The country could be back to near normal by summer, with people able to meet relatives as early as next month, senior scientists have said.
However, other government advisers cautioned that the extent to which the country could open up would depend on the supply of vaccines and how well they blocked transmission, as well as on how the virus evolved. The NHS’s Test and Trace system would also need to perform much better.
Dr Mike Tildesley of the University of Warwick, who sits on the Spi-M panel of epidemic modellers but was speaking in a personal capacity, said the summer could feel more normal but warned against a rush to relax rules.
“I would hope we can get primary school children back in early
