Mr Johnson’s comments come ahead of a review of the Government’s Covid strategy, which is expected to be released on Monday.

The “learning to live with Covid” strategy will see the end of mandatory isolation for people who test positive for the virus, and new guidance will be issued for families and businesses on how to manage it.

Ministers believe the pandemic can now be better managed with vaccines and antiviral medication than with any legal restrictions. It is understood that officials will retain a reserve of tests that can be rolled out again if cases increase dramatically.

On Sunday, Mr Johnson said the Government must encourage personal responsibility, adding: “We have reached a stage where we think you can shift the balance away from state mandation, away from banning certain courses of action, and compelling certain courses of action, in favour of encouraging personal responsibility.

He added that the public should remain cautious and get vaccinated if they have yet to do so.

“I think it’s very important we should remain careful,” he said. “We’re certainly not asking people to throw caution to the winds. Covid remains a dangerous disease, particularly if you haven’t been vaccinated.”

He refused to rule out reintroducing restrictions in the face of a new variant in future, saying: “You’ve got to be humble in the face of nature.”