Reuters reports that EU official told ambassadors in Brussels that the EU and Britain are very close to agreement on most issues as time runs out for a trade deal but they are still at odds over fishing rights, guarantees of fair competition and ways to solve future disputes.

"We are both close and far away. It seems that we are very close to agreement on most issues but differences on the three contentious issues persist," a senior EU diplomat said after ambassadors were briefed on Friday by an EU negotiator.

The chief Brexit negotiators suspended direct talks on Thursday after a member of the EU team tested positive for COVID-19, but officials continued working remotely to clinch an EU-UK trade deal that would come into force in just six weeks.