London’s roads today were the busiest in rush hour since Boris Johnson, who confirmed that England would join Plan B Covid-19 constraints amid Omicron spread.
TomTom’s location services company TomTom recorded congestion data that showed the peak level of congestion in capital city between 8am and 9:00 this morning at 69%. This is the highest concentration in that period since December 8, 2008.
The congestion level represents the extra travel time for drivers on average compared to baseline uncongested conditions – so a 69 per cent level means a 30-minute trip will take 21 minutes more than with no traffic.
The current figure also exceeded the averages of 63% for 2019 and 49% in 2020 at 8:01 AM in London. This shows there were more vehicles on London roads than in previous pandemics. It was 61% on Monday last week, while only 2% was recorded Monday, 3 January. However, this Monday was a bank holiday.
Six weeks ago, Plan B announced measures that required the wearing masks in public places and shops. Also mandatory was vaccination passports for large clubs and nightclubs. Since December 13, people have been encouraged to work remotely, but it is becoming more likely that the majority of restrictions on working from home will be lifted by Wednesday. Some measures such as the masking of public transport could still be in place.
Meanwhile Transport for London told MailOnline that up to 10am this morning there were around one million entry and exit taps across the Underground – which is an increase of 8 per cent on last Monday.
The weekly increase of 4% in taps per week on buses was seen at 1.2million. On weekdays, Tube ridership has increased between 45 to 48% and 75% compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Commuters wait for a Jubilee line train at London Bridge station on the London Underground this morning

London Bridge is cold today.

Today’s Tube ridership is increasing week-on–week as people line up on the Jubilee Line on London Underground.
TfL said ridership is nearer pre-pandemic levels at weekends – with the Tube then at 60 per cent of levels before Covid, which is partially down to the Government’s working from home guidance having an impact on weekdays.
Tube passengers may also experience a decrease in their numbers due to the disruption of the Northern line from Moorgate to Kennington for 17 weeks. These closures are the result of Bank station upgrading works that began on Tuesday.
This comes at a time when official statistics show coronavirus deaths are continuing to decline in almost every part of England.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported that 6,519 (96%) of 6,790 areas in the country experienced a decrease in infections during the week up to January 11.
This means that 54 million people live in areas with falling case rates, eight weeks after Omicron burst onto our scene in November. It has already caused record-breaking infections.
Some parts of Castle Point, Shropshire, and Bexley saw their infections drop by more than 70% each week.
Deaths – which are the biggest lagging indicator of the trend in infections – are still rising slowly but there are an average of just 212 per day now compared to 1,200 per day at the peak of Alpha wave last January, despite three times more infections this wave.
Protective measures, such as antivirals, vaccines and Omicron that are more effective than older strains of viruses, have helped to weaken the link between infection and severe consequences.
These differences are evident in intens care rates. Patients moved to mechanical ventilation beds 4.5 times more often than patients who stay in hospitals overall.
The Government is now more optimistic than ever, as are its scientific advisors, and even the World Health Organization. They believe that the UK may be on the verge of controlling Covid.
Today, Dr Mike Tildesley (a prominent modeller who is a member of an SAGE committee) predicted that the UK will have a flu-like relationship to Covid before the end.
He stated that the country was almost at the stage where ministers would start to discuss what living with Covid would look like.
The WHO’s Covid special envoy Dr David Nabarro said that there is a light at the end for Britain despite plummeting hospital admissions and steady case numbers.
Britain has one the fastest vaccine programs anywhere in the globe. It is also home to high levels natural immunity that prevents sustained transmission in its communities. England was one of Europe’s openest countries.

TomTom’s congestion data showed that the London level between 8am (far left) and 9am today was 69%. This is the highest recorded for this time frame in six weeks, since December 8. Below are the figures for this week

Transport for London traffic dropped dramatically after Plan B restrictions were implemented last month. However, levels are currently recovering.

TfL’s graphic below shows how taps are broken down by Underground passengers, when they are split according to station type.
The Plan B restrictions still apply, including staff being told they can work remotely and the requirement for vaccine passports to attend certain events. However, these will be removed by the end the month.
Nadhim Zhawi, Education Secretary and ex-vaccine tsar Nadhim said Covid data for the country is promising and that restrictions could be relaxed later this month.
UKHSA data indicates that there were 6,519 cases in England’s 6,790 local authorities between January 11 and 11. The rates fell the fastest in Hadleigh North (71.5%), Bridgnorth Est in Shropshire (71.2%), and Albany Park (71.1%) during the week of January 11.
Nearly 70% of the falls occurred in areas of Essex, Sussex and Cumbria.
Meanwhile, cases are continuing to double cent week-on-week in parts of Birmingham and Bradford, with positive tests inclining quickest in Bordesley Green North, Toller Lane & Infirmary and Chellow Heights.
Official data indicates that parts of Peterborough as well Sheffield saw significant increases.
Daily data shows that Omicron waves are receding with only 70,924 positive Omicron samples reported yesterday in Britain. This is the lowest number for more than a year.
Even though there were delays in reporting cases confirmed over the weekend; case numbers are trending down for 11 days.
Official data has shown that while experts believe the current wave has peaked, it has had a limited impact compared to the last wave.
The Office for National Statistics believes that the second wave started in September 2020, before subsiding by April 20,21.
According to official figures, 76,000 cases were reported and almost 40,000 people were admitted at once. More than 4,000 needed ventilators while 1,360 deaths per day were registered at the peak of last winter.
The number of Covid positive samples increased by more than 36,000 to 246,000. However, deaths and hospitalisations during this time are still a fraction of what was last year.
UKHSA data shows the number of infected patients in hospital peaked at 19,876 on January 10 – half the level seen at the peak last winter.
Omicron’s greater transmissibility also led to almost 40% of Covid-related patients in England to become so-called accidental, according to NHS England data.
This means that they weren’t being treated for the virus primarily, which suggests the new wave of the virus was milder than previously thought.
Boris Johnson will review Plan B’s rules regarding mandatory mask-wearing, Covid passes and working from home on January 26. Oliver Dowden of the Conservative Party indicated that it looks like things could be rearranged.
UK Health Security Agency data shows that Covid incidences are declining in nearly 7,000 of the country’s neighborhoods. These maps display the incidence of Covid cases for each 100,000 residents in each area. Darker colours indicate more infection. While the first map shows the case rate for January 4th, the second shows the cases of January 11th.
UKHSA data showed that Covid cases declined from January 11 through the week. Maps show how many cases there were per 100,000 Londoners. The darker colors indicate that more people are infected. First map displays case rates for the week ending January 4th, while second maps shows the cases during the week ending January 11th.

Office for National Statistics has estimated that the second wave started in early September 2020, and then slowed down by April 2021. According to official figures, cases rose by 76,000 in the Alpha-fuelled wave. However, 36,000 cases were reported at peak at 246,000 this winter.

Despite the number of positive Covid samples registered during the third wave being three times higher than during the second wave, UKHSA data shows the number of infected patients in hospital peaked at 19,876 (red line) on January 10 2022 – half the level seen at the peak last winter, when 39,254 infected people were in hospital (yellow line)

Over the Omicron wave, the number of Covid patients that were transferred to mechanical ventilation beds for their breathing problems fell. Some 900 infected patients were in the critical care beds on January 4, the most recent peak (red line), compared to 4,077 on January 24 last year (yellow line) – equating to 4.5 times fewer patients

The number of Covid deaths within 28 days after a positive test was confirmed at this peak in winter were six times higher than 12 months ago. On January 19, 2021, 1,359 Coronavirus deaths were recorded (yellow lines), while 236 Covid deaths occurred on January 9, 2022 (red lines), which was the peak of the Omicron wave.
He stated that there was’some very promising information’ about infections and hospitalizations using the Omicron variation, which “gives us hope and optimism”.
Yesterday, Mr Dowden spoke to Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday: “It was always my hope that we would be able to have the Plan B restrictions in the shortest time possible.
‘I have no doubt about the amount of pressure this causes for schools, hotels, businesses, etc., and I would like to see them removed if possible.
“The signs look promising, but we’ll wait until the data is available before making a final decision.”

UKHSA data indicates that cases have fallen in 6 519 out of 6,790 England’s local authorities. Rates fell fastest in Hadleigh North, Castle Point (71.5%) and Bridgnorth Eastern in Shropshire (71.2%) in the week ending January 11. Woodbank Park, Stockport (70%) and Rayleigh South East (70%) are seeing infections. Belfairs is Southend-on-Sea (69.9%). Dalton South in Barrow-in-Furness, Margaretting, Stock & Ramsden in Chelmsford, Fernhurst & Northchapel in Chichester and the Dales & South Skegby in Ashfield have also seen cases fall by nearly 70 per cent in a week

Meanwhile, cases are continuing to rise by up to 104 per cent week-on-week in parts of Birmingham and Bradford, with positive tests inclining quickest in Bordesley Green North, Toller Lane & Infirmary and Chellow Heights. Thornbury, Brown Royd, Canterbury and Heaton Highgate in Bradford, Central Park in Peterborough, Balsall Heath East in Birmingham and Burngreave & Grimesthorpe in Sheffield have also seen cases continue to rise by up to 83 per cent in the week to January 11. Daily data shows that Omicron is slowing down, with only 70,924 positive cases announced yesterday. This was the lowest number in over a month.

Our World in Data at Oxford University has compiled statistics that reveal that Covid cases in the UK have reached new records, but the numbers of hospitalized patients, ventilators, and deaths is only a fraction the levels seen in past surges in infection.
NHS England announced that boosters for children 12-15 years old who are at highest risk of contracting coronavirus will now be available as part of the ongoing jabs program.
According to the experts, children who have been diagnosed as clinically at-risk or who live with someone with a weak immune system will be eligible for their booster 3 months following their first doses. Those who are extremely immunosuppressed may also qualify after receiving a third dose.
All England’s 16-17-year-olds will be able to get their boosters beginning Monday. As the new phase begins, approximately 40,000 teens will be eligible to receive their booster dose.
Prior to Covid-19, only clinically vulnerable 16- and 17-year olds could be given boosters.