Boris Johnson returns to work today amid mounting pressure to plot a path out of lockdown and ramp up vital testing.
The Prime Minister was last night seen at the rear entrance to Downing Street after recovering from Covid-19.
He faces a crunch week with the Labour party and Tory donors calling on him to reveal how the UK will lift restrictions – with mass testing seen as key.
Mr Johnson, who may take tonight’s No10 briefing, is also facing questions on how the Government will hit its target of 100,000 daily tests by Thursday.
Just 29,058 were carried out on Saturday, despite capacity climbing to 51,000.
But the number of individuals checked is likely to have been less than 20,000, as the test is only 70% reliable and so many workers need to take multiple tests to be sure of the result.
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As the hospital death toll hit 20,732 yesterday – up 413 – home-testing kits were snapped up in two hours.
More than 10 million key workers and their households are now eligible.
But as of 10am, kits for England were listed as “unavailable” on the Government’s website.
It was still possible to book a drive-through test, although the promise of 50 sites offering this by Thursday has yet to be met.
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With children thought to be less at risk, some hope schools could be the first to reopen.
But stand-in PM Dominic Raab said there would be no return to lessons as normal, at least in the short term.
He told BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show: “It’s inconceivable they would come back without further measures.”
He also warned it was “very difficult” to see how local sports clubs could play this summer but added: “Professional sport may be different.”
But Labour stepped up calls for an exit plan, with Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Rachel Reeves urging the Government to treat the nation as “grown-ups”.
She said: “We want the Government to publish its plans so we can scrutinise it.
“We want to work with [them] bringing forward a plan then getting that right.”
Six Tory donors urged the PM to ease restrictions.
Billionaire Michael Spencer, who helped fund his leadership campaign, said “we should offer a narrative of how and when”. And Tory grandee Sir Edward Leigh said: “It’s essential schools and nurseries are reopened so the country can go back to work.”
But unions demanded strict oversight to ensure all bosses keep staff safe, before restrictions ease.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “We need tough measures from government to reassure working people their safety is a priority.
“Too many have been forced to put their health on the line during this.”
And Labour’s Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham raised concerns over calls for different industries to stagger reopenings.
He said: “I worry that could have heavy consequences for a city like Manchester, or say Blackpool – a town that depends on tourism and hospitality.” Meanwhile, Shadow Health Minister Dr Rosena Allin-Khan claimed Government bungling had made the crisis worse.
The A&E doctor said: “It would have been impossible to save all of the lives we’ve lost, but we did enter lockdown too late,” she told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday.
“We did not deliver PPE, we did not follow global advice on self-isolation and we haven’t rolled out testing and contact-tracing.”
Mr Raab dismissed hopes immunity tests could be available soon saying there was not yet a test “which can be safely relied on”.
