A group of Conservative MPs have demanded that all coronavirus restrictions are lifted by May – and the Sunday Express reports that the COVID Recovery Group want the prime minister to promise this will be the final lockdown.
The Sunday Mirror says the UK’s target to give a vaccine to 15 million people is going to be hit today – and the Valentine’s Day milestone means 80% of those in the most vulnerable groups are protected.
The Sunday Telegraph claims that we’ll be allowed to meet a friend for coffee on a park bench and go for outdoor picnics from 8 March – with golf and tennis to follow shortly afterwards. According to the paper, ministers are privately saying that pubs with outdoor dining could reopen in early April.
Daily Star Sunday alleges that the Army is killing hundreds of hero dogs at the end of their service, instead of rehoming them. The newspaper is also offering a “relationship-saving” Valentine’s Day card for those who have forgotten it’s 14 February.
The Mail on Sunday says we’ll be back in the pub garden for Easter – with No 10 planning to allow the beleaguered hospitality industry to lift its shutters at the end of March. The newspaper reports that the 10pm curfew will also be scrapped, and the requirement to have a substantial meal with alcohol will be abandoned.
The Sunday Times writes that Boris Johnson is going to make a national address next week, where he will announce that all children will return to the classroom on 8 March. The newspaper reports that the PM’s decision goes against the advice of some government scientists – and says prioritising schools will mean adults only have “small new freedoms” initially.
Tens of thousands of COVID-19 survivors needing long-term care are heaping pressure on Britain’s community services – and The Independent says experts fear the crisis could dwarf the one seen in hospitals over the past 12 months.
Boris Johnson is confident that 15 million Britons will have received their first vaccine by Monday, according to The Observer – with a leading scientist telling the newspaper that the UK repeatedly failed to heed early warnings about COVID-19.