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This week, the government laid out plans for the easing of lockdown restrictions, and the gradual return to work for much of the UK.

But just as the nation is asked to use ‘common sense’ about whether to go back to work, the ‘R-number’, the crucial measurement of how quickly the coronavirus is spreading through the population, has increased to between 0.7 and 1.0.

While the government says people can now travel, many of Britain’s key tourist locations have asked prospective visitors not to turn up.

How do we make sense of this confusing mix of advice? And can we learn anything from the abundance of data?

Business Editor Helen Thomas reports.