Have your say: Will social distancing be over by October 2021?

After months of restrictions, Boris Johnson has signalled that social distancing will be a thing of the past in a year’s time.

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference, the prime minister remained optimistic that by the time the next conference rolled around – in October 2021 – people would be able to meet “face-to-face and cheek-by-jowl”.

Johnson added: "We will no longer have to greet each other by touching elbows.”

The PM remained upbeat about the defeat of coronavirus, despite a recent uptick in positive test results in the UK.

More stringent restrictions have already been put in place across the north of England, while across the country it is currently illegal to socialise in a group of more than six people.

Johnson said he was confident the UK would succeed in fighting off COVID "just as this country has seen off every alien invader for the last 1,000 years”.

Despite his upbeat tone, the PM previously said that there would be some sort of “normality” by November this year.

Read more: Tough national lockdown is needed right now to stop COVID spread, says Sage adviser