Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said Omicron is "in retreat" as it was announced that Plan B restrictions would be scrapped.
However, Mr Javid warned that now is not the "finish line" in the fight against coronavirus and said we must learn to live with Covid the same way we have with flu.
It comes as Boris Johnson confirmed that rules on face masks, Covid passports and work from home guidance will be axed from next week.
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During a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Javid said there has been a fall in infections and hospital admissions and described the relaxation of measures as a "major milestone".
He said: "This plan has worked and the data shows that Omicron is in retreat.
"But it’s not the end of the road and we shouldn’t see this as the finish line because we cannot eradicate this virus and its future variants.
"Instead we must learn to live with Covid in the same way we have to live with flu. And we will be setting out our long-term plan for living with Covid-19 this spring."
He said that testing, vaccines, and antivirals will be the "cornerstone of our future defences" as "almost all" restrictions end.
Mr Javid also said that at-risk children under the age of 12 will be vaccinated.
Following questions, Mr Javid said he "fully supports the Prime Minister" as he waits for a report into whether he misled Parliament over claims he attended parties at Downing Street during lockdown.
He said: "I fully support the Prime Minister and as I said a moment ago, it’s important to me and to the country that he’s come to the House to apologise.
"I think it’s right that we’re waiting for the report and when that is completed and the investigation establishes the facts that the Prime Minister will come back and answer further questions.
"I think if you asked me about me, I have observed the rules and you know I can say with full confidence I have absolutely observed Covid-19 rules at all times, and like millions of people across the country, it hasn’t been easy.
"My mum lives alone, I couldn’t go and see her. I couldn’t go to a close friend’s funeral. It wasn’t easy but it was the right thing to do.
"I fully support the Prime Minister and as I said a moment ago, it’s important to me and to the country that he’s come to the House to apologise. I think it’s right that we’re waiting for the outcome of the report. And when that is completed."
Asked if he thinks Boris Johnson is living on borrowed time, and whether he would again run for the Tory leadership, he said: "We have a leader. We have a Prime Minister."
The chief medical adviser to the UK Health Security Agency said Covid-19 infections are significantly down compared with the peak at the end of 2021.
Dr Susan Hopkins told the Downing Street press conference that the latest seven-day average was 93,200 compared with almost 225,000 on December 29.
She said that hospital cases were back down to below 20,000 while there were only 703 on mechanical ventilators – back down to levels last seen in July.
"This is reflecting our high levels of vaccination in the population and also the reduced severity we have seen with Omicron," she said.
However, Dr Hopkins said case numbers will depend on the removal of Plan B.
