Newspaper headlines: Pubs 'may open in April' and summer holiday hopes
EPAThe Daily Telegraph says pubs and restaurants in England could reopen as early as April, but won't be allowed to sell alcohol. It says the idea is being discussed as part of the roadmap for lifting lockdown.
The Sun expects pubs will be able to return to full business in May, and says the 22:00 curfew which confused customers last year will now be scrapped.
The Times says Boris Johnson is "cautious" and "fretful" about easing restrictions - after he was criticised for being over-optimistic in the past.
Government denials that "vaccine passports" are being planned has not dampened enthusiasm for the idea in the papers. The Daily Express says they are "on the cards", while the Daily Mirror calls them a "ray of sunlight", which could allow lockdown-weary Brits to jet off on holiday this summer.
The Daily Mail leads with a leaked briefing about what it calls the "shocking" state of the British army. It says the Ministry of Defence report reveals that all but one of the 33 infantry battalions are "dangerously short" of combat-ready troops. In response, the Army insists it has the numbers and talent required to protect the UK.
The Times says the government's move to "seize control" of the NHS will allow ministers to block the closure of hospitals and ban advertising of unhealthy food. But it says questions are being asked about why it is embarking on a big reorganisation during a pandemic.
The Telegraph suggests an answer - it says there is concern that the system set up by David Cameron in 2012 had hampered the health service response to the crisis.
The Independent believes ministers are using coronavirus as a reason to erode the independence of NHS and to intervene in day-to-day operations
Downing Street considered asking Prince Edward to move to Scotland "in an effort to save the Union", according to the Daily Mail. The paper says the "wheeze" was dreamt up last year in response to rising support for the SNP.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex would have taken up full time residence in Edinburgh - but the paper says no formal request was ever made.
