A Cabinet meeting to sign off Boris Johnson's 'Living with Covid' plan has been delayed with only minutes to spare.
Some top ministers had already been pictured arriving at Downing Street for the 10am meeting when they were told the talks had been postponed.
The meeting will be held later today by video call, No 10 said, after the Prime Minister has received further briefings.
But the delay raises questions over tensions at the top of Government about elements of the plan to rip up England's remaining Covid rules.
Mr Johnson is due to update MPs on his plan at around 4.30pm before leading a Downing Street press conference after 6.30pm.
The PM will be accompanied by Chief Medical Officer Professor Christ Whitty and Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Patrick Vallance at the briefing.
It will be the first time the two experts have spoken publicly since Mr Johnson said he intended to axe remaining Covid rules, which has sparked some opposition from medics.
The PM will announce self isolation laws are being scrapped as early as Thursday, which would be the first time people with the virus are not legally obliged to stay home in nearly two years.
Mr Johnson is also expected to say access to free Covid tests is being curtailed, which is not due to happen immediately.
The decision to axe free PCRs and lateral flow tests has triggered alarm in some quarters, with the Welsh Government branding it "reckless".
The PM made it clear at the weekend that the Government wants to slash the £2 billion monthly bill for testing.
The delay to today's Cabinet meeting will fuel speculation of a dispute between Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Rishi Sunak over the plan to scrap free tests.
It is thought the row was about how to pay for the plan, with the Department of Health putting forward requests that had to be costed.
The 'living with Covid' plan itself remains in a similar format to what was being finalised over the weekend.
It's believed it will broadly include an end date for free tests despite the last-minute hold-up.
Downing Street admitted today was the first time the plan had been discussed by the whole Cabinet but denied it had been a gamble to assume top Tories would back it.
The PM's official spokesman refused to discuss who was in meetings to "finalise" the plan or whether there was a dispute.
He said: "It will obviously be signed off and agreed at Cabinet but elements of it... as it is always an iterative process for these plans, it's right to take the time to get it right."
Mr Johnson's plan has also teed up a dispute with the devolved administrations, who are reluctant to curtail testing.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "The reality of UK finance flows means this decision determines the money devolved administrations (paid for by taxpayers in Sc, Wales & NI) have for testing.
"Expressed frustration to Michael Gove this morning that we still don't know and this delay deepens that."
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Any decision to change the existing National Testing Programme would be premature and reckless.
"Testing has played a pivotal role in breaking chains of transmission of Covid, and has acted as a powerful surveillance tool helping us to detect and respond rapidly to emerging variants. It is clearly essential that this continues.
"Any decision to effectively turn off the tap on our National Testing Programme with no future plans in place to reactivate it would put people at risk. This is not acceptable."
Labour said the Government was "too incompetent to agree their own plan" and accused the PM of rushing through measures to distract from the Partygate row.
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “The Government is paralysed by its own chaos and incompetence and the British public are paying the price. This shambles cannot continue.
“What confidence can the public have that the Conservatives are acting in the national interest, when they can’t agree a plan for Covid?"
