BORIS Johnson's plans to ease the lockdown south of the Border will be confirmed tomorrow in an official review that Downing Street expects will give the all-clear for schools to begin a phased reopening next week.

No 10 said the next steps for England should be detailed at the daily press conference, although they would be dependent on further scientific advice including on the R-rate of transmission.

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The Prime Minister has said it is his "intention" for schools to begin resuming with Reception and Year 1, children aged four to six, as well as Year 6, children aged 10 and 11, from Monday, despite safety concerns from teaching unions.

But his spokesman said that the final decision before Thursday’s three-week legal deadline would not be made until after ministers considered further evidence from the SAGE group of scientific experts.

However, he added: "That formal review will happen tomorrow and we are hopeful, without prejudging it, that we will be able to proceed with the reopening of schools on June 1."

Cabinet was not expected to meet again ahead of the announcement but the spokesman said they had already discussed the desired changes that will be introduced as long as they do not risk a spike in infections that could overwhelm the NHS.

It was unconfirmed whether or not the usual Cobra meeting, involving, among others, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, would also meet before the Mr Johnson’s formal announcement.

Currently south of the Border, people are only allowed to meet up at a distance with one other individual from another household in a public place.

It is understood that plans to ease the social restrictions to permit people to see a greater number of their family or friends outside may be not be unveiled until after tomorrow.

Downing Street insiders were suggesting the easing discussed by Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove was still dependent on the scientific advice as, indeed, was the use of private gardens for socialising.

The Government’s road map to easing the lockdown contained the possibility that one household could form a social "bubble" with one other in a mutual group but it is understood that term is being quietly dropped.

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The PM has said all non-essential shops in England can reopen from June 15 after he shuttered them with the imposed lockdown on March 23.

With deaths linked to coronavirus in the UK reaching at least 47,300, Mr Johnson has been dogged by allegations that he acted too late.

His spokesman was forced to deny the PM had announced the schools plan on Sunday to distract from the alleged lockdown breaches by his chief aide Dominic Cummings.

Key to ensuring the restrictions can be safely relaxed is keeping down the so-called R value, the average number of people an infected individual transmits the disease to.

If that figure goes above one, then Covid-19 could spread throughout society exponentially. It is currently somewhere between 0.7 and one, although the rate is believed to be at different levels in that range in different parts of the country.

The Government’s test and trace programme for south of the Border to ensure people who have been potentially infected self-isolate will be relaunched on Monday after ministers halted it in mid-March.

Mr Johnson has pledged to ensure there is the capacity to carry out 200,000 coronavirus tests per day by Monday to ensure the scheme can work effectively.

No 10 expressed confidence today that that target would be met, saying capacity had already reached 154,120.