The government has confirmed it may shorten quarantine for people returning from holidays abroad.
It's weighing up the move after a huge backlash from holidaymakers and businesses.
Ministers announced the controversial two week quarantine period at the weekend.
It came after Spanish health authorities announced a surge in new Covid-19 cases, prompting fears of a fresh outbreak.
But tourists affected by the new rules hit back, saying they would lose wages because of the measure because they can't get Statutory Sick Pay.
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Now Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed that a reduction of the 14-day quarantine period is being looked at but that it won't happen until it is "absolutely safe" to do so.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast Mr Hancock said: “We are working on whether, by testing people during that quarantine, it is safe to then be able to release them earlier.
“Again, this is a really important essentially scientific, clinical question.
“So that’s something we are working on, but we are not imminently making an announcement on it because that work is not concluded.
“And until it is absolutely safe to make that sort of change, then we won’t do so.
“But it is something that we’re working on.
“There are some countries in the world who do that but you’ve got to be absolutely certain you can track the people who come in, make sure they get the test, get the test result, and crucially that the likelihood of them having incubated it for longer than before you do the second test - that likelihood is very very low.”
He added: “We have asked the scientists to do that work and they’re doing that work, but we’re not ready to change that policy.
“We won’t be making changes on that in the next few days.”
Mr Hancock's comments come as another government minister warned that more countries could have quarantine restrictions imposed on returning travellers "straight away."
Belgium, Luxembourg and Croatia could be at risk of being removed from the 'air bridge' list following a spike in coronavirus infections.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said a decision to remove more countries from the UK's 'air bridge' list would be taken following a consultation with England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty and the Joint Biosecurity Centre.
A review of the 'air bridge' list is due to take place on Friday after the government's covid committee meet on Thursday.
Mr Dowden told Sky News: "It would be foolhardy of the government not to impose those restrictions if we think there is a risk and we will impose those restrictions as soon as we think the risk has materialised.
"We cannot risk importing it again from other countries where incidences are rising.
"We are at a very risky moment with this pandemic.
"So long as you're aware of that risk and comfortable with that risk, go ahead and take your break."
But he added: "If we know that risk is there we will impose those restrictions straight away."
