The government has reportedly opened "top-level" talks with authorities in the US over a quarantine-free London-New York travel corridor.
According to The Telegraph, ministers are keen to unlock travel to low-risk destinations currently off limits owing to the US’s Covid epidemic.
It comes after transport secretary Grant Shapps last week revealed the government was exploring the possibility of regional travel corridors.
A source told the paper discussions were ongoing "at a very senior level" with a view to ensuring the US remains a strong trading partner ahead of Brexit.
A Department for Transport spokesperson told The Telegraph discussions between foreign governments over a range of issues were commonplace, adding public health in the UK remained the UK government’s top priority.
Several months ago, New York was the centre of the US’s coronavirus epidemic.
However, the city has brought its seven-day Covid infection rate down to 7.2 cases per 100,000, which is lower than that of the UK and below the 20 cases per 100,000 threshold the government has been using to determine its travel corridor policy.