Britain’s daily Covid case numbers fell by just 1% in the past week. This is an indication that Omicron’s recent fall might have begun to slow down.
Government dashboard data shows there were another 107,364 positive tests across the country in the past 24 hours, down only slightly on the 109,133 last week.
Technically, it’s the 15th consecutive week of falling cases. However today’s weekly decrease is the least in that period. It brings the daily average case to approximately 92,000. This is half what was reported a week ago.
SAGE warns that the UK could face a long tail of infections after the UK emerges from the fourth wave.
But plateauing hospital admission rates and the growing disconnect between infections and deaths has given the Prime Minister the confidence to lift Plan B restrictions next week.
Sajid Javid, Doubling Down on the Government’s Decision to Scrap the Curbs, indicated that Ministers will tolerate over 20,000 Covid deaths per year and not impose any measures.
Today saw another 330 Covid death, a 1.5% decrease compared with last Thursday. The latest hospital data indicates that there were 1,905 Covid admissions in January 16th, a decline of 13 percent compared to the previous week.
Sky News was told by Mr Javid, the Health Minister, that he had said earlier to Sky News: ‘We must learn to accept it. Sadly people die of flu as well. You can lose around 20,000 people to flu in a bad year.
“But we don’t have to shut down all of our country. We just put in lots more restrictions. With sensible, reasonable and proportionate steps we can continue to live our lives.
He stated that Covid was not leaving. It’s going to be with us for many many years, perhaps forever, and we have to learn to live with it.’
According to data, Covid epidemics declined in each of England’s 150 local authorities over the past week.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), bosses, confirmed that the infection rate fell to at least 12 percent in all areas of the country over the week leading up to January 16.
Wigan suffered the most drastic drop in cases, where its incidence dropped 59per cent from 2121 positive test per 100,000 population in the preceding seven-day period to just 867 cases per 100,000.
Meanwhile, King’s College London scientists estimated 144,527 people were catching the virus on any given day in Britain in the week to January 17, down a fifth on the previous week. Outbreaks are shrinking in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as every region of England, while cases are falling in every age group except under-18s because of the ‘back to school’ effect, the survey found.
These findings align with those of the Office for National Statistics’ Weekly Infection Survey, which found that Covid cases in England plunged by one fifth in last week.
The symptom researcher Professor Tim Spector welcomed the positive trend, but advised the nation to remain’sensible’ as cases continue to rise.
Boris Johnson today lifted the work of secondary school face masks and home guidance after feeling confident that Omicron was over. The expiration of vaccine passports, facemasks, and other Plan B’ curbs is set for next Thursday. Additionally, the legal obligation to self-isolate in cases where you are positive will be removed under No10’s “exit strategy”.
However, Mr. Javid advised people to be cautious and said he would wear the mask at shops as Covid cases remain high. The masks would still be suitable for use in shops, he said.
These weekly falls are in line with data from the government’s dashboard, which displays information about Government surveillance. Daily cases dropped for fourteen consecutive days, week on week. The UKHSA data are based only on confirmed cases. This is in contrast to the two other studies.
The country’s hospitalisation rate is also declining. Daily admissions are hovering around 2,000. There are fewer patients admitted to intensive care than pre-Omicron, and Covid deaths have been slowing down with an average of about 270 each day.
Today’s data by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), showed that covid cases fell across all 150 English local authorities. Map: This map shows the percentage change week-to-week in infection rate among English local authorities during week ending January 16. (right)
Map showing: Week-on-week variation in infection rates in English localities in week ending January 16 (right), as compared to January 2. (left)
Map showing: Week-on-week variation in infection rates in English local authorities for the week ended January 16 (left), and December 26 (right).
Last week, infections fell across all areas of the country. Confirmed cases of infection fell in every region during the week ending January 16, by at most 12 percent
UKHSA data showed that all age groups, including children between four and nine years of age, experienced a decline in cases.
Scientists at King’s College London estimated that 144,527 people had contracted the virus in Britain during the week ending January 17. This is a decrease from the previous seven days when 183,364 were reported.
The King’s College London study — which is also run by health data science company ZOE — is based on daily reports from more than 800,000 Britons on their symptoms and around 46,000 test results.
According to a breakdown, 1 in 26 people had Covid in England or Northern Ireland during the week that just ended.
Wales was next, with a one-in-30 outbreak. Scotland, however, had only one-in-35 cases.
King’s College epidemiologist, Professor Spector stated that it was great to see the number of cases fall quickly. Within two weeks, there has been a drop in the number of new cases from over 211,000 at its peak to just under 15,000 per day.
It is now slightly less likely that you will get a new cold or Covid-like symptoms.
It is tempting to assume that all is well, but the reality is that there is no way to be sure. Our health care system still has serious problems. Due to the return to school, ZOE data already shows an increase in symptoms in children.
“The number of cold cases is still very high. We’ll have to wait and see if there are any restrictions that will allow us to keep people sane. Our hope is that they’re able to stay sane, that their families are all triple-vaccinated and that every person knows how to test for symptoms like a common cold.
Traffic levels in London rose six percent this morning, despite the removal of home-based guidance.
The number of passengers on the London Underground grew by eight percent.
Schools have taken down facemasks starting today. Public transport and shops will take them off beginning January 26.
Sadiq Khan, London’s Mayor, has stated that they will continue to be required on Tubes or buses within the city.
While the Health Secretary admitted that masks were required in enclosed areas like shops and tube stations, he indicated that he would still wear one for the following week as cases remain high.
BBC Breakfast, Mr Javid asked: “Will I wear a face mask?” It’s possible that I would in one week.
“Because there is still a high prevalence and people will be there, especially when I go to my local store which is small, enclosed, and can hold quite a number of people at once in a very small space, and I don’t really know many of them, I believe that it would be sensible.
‘I think it will be sensible on the tube in London, for example – quite an enclosed space.
“People will have to use their individual judgment, just as they did when fighting flu.
Additionally, the Prime Minister declared his intent to end mandatory self-isolation in positive Covid cases.
He said he planned to allow the rule to lapse on March 24 and said that date could be brought forward if the situation remains stable.
According to the PM, more than 90% of UK’s over-60s had received booster vaccines. Scientists believed that the Omicron wave was at its peak.
He stated that the Government chose a different path to most of Europe. The data show repeatedly that the Government made the best decisions.
The news comes as the Office for National Statistics yesterday reported that England’s cases have fallen by five percent in just one week. This further confirms Omicron’s viability.
The gold standard report found around 2.9million people were infected on any given day in the week to January 15, a ‘welcome decrease’ from the record 3.7m the previous week.
This is the first week in which the ONS recorded an infection decline since Omicron’s launch in November. The downward trend matches that of the Government’s daily statistics.
Because it relies on random sampling from around 100,000 individuals, the ONS survey can be considered the best indicator of the UK’s outbreak.
UK had 108.069 confirmed positive Covid testing, which is 16.6 percent lower than Wednesday’s number of 129.587. This was the 14th consecutive week with fewer cases.
With 359 deaths today, fatalities dropped 9.8 percent. On Saturday, hospitalizations decreased 14.5 percentage to 1,752, the most recent date available.