Covid hospitalisations are falling faster than expected after England was plunged into lockdown last month - raising hopes lockdown restrictions can be lifted earlier than hoped.
Documents leaked to The Times reveal the Government's SAGE committee expects Covid hospital admissions to half in the next month.
Latest figures show 24,352 people were in hospital with the virus on Wednesday - but it is expected this will fall to around 9,000 by mid-March.
Boris Johnson is set to announce on February 22 how he plans to bring England out of national lockdown, with schools pencilled in to reopen on March 8.