People who are fully vaccinated could avoid having to isolate for 10 days if they come into contact with someone with coronavirus, a top Tory has signalled.
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi suggested people who have had both jabs could be tested instead of being forced to self isolate.
Under the current rules, people are still required to stay at home for 10 days if they come into contact with an infected person.
A Government source immediately downplayed the idea that self isolation could be ditched for the final stage of the lockdown roadmap on June 21, when Boris Johnson hopes to lift remaining restrictions.
The source pointed instead to a study by Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace, which is looking at whether daily testing can reduce the time people are forced to stay home.
Ministers are said to be keen to keep the contact tracing system in place even once most of the population is vaccinated.
"There is still a risk of getting the virus and spreading it on," a source told the Telegraph.
Tory MP Mark Harper, who chairs the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group, pressed the Government on whether the rules could be relaxed next month.
He said: “Once people have been vaccinated the risk is much lower.”
“Post June 21 it’s important not only that legal restrictions go and social distancing goes, but that all of the remaining rule are adjusted to reflect the much lower risk that exists once we’ve vaccinated the population.
"Otherwise we’re going to have those rules in place forever.”
Mr Zahawi replied: “I think it’s worth waiting for June 14, when we will be saying more on this.
“Suffice to say two things - one, even if you’ve had - and I've had this experience in my own family - two doses of either vaccine, you still can actually contract Covid and therefore you should be isolating and quarantining.
“We’re also looking at ways that contacts of people who may have contracted Covid can be readily tested instead of isolating.”
Nearly 23 million people have had both jabs, while 38 million people - or 70% of adult Brits - have received their first dose.
Mr Johnson is expected to set out more information within days on the impact of the Indian variant after fears that a surge in cases in parts of the country could derail the route out of lockdown.
Hopes are mounting that the June 21 lockdown easing can go ahead as a study by Public Health England found the existing Covid vaccines were working against the new strain.
The PM has ordered officials to look at whether measures like the 'one-metre plus' rule and mask usage could be scrapped at the final step of the lockdown roadmap on June 21.
Mr Johnson had promised to set out the findings of the social distancing review by the end of May.
But No10 admitted that the timetable had slipped, with the details now expected next week instead.
