Boris Johnson could set out his plan to ease the coronavirus lockdown within days of his return to Downing Street, according to a report.
The prime minister, who returned to No 10 on Sunday evening, has already discussed with ministers the idea of “modifying” he restrictions before the 7 May deadline, The Daily Telegraph said.
This message would make it clear to the public that life will not return to normal for some time, it is claimed.
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The newspaper quoted an unnamed “ally” of the PM as saying: “May 7 is the day when the government is legally obliged to review the lockdown measures but if Boris wants to change the restrictions earlier than that, or at least announce something before that, then he could go sooner.
“Talking about lifting the lockdown is using the wrong language, we need to be talking about modifying the lockdown. There is definitely a sense that we could be doing more than we are at the moment in terms of people being to work, especially if they are working outdoors.”
Mr Johnson is due to hold a “war cabinet” meeting on Monday morning, three weeks after he was taken to intensive care with Covid-19.
He is also set to receive updated advice from the government’s scientific experts on proposals to reopen some businesses and schools.
It comes after foreign secretary Dominic Raab rejected calls for an early easing of the coronavirus lockdown, saying the outbreak was still at a “delicate and dangerous” stage.
The government is coming under intense pressure from senior Tories to relax the strict social distancing measures, amid concern at the damage they are doing to the economy.
But Mr Raab, who has been standing in for the prime minister while he recovered from the disease, said the government would proceed “cautiously” to avoid a second peak in the outbreak.
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“We are at a delicate and dangerous stage,” he told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.
“We need to make sure that the next steps are sure-footed, which is why we are proceeding very cautiously and we are sticking to the scientific advice with the social distancing measures at this time, whilst doing all the homework to make sure that we are prepared in due course for the next phase.”
Spain, Italy and Belgium have all set out their strategies to ease their lockdowns, while France is due debate its own proposals on Tuesday.
Italy’s plan sees some businesses and factories reopening on 4 May, with restaurants and cafes to follow on 1 June.
