A final push is under way by ministers to save the foreign summer holiday this year.

The odds are long, practical and political obstacles are huge, but there’s a desire to have a go if at all possible.

There is no doubt the delay to India going on the red list has cast an unhelpful shadow over this debate.

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The Indian delay has been a gift for opposition politicians who see it as one of their few lines of attack while also backing Boris Johnson’s decision to delay the final stage of unlocking by four weeks.

However, there was resentment in parts of government at the way Health Secretary Matt Hancock pushed to take Portugal off the green list two weeks ago and did not add Malta.

Since their Joint Biosecurity Centre’s work is private, we will never know whether he had scientific backing for his push, but some sources highlight that little has been heard since of the Nepal variant which was used to justify the shutdown at the time.

So ministers are reconsidering.

One government source told me this week there is little chance of EU countries going on the green list of countries, which does not require travellers to quarantine on return.

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So instead ministers have confirmed they are looking at changing the definition of what it means to be on the amber list, with the rules relaxed to allow people who have had two jabs.

Since the plan first dropped in the Telegraph on Thursday morning, the news of a potential relaxation clearly caught the public imagination, with people booking tickets on the basis of that story alone – and the subsequent confirmation by ministers.

However the number of positive COVID tests – 11,007 on Thursday – makes it more difficult to see this getting the immediate go-ahead.

Labour continue to argue against relaxations, and the SNP could tighten their rules further.

Furthermore the prime minister dislikes the entire idea of discriminating against certain sections of the population.

All adults will not have been double-jabbed until September, meaning younger generations who will suffer disproportionately from the fallout could be left behind.

Then there is a question of children and whether some would get exemptions.

Tory party grandees, led by Theresa May, are extremely exercised by the lack of foreign travel.

A sincere effort is underway in Whitehall to re-examine the issues. But today may have seen false hopes rise given the scale of the obstacles.

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