What the papers say – May 17

Concerns around the spread of the Indian variant as pandemic measures are relaxed feature on Monday’s front pages.

The Daily Mirror welcomes “Happy hours … for now”, the Daily Star says the easing means the public will be able to “fill their boots savouring plays and works of art” as the i cautions the “new freedoms come with a health warning”.

Boris Johnson has urged the public to adopt a “heavy dose of caution” as the country continues its reopening, according to the Daily Mail and the Daily Express.

The Sun says pubs and restaurants are reopening for indoor customers as it emerges Britain’s Covid-19 vaccines are highly effective against the Indian variant, prompting the paper to entreat its readers to “Get the shots in”.

Health experts warn on the front of The Guardian that people should continue to avoid socialising indoors in pubs and restaurants to stop a third wave of coronavirus being sparked by the Indian mutation.

The Times reports holiday plans have been “thrown into chaos” after Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned Britons against visiting countries on the “amber list”.

Ministers have refused to rule out using new local lockdowns to stop the spread of the Indian variant, The Independent reports.

The Financial Times says AT&T is preparing a deal to combine its content unit, Warner Media, with rival Discovery to create a media “giant” with a value of 150 billion dollars (£106 billion).

And Metro thanks its readers for helping it to get “back on top as Britain’s biggest national weekday newspaper”.