According to The Times, under one timeline being considered by government, families who live in the same household could be allowed to go away together from April.

However, there are also concerns letting people travel to self-catered accommodation too soon would lead to “big movements” across the country and could increase the rate of coronavirus infections.

Ministers offered mixed messages on the likelihood of UK and international summer breaks last week.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Breakfast on Wednesday (10 February) a resumption of travel would depend on the country’s vaccination effort and progress overseas, while later that day, prime minister Boris Johnson said he would be able to give a more definitive answer in the week of 22 February when he plans to set out a roadmap out of lockdown.

The following morning, health secretary Matt Hancock reiterated he’d already booked his summer holiday to Cornwall, adding: "We’re doing everything we can to make sure people can have their holiday in the summer."

“There’s an active discussion about how soon we can do it and we’ll be guided by the data,” a government source told The Times. “There’s talk of April at the earliest, but a lot of things have to go right. It’s unlikely but it is being talked about as a possibility.”