There has been a flurry of positive announcements in the battle against coronavirus in recent days, most notably the prospect of a third vaccine being distributed within a matter of weeks.
And there are changes that could make international travel possible.
Passengers who arrive from a destination not on the government’s travel corridors list will still need to enter self-isolation.
But under new rules, they can reduce the 14-day period by paying for a test from a private firm after five days at a cost of £65-£120.
Countries on the quarantine exemption list are:
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Azores
Bahrain (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Barbados
Bermuda
Bonaire/St Eustatius/Saba (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Cambodia (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
The Canary Islands
Cayman Islands
The Channel Islands
Chile (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Cuba
Dominica
Estonia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
Gibraltar
Greek islands: Corfu, Crete, Kos, Rhodes, Zakynthos
Greenland
Grenada
Hong Kong
Iceland (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Ireland
the Isle of Man
Israel and Jerusalem (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
Japan
Laos (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Latvia
Macao (Macau)
Madeira
Malaysia
Maldives
Mauritius
Montserrat
Namibia (arrivals before 4am November21 need to self-isolate)
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Northern Mariana Islands (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
Norway
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
Qatar (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Rwanda (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
Seychelles
Singapore
South Korea
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Sri Lanka (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
St Barthélemy
St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Pierre and Miquelon
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Taiwan
Thailand
Turks and Caicos Islands (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
United Arab Emirates (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Uruguay (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
US Virgin Islands (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
Vietnam
The Department for Transport makes decisions each week based on the seven-day rate of coronavirus cases, removing and adding countries from the list.
A rate of 20 per 100,000 people is the threshold above which the Government considers triggering quarantine conditions.
Penalties for those breaching the self-isolation rules have increased from £1,000 for a first offence up to £10,000 for subsequent offences.