The certificate would be stored on a phone, according to sources, and would allow people to live a relatively normal life until the government’s vaccination programme gets up to the speed.

It would even allow Britons to get away without wearing a mask, it is thought, and visit family and friends without the need to socially distance.

A source told the Telegraph: ‘They will allow someone to wander down the streets, and if someone else asks why they are not wearing a mask, they can show the card, letter or an App.’