EVERY MORNING, The Journal brings you all the news you need to know as you start the day.

1. #READER Q&A: You sent in questions about vaccines for pregnant women and for people over the age of 50 – and we got experts to answer them. Read it here.

2. #NOT OVER YET: Raging coronavirus outbreaks in India and Brazil are fuelling record level Covid-19 cases in those countries – as vaccine rollouts become more urgent.

3. #WALK-IN CENTRES: Seven more locations around the country – two in Cork, two in Dublin and one each in Offaly, Kildare and Mayo – will have walk-in test centres for Covid-19 available over the next week.

4. #SHARED ISLAND: A series of polls on a United Ireland carried out by Kantar on behalf of the Irish Independent found that 67% of voters in Ireland are in favour of a United Ireland, but 54% said they would be unwilling to pay more tax to fund it.

5. #OUCH: In an interview with the Irish Times, Alan Shatter said that “you have very few real friends in politics”. Speaking about his departure from the Department of Justice, Shatter said “I was effectively cancelled, completely.”

6. #RUBBISH: Councils have asked people to be more responsible about litter after an increased amount of rubbish has been spotted at public areas in recent weeks, with the improved weather and more outdoor social meetings likely.

7. #BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND: The Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI have issued a joint call urging people to be vigilant in and on the water or along the coastline this Bank Holiday weekend.

8. #GRATEFUL: Bank Holiday weekends are a good time to remember the work of trade unionists and socialists, without whom there wouldn’t be weekends or bank holidays, writes TD Paul Murphy.

9. #CASH FOR CUSHIONS: Boris Johnson is coming under some heavy fire for how a refurbishment of a Downing Street flat was paid for – but also, for calling the refurbishment necessary because his predecessor Theresa May had decorated it as a “John Lewis nightmare”. This is an enjoyable piece in the Financial Times on it.