Quarantine-free travel between the UK and some countries could launch as soon as this month, it has been claimed.
Millions of Brits' summer holiday plans now have a faint glimmer of hope as the government considers "air bridges" with specific countries.
Air bridges would allow 14-day quarantine - to be published today and imposed on new arrivals to the UK from next Monday - to be suspended when travelling to and from named nations.
Each country would need to have low infection rates and both would need to reach an agreement.
This is a major hurdle - as the UK still has more than 1,000 new Covid-19 cases per day and many more that don't get spotted in testing.
And for now, the UK government is still advising against all non-essential foreign travel - while the law bans overnight stays away from home in England.
But some in government want to push ahead with the "air bridge" plan to head off a mutiny over the current scheme of 14-day quarantine.
Ministers are understood to be considering air bridges when the quarantine policy is first reviewed, three weeks after it takes force.
That could in theory see air bridges introduced as early as June 29.
A government source said: "Conversations between government on a whole range of these issues take place regularly. At this stage, air bridges are an option under consideration by the UK government, not established policy."
According to The Times, ministers will use a "five-point" assessment to prioritise which countries could have air bridges with the UK.
It would judge countries based on their economic importance to the UK, Covid-19 risk and the number of passengers, the newspaper reported.
If successful, that could allow 14-day quarantine to be kept to a minimum, with only some countries affected.
The Telegraph reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is "personally in favour" of the idea.
The PM faces pressure from airlines, holiday firms and Tory MPs to go even further, and scrap his plans for 14-day quarantine altogether.
Tory minister Simon Clarke today insisted the government is still "absolutely committed" to 14-day quarantine, with details confirmed later today.
But he added: "It’s always been from the outset that we’ll keep it under review on a 21-day basis."
New arrivals will have to stay in quarantine for 14 days under new rules set to take effect next week.
Further details of the quarantine proposal are expected to be laid before Parliament on Tuesday.
The Guardian reported that quarantined travellers would be able to go food shopping, change accommodation and use public transport from airports.
But a Government source said people would be expected to stay in one home, use private transport and only venture outside where absolutely necessary.
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