Thousands of hotel rooms are to be block-booked to house UK residents returning from coronavirus hotspots abroad. The government says the regime will be in place from 15 February and it's working "at pace" to secure rooms, after discussions with more than 60 hotel and travel companies. Ministers plan to house more than 1,000 people a day in hotels near major ports and airports hired exclusively for quarantine. Those travellers would have to eat and sleep for 10 nights in hotel rooms, with security accompanying them outside for air.
A hospitality industry source says housing 1,425 people a day until 31 March, based on government estimates of £80 a night each, would cost £55m. Government sources say the prospect of paying should see traveller numbers swiftly reduce. Labour's Nick Thomas-Symonds says it's "too little, too late", coming 50 days after the identification of a South African coronavirus strain which scientists say appears more contagious. Tories say demands to extend the quarantine beyond those travelling from 33 "red-list" Covid-19 hotspots to about 20,000 people are "implausible".

Three "serious" incidents, one of which caused a hospital to be placed in lockdown for three hours, are being linked. Police Scotland is yet to confirm the nature of the incidents, the first of which - at about 19:45 GMT last night - caused ambulances to be diverted away from University Hospital Crosshouse, in Kilmarnock. However, they are not being treated as terror-related. Officers dealt with a second incident in the town centre about 20 minutes after being called to the hospital. They then attended a crash on the A76, on the outskirts, at about 20:30.

For landlords it's "heartbreaking" and those hankering after a pint might agree. The British Beer and Pub Association calculates that by the time the current lockdowns end, up to 87 million pints of beer - equivalent to £331m in sales - will have been thrown away as a result of UK pub closures since last March. Most barreled lagers last three to four months but for real ales it's six to nine weeks. "We've been through a year of grief through no fault of our own," says landlord Garry Tallent, who puts his losses at £130,000. He's backing calls for government help, including an extension of the VAT cut.

A variety of stories lead the papers but many once again strike an optimistic note. The Daily Express sees a "shot in the arm for Britain PLC" in Bank of England forecasts that the UK economy will "recover rapidly" from the pandemic. A Whitehall source tells the Daily Mail ministers hope to relax most restrictions in May. Meanwhile, the Times says outdoor sport and socialising will be among the first activities allowed from next month. However, in the Guardian, former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt urges a cautious approach to ending lockdown. Read the review.

It's A Sin, the Channel 4 drama chronicling the UK's 1980s Aids epidemic, has proven a hit with audiences. Read our interview with Jill Nadler, who inspired one of the main characters. And it's Friday, so why not test your news knowledge in our weekly quiz?

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