REPORTS made by media giants today that schools will reopen in three weeks have been quashed by politicians.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove poured cold water on suggestions a "traffic light" strategy is about to be brought in which would see some schools and businesses allowed to reopen in mid-May.

Mr Gove told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: "We have stressed that the reporting in today's newspapers that schools will reopen on May 11, that is not true, we have not made that decision."

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson also denied a decision had been made to reopen schools.

Mr Williamson tweeted: "No decision has been made on when we will reopen schools.

"I can reassure schools and parents that they will only reopen when the scientific advice indicates it is the right time to do so."

Senior Tory MPS have warned that ministers are under-estimating the public by refusing to discuss exit strategies for ending the lockdown.

Backbenchers and former ministers say there needs to be "strategic clarity" and that the argument put forward by the Government about not wanting to "confuse the message" is not the right way forward.

People in the UK are still none the wiser about how exactly the Government plans to take the country out of the coronavirus lockdown.

Ministers have dismissed reports that the Government has drawn up a graduated plan to start easing restrictions within weeks, with Michael Gove saying that there are tests which need to be passed before any restrictions can be lifted.

But, Sir Jeremy Farrar, who is a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said he hopes some lockdown measures could begin to be lifted within around three or four weeks' time if the numbers of infections and hospital patients drop "dramatically".

Sir Jeremy, an infectious diseases expert and director of the Wellcome Trust, told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday: "I would hope they will get there in three-four weeks' time because it's clear that the lockdown can't go on for much longer.

"The damage it's doing to all of our health and wellbeing, our mental health... the lockdown is damaging business and ultimately that's damaging all of our lives.

"So the lockdowns cannot go on forever, we must lift them as soon as we can but we can't lift them too soon and we can't just make arbitrary dates.

"It has to be driven, I'm afraid, by the data."