedford, which is the next biggest place that's a "cause for concern".

People living there are urged to "exercise caution" and get tested.

In total, there are 85 local authorities that have five or more confirmed cases of the B.1.617 variant.

The health secretary says there are now 2,323 confirmed cases of the Indian variant – known as B.1.617 - in the UK.

He says 483 of these cases have been in Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen, where it is now the dominant strain.

He says cases have doubled in the past week and have been rising in all age groups.

The evidence shows the new variant is not tending to affect older, vaccinated groups, he says, emphasising the importance of getting the vaccine.

He says it has been “brilliant” to see so many people come forward to get the jab in those areas, adding that anyone in the rest of the country who feels hesitant should look at what is happening in Bolton and Blackburn.

The majority of people in hospital with Covid there “have chosen not to have the jab”, he adds.

Image source, House of Commons

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is on his feet now giving an update to the House of Commons on the latest on coronavirus.

He says the UK has been engaged in a race between the virus and the vaccine and that, as a nation, we've taken "huge steps forward".

While there can be "further careful progress" taken today, with the easing of restriction, we must all "stay vigilant".

There are fewer than 1,000 people in hospital with Covid at the moment and on average there are nine deaths a day.

The careful easing of restrictions is bringing back "things that make life worth living" that people have missed, with sacrifices made by individuals and businesses alike.

But he warns we "must be humble in the face of this virus", looking at not just where we are now but at the weeks and months to come.

The vaccination programme progress can give us confidence, but we have to be alert of the new variants, says Hancock, saying he will now update on the Indian variant.

Jon Kay
BBC News

“I’ve waited a year for this!”

Hospital ward manager Viv Hudson, 58, wept with joy as she finally hugged her NHS worker daughter Theresa Fox this afternoon.

After more than 12 months of social-distancing, mum and daughter embraced in the front garden of Theresa’s house in Southampton.

They were a bit anxious and awkward to start with. “It feels a bit naughty after all this time,” said Theresa, 38.

But nerves quickly gave way to tears - and giggles. “It’s a bit weird - but a good kind of weird. I’ve missed this so much.“

“It’ll take some getting used to, but it feels absolutely wonderful,” adds Viv.

Much as they enjoyed their first hug, the pair say they won’t be going overboard. Even though they’re both double-vaccinated, they will only be hugging one another - and only outdoors.

With this new variant, we’ve still got to be cautious, cautious, cautious,” says Viv, beaming.

We just brought you the latest Covid statistics on cases and deaths - we've also got the information on the number of vaccinations in the UK.

Another 131,318 people have now had their first dose, bringing the total to 36,704,672. And another 183,745 have also had a second dose, meaning 20,287,403 have had both jabs now.

There have been another five deaths reported in the UK, of people who had tested positive for coronavirus within the previous 28 days.

It brings the total number of deaths, using that measure, to 127,684.

And there have been another 1,979 positive tests recorded, meaning the total is now 4,452,756.

We're expecting UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock to give an update on Covid-19 in the House of Commons at around 16:15 BST.

It comes as the spread of the Indian variant in the country is causing concern that further easing of restrictions could be delayed.

We’ll bring you updates from his statement here.

We told you a bit before about new comments this afternoon from the prime minister's official spokesman, who's been speaking about the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.

In other remarks, he said the government is "proceeding cautiously" with that easing, despite the risk from the Indian variant.

Asked whether Boris Johnson agreed with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng that there's nothing to suggest the 21 June lifting would be delayed, he said: "The PM set out the position last week. You know we are proceeding cautiously, we will keep a close eye on the data and as the business secretary made clear this morning, currently there's nothing in the data to suggest we can't proceed."

But, he added, "we are keeping a very watchful eye on the outbreaks of the variant first identified in India, and particularly what impact it has on hospitalisation rates".

And on the future of the one metre-plus social distancing rule, he said the decision would be made "on the very latest data" with plans set out "as soon as the data allows".

Image source, Getty Images

You can now sit in the pub, do a group exercise class and hug loved ones.

But the easing of coronavirus rules in England, Wales and parts of Scotland isn't necessarily a good thing for everyone - for those with social anxiety, life after lockdown can be a scary prospect.

Social anxiety disorder is a fear of social situations and includes worrying about meeting strangers, how to act with groups of friends and generally feeling self-conscious.

It can make everyday life extremely difficult and can manifest itself physically by causing sweating, palpitations or panic attacks.

You can read about some people's experience of anxiety and get expert advice on how to deal with it here.

Here is a little more from composer and theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber, who has been speaking to BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

He says those who choose not to get vaccinated are "selfish" and are ''affecting an enormous number of people's jobs and livelihoods".

Lloyd Webber compared those who refuse a vaccine to people who drink and drive.

''I do think it is selfish, if you look at it this way... you could say I would like to go out and have a drink tonight and drive home and accidentally I kill somebody.

"It seems to be that nobody is going to go out and deliberately infect somebody with Covid, but it is completely wrong if we know the science."

When asked about making the stark comparison between drinking and driving and refusing a vaccine, Lloyd Webber said: ''You could argue it is your choice."

"I feel very strongly now that there are people who have got to realise that by not having the vaccine they are affecting an enormous number of people's jobs and livelihoods.''

The strange familiarity of being on a planepublished at 15:30 British Summer Time 17 May 2021

15:30 BST 17 May 2021

Caroline Davies
Transport correspondent

From near-empty departure halls to queues of passengers.

After months of keeping apart, travelling on a busy airliner feels both familiar and strange. Face masks are mandatory except to allow for eating and drinking, but seats are not socially distanced. I was handed a complimentary antibacterial wipe on boarding.

The paperwork is far more complicated than normal; alongside my passport and ticket, I’m carrying proof of my negative PCR test, a passenger locator form for Portugal and proof of my booked tests for my journey home. I'll have to complete another locator form to come back to the UK.

Still at 35,000 feet, we don’t know how long the queues will be at the Portuguese border when we land or on the return journey.

Passengers onboard have said they feel a little like guinea pigs. The travel industry knows it’s important to make this process smooth and safe if it’s to have a good summer.

Cinemas are reopening today in England, Wales and parts of Scotland. We've spoken to Carol Welch from Odeon to find out what people can expect when they visit - you can watch below.

Staff at one of Wales' leading coach tour firms turned up for work two hours early on Monday as they welcomed back their first customers.

Edwards Coaches in South Wales were setting off for the Lake District as they restarted their domestic tour holidays in the UK.

Owner Jason Edwards says Covid has been "devastating" but today felt like Christmas morning, with his teams arriving early.

"That just gives you an idea of the appetite for getting things done," he adds.

Customer Gill Jones says she is "over the moon" to be able to take a holiday break.

"A year last February was the last holiday I went on... so this is a big escape," she adds.

Kathryn Stanczyszyn
BBC Radio WM

Passengers leaving from Birmingham Airport to go on holiday "is a bit of a novelty, unfortunately", for the airport's chief executive Nick Barton.

The first flight to Portugal departed this morning with 118 passengers after they went through extra paperwork to check-in, including showing negative Covid test results.

With the ban on foreign holidays lifted, 12 countries are on the government's green list but the vast majority of tourist destinations remain on the amber and red lists.

Barton says the airport's only real destination that's a green list country is Portugal but a few routes are being opened up to amber list countries.

"Greece is on there and some destinations in Spain, so we will see how those go, but of course there is a quarantine requirement on return from those destinations, but we will see what passengers think," he says.