Prime Minister Boris Johnson will hold a Downing Street press conference later on Monday, No 10 has said.
It comes as millions of children are returning to the classroom in England for the first time since December as coronavirus restrictions begin to ease.
Under the first phase of the Government’s road map out of lockdown, visits to care homes are also resuming from Monday – under strictly controlled conditions.
And the rules around meeting another household have been loosened to allow people to leave home to meet one other person outdoors for a coffee or picnic.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that although it is “only a small relaxation of the rules”, the changes will bring “joy and relief” to families after months of “tough restrictions”.
One scientist advising the Government acknowledged it is “inevitable” there will be an increase in the numbers of cases as schools go back.
Professor Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said a small rise in the R number – representing the reproduction rate of the virus – is less important than the absolute numbers being admitted to hospital and intensive care.
Ministers believe the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccinations should break the link between case numbers and hospital admissions and deaths as more and more people are protected from the disease.
