Boris Johnson could be returning to Downing Street as early as Monday following his recovery from coronavirus, according to unconfirmed reports.
The Prime Minister has told aides to schedule meetings with cabinet ministers next week to get up to speed, the Telegraph said.
But Downing Street sources told the Mirror no decision about when Mr Johnson would return had been made, and that he would follow his doctors’ advice.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock today said Mr Johnson is “definitely recovering”, adding he is “cheerful, ebullient, and he's definitely on the mend in a big way”.
But he said when he comes back to work is a matter for him and his doctors, and "he has to be better".
Asked if he could return on Monday Mr Hancock told Sky News: "We'll see.
"The decision hasn't been taken but the PM's taking calls and is staying in touch. He's spoken to the President [of the US], he's spoken to Her Majesty, and he talks to his Cabinet colleagues too."
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Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain, Mr Hancock added: "I spoke to the Prime Minister yesterday. He's definitely in good spirits and getting much better and so that is very good news.
"I'm sure the whole country looks forward to him coming out of his isolation."
Mr Johnson was discharged from a London hospital earlier this month and was continuing his recovery from COVID-19 at his country residence of Chequers.
But he's facing criticism from opposition politicians and some epidemiologists for reacting too slowly to the virus outbreak.
Britain is at or near the peak of a health crisis with the number of deaths related to coronavirus hitting 18,738 - the fifth highest national death toll from the pandemic linked to at least 184,900 deaths worldwide.
Ministers have been struggling to explain high death rates, limited testing and shortages of protective kits.
They are now working to roll out a mass testing and tracking programme to try to reduce the rate of transmission and possibly ease stringent measures that have all but shut the economy.
A source told the newspaper: “He’s not the sort of person who is very good at doing nothing. In truth, he has been working pretty much full time for the past week.
“The fact that he had a telephone audience with the Queen on Wednesday night shows you that he considers himself to be fit for duty.”
Mr Johnson is not formally doing Government work, but has been up to a phone call with Donald Trump.
And Number 10 confirmed he had spoken to the Queen on Wednesday evening.
The White House said the PM, who spoke with President Trump earlier this week, "shared that he is feeling better and on the road to recovery".
It comes as the nurses who cared for Mr Johnson while he fought for his life in intensive care said he was "a patient like any other".
Luis Pitarma and Jenny McGee were singled out for praise by the Prime Minister after treating him at St Thomas' Hospital in central London when he was admitted with persistent coronavirus symptoms.
Mr Pitarma and Ms McGee, from Portugal and New Zealand respectively, were lauded by Mr Johnson for standing "by my bedside for 48 hours when things could have gone either way".
Mr Pitarma, 29, who revealed he had been inspired by Florence Nightingale, said he was "nervous" after being told he would be caring for the Prime Minister, but said his first conversation with his famous patient put him at ease.
