Newspaper headlines: \'Road map\' for lockdown exit as UK passes virus peak

The front pages of the Daily Mirror, the Daily Express and the Times all focus on Boris Johnson's assessment that the UK is now "past the peak" of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Mirror accompanies its headline with an image of a rainbow in Essex - and the prime minister's suggestion that the country can "see the sunlight".

"At last," is the message from the Express.

The Times says Mr Johnson's words sent a "message of hope" that some restrictions could soon be lifted. It adds that with the reproduction - or R-rate - of the virus is lower in some parts of the country than others, it raises the possibility some regions could leave the lockdown earlier than others.

Readers of the Daily Telegraph are told to "forget the R-rate" by the paper's columnist Fraser Nelson, because he says the crisis will be not be decided by science. He writes that if the public remain firmly against lifting the lockdown, as a number of polls reportedly suggest, then it does not matter what the R number is because commuters will not return and schools will stay empty.

Children need school

"The kids are not all right," is the message from the latest edition of the Economist, as its leader column says governments should open schools first when it comes to easing coronavirus restrictions.

It says that no amount of "helicopter parenting" or video-conferencing can replace real-life teachers. And poorer children will suffer most - with Zoom lessons little use if homes lack good internet or if the child has to fight with three siblings over a single phone. 

"Penny Pinch Posh Becks Down," is the headline in the Sun as it reports that Victoria Beckham has reversed a decision to furlough 25 people who work for her fashion label. The paper says the change of heart is an "embarrassing U-turn" for a designer whose family is worth £335m.

The Guardian adds that she had faced heavy criticism after posting pictures from her family's "luxury lockdown" in Oxfordshire. A spokesperson for the company's board has said it can "navigate through" the crisis with the support of shareholders. 

German researchers believe they found a scientifically-validated hangover cure: a cocktail of plant extracts. The Times reports that a mix of Barbados cherry, prickly pear, ginkgo biloba, willow and ginger root significantly reduced the side-effects of alcohol for those taking part in the trial.

The experts from the Johannes Gutenberg-University in Mainz say while they struggled to receive funding, there was no problem finding 200 willing volunteers - because testing involved a night of unlimited drink.

"Hancock confident he'll hit 100,000 tests target," is the headline on the front of the Daily Telegraph. Allies of the health secretary have told the paper that he will find out this afternoon if he has hit his "magic number" but faces a "nail-biting finish". Government sources reportedly claim that capacity is at 90,000 and in a final push yesterday, ministers posted links to the testing website.

The Guardian's editorial says that Britain has been "too late" in increasing its testing capacity. It points out that the volume of testing is not the issue - instead there should be a focus on whether testing is extensive enough to map the spread of the virus.

The paper highlights that for every confirmed case of Covid-19 in South Korea there were 57 tests, whereas, in the UK the number is less than a tenth of that.

The Times is more sympathetic to the government. It says that even if the target is missed - the surge in testing capacity has been "impressive" and that it should be increased again to 250,000 a day.

'Trademark optimism'

The Daily Mail likens Mr Johnson's prolonged absence from the podium to "many performances of Hamlet without the Prince" - adding that he returned "undimmed by his brush with death". But while the paper believes he brought "trademark optimism", it also suggests that at the end of it all the briefing had been "more style than substance".

The Times reports that football authorities are preparing for all matches to take place behind closed doors next season. The paper says that senior figures within the game believe that games will be without a crowd until Christmas as the UK attempts to control the pandemic. But they are said to be prepared for this to be extended to next May.

"Soaps in crisis" is the headline on the front of the Daily Mirror as it reports that shows including Emmerdale and Coronation Street are running out of material. Pre-shot programmes are all set to to be broadcast in May and June respectively.

The Daily Telegraph says that ITV will leave older actors out of shows until social distancing measures have been eased. The channel's director of television, Kevin Lygo is quoted as saying: "I don't want Ken Barlow to get sick on my watch".