All coronavirus restrictions in England could end in March under Downing Street plans, according to reports.
The latest data shows a 38% drop over the last seven days across the UK in the numbers testing positive for Covid-19, with 70,924 new cases reported on Sunday.
This continued drop in coronavirus cases has caused No 10 to draw up plans to end England’s remaining restrictions from as early as March, says the Guardian.
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The paper said working from home guidance and Covid passport rules would be amended and announced this week or early next week.
However, a short-term measure mandating mask-wearing in shops and on public transport would continue.
It comes as new rules come into force saying people in England can end their coronavirus isolation after five full days so long as they test negative on days five and six.
Ministers had been under pressure to reduce the isolation period - which was previously seven days - to help address staff shortages across the economy and public services by allowing people to return to work earlier.
The Government said research showed that between 20% and 30% of people are still infectious by day six, but the percentage of those released while infectious falls to around 7% if people have two consecutive negative tests and then leave isolation on day six.
Meanwhile, Dr David Nabarro, a World Health Organisation (WHO) special envoy for Covid-19, told Sky News there was "light at the end of the tunnel" for the UK in tackling Covid-19.
He said: "Looking at it from a UK point of view, there does appear to be light at the end of the tunnel... I think that it's going to be bumpy before we get to the end.
"So even though it's possible to start imagining that the end of the pandemic is not far away, just - everybody be ready for the possibility that there will be more variations and mutations coming along, or that there will be further challenges, other surges of even Omicron coming."
Elsewhere, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said it was "looking positive" that Plan B measures could be lifted on January 26, when they are due to be reviewed.
He told BBC Breakfast: "If you look at infection rates, they remain high, hospitalisations is still high, touching 20,000 people in hospital, but it feels like they're plateauing.
"The good news is the number of people in ICU has been coming down, certainly in London, which was the epicentre, the level of staff absence in education has remained pretty flat - it was 8% before Christmas, it's at about 8.5% at the moment.
"So I'm confident that when we review this on January 26, as we said we would do, then we'll be in a much better place to lift some of these restrictions."
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