Newspaper headlines: 'Hope in sight' as UK nears 'second phase' of lockdown By BBC News

Staff Published duration 28 April

image copyright Downing Street image caption Boris Johnson returned to work after recovering from the virus

The papers and news websites have plenty to say about Boris Johnson's first appearance since returning to work following his recuperation from coronavirus.

The Spectator website says the statement was more of a pep talk and a way of saying to the country that he was back and in control of things.

Paul Goodman, writing on the Conservative Home website, says listening to his vivid language, with its image of the British people fighting back against a mugger virus, was like being jolted awake after snoozing off.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the prime minister will hold a series of meetings with key ministers this week to finalise details of how different sectors of the economy could start easing their way out of the lockdown.

The Times quotes a No 10 adviser as saying Mr Johnson will "put flesh on the bones" of the plan by the end of this week.

The Daily Mirror says that after more than a month of being cooped up, people have been given a glimmer of hope over a return to something resembling normal life.

"Not much longer", is the paper's front page headline. With similar optimism, the i headline declares there's "hope in sight".

According to the Guardian, business leaders and trade unions have been drafted into sector-by-sector meetings chaired by Business Secretary Alok Sharma in recent days, amid concerns in Whitehall that many employees may be reluctant to return to the workplace.

The paper says measures under discussion aimed at allaying fears include the use of face masks and hand sanitiser on public transport, one-in-one-out rules and socially-distanced queues for non-essential shops, as well as revised operating procedures for building sites.

image copyright AFP image caption The Nightingale Hospital in Bristol was the latest facility to be opened in response to the coronavirus crisis

The Times says Britain's Nightingale hospitals are being lined up to become the primary centres for treating Covid-19 patients.

Under proposals being discussed in government and the NHS - the paper goes on - the 10 new hospitals will aim to care for as many coronavirus patients as possible, allowing traditional hospitals to become "Covid-free zones".

That would free up beds to allow them to scale up routine operations again.

The Daily Express leads with the one-minute silence for key workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus. Pictures of many of them are arranged around the headline, "in memory of their sacrifice".

The Daily Mirror says the deaths are a grim reminder of the debt of honour owed to "huge numbers of grafters" risking their lives to save ours and keep Britain functioning.

Let the silence be deafening as we demonstrate our quiet gratitude, the paper urges.

image copyright PA Media image caption More than 120,000 birthday cards have been sent to Captain Tom Moore

Finally, the Daily Mail has a picture of what it calls a sea of cards for Captain Tom Moore's 100th birthday on Thursday.

Captain Tom's 16-year-old grandson, Benjie, is standing in the middle of the cards, which take up the whole of the floor of the hall at Bedford School, where he's a pupil.