Brits dealt a new blow over summer holidays in 2020 after government’s travel update

Health minister Edward Argar said he hoped people would be able to go on holiday this year.

He told Today: "I'm not going to say a particular date on when that might happen because we will have to be guided by how the disease behaves, controlling any risk of a second wave and controlling the disease.

"I hope that people will be able to go on holiday at some point this year, but I can't make that promise and because I have to be cautious and go with the science and I don't have that forward view yet of how a second wave or otherwise might behave."

Mr Argar was unable to say the number of people being tested each day for coronavirus - as opposed to the number of tests carried out.

He said figures were also not available on the number of people traced through the track and trace system, but said it would be published soon.

Mr Argar was repeatedly asked to name a country with a higher coronavirus infection rate than the UK but sidestepped the question.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said a quarantine policy was necessary to minimise the risk of the disease being "reimported".

Mr Argar said he had confidence that people would "do the right thing" and comply with the quarantine measures.