Times

Thousands more young people are turning to “safe” careers such as nursing, medicine and engineering amid the economic chaos of the pandemic, reports The Times.

Boris Johnson is planning a “mass testing blitz” as the prime minister plans the easing of lockdown, The Times reports. 

The Times says it understands that vaccination is “already reducing hospital admissions, deaths and transmission of coronavirus in Britain”, according to what it calls “encouraging” early data. 

People could be allowed to take self-catered holidays by Easter, according to The Times.

According to internal government projections seen by The Times, the number of coronavirus patients in hospitals in England will more than halve over the next month.

Social distancing may have to stay in place until autumn under plans being considered by ministers – that’s the lead in The Times.

The prime minister appeals to the last two million people over 70 to come forward and get their COVID-19 vaccination – that’s on the front of The Times.

The Times says the penalty for lying about where one arrived in the UK from could be up to 10 years in jail or for avoiding quarantine, a £10,000 fine.

A further jab may be needed in the autumn to help deal with mutant strains of COVID-19, The Times reports.