A symptom-tracking survey has shown that Covid cases in Britain are falling by five percent in one week.
Scientists at King’s College London estimated that 144,527 people had contracted the virus last week. This is equivalent to 1 in 27 individuals now being affected. It was down by 183,364 during the seven-day period before.
They suggested that every region saw its spread shrink with only a small increase in cases among under-18s due to the “back-to-school” effect.
The study is based upon daily reports of 800,000. Britons. Professor Tim Spector leads it. He hails today’s encouraging statistics as “great”, but urges the nation to remain’sensible’ since cases are still high.
Sajid Javid, Health Secretary to the Government of India said that he will continue wearing a mask to shop visits because there are still many cases. He also urged London Underground users to use them.
Official statistics indicate that Britain’s Covid crisis is currently in a declining spiral. Daily cases have dropped for the past 14 days, according to countless reports.
Also, there are signs that the country has reached a tipping point in terms of hospitalisations. Admissions have begun to decline while the Covid patient population on wards is stagnating. Covid deaths remain static, and the number of patients admitted to intensive care has not increased.
Boris Johnson gained confidence from these promising numbers and was empowered to take work home guidance. He also used school masks to help him in his classes today. This prompted a large return to work. Restricted ‘Plan B’ restrictions, such as vaccine passports and work from home guidance will expire January 26.
The Prime Minister has also announced — amid a round of upbeat messages following the partygate scandal — that the legal requirement to self-isolate after catching Covid would be scrapped on March 24.
As part of the No10’s “exit strategy” from pandemics, Covid lateral flow testing will cease from July.
King’s College London researchers estimated that 1 in 27 UK citizens were infected now with Covid. It was caused by Covid.
The King’s College London study — which also includes health data science company ZOE — is based on daily reports from more than 800,000 Britons on their symptoms and whether they have tested positive for Covid.
It was based on 46.284 Covid Swabs that were taken across the country in the last week.
The largest Covid epidemic in the UK was found in England, where one-in-26 people were infected. Northern Ireland had similar numbers.
Wales was next, with a one-in-30 outbreak. Scotland, however, had only one-in-35 cases.
Professor Spector, who is also an epidemiologist at King’s College London, said: ‘It’s great to see cases falling rapidly. The number of cases has dropped by 31% in just 2 weeks from its peak at over 211,000, to below 145,000.
“New symptoms that resemble a cold are slightly more likely now to be due to a cold than Covid.
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.
‘With cases still high and restrictions being lifted, we’ll just have to hope that people remain sensible, their households are triple vaccinated, and regardless of official advice, that everyone knows to isolate and self test when experiencing cold-like symptoms.’
Javid stated that he will still wear a mask while shopping, as the likelihood is high that the virus will be spread to others.
BBC Breakfast asked him: “Will you be wearing a mask?” Yeah, I think I probably would be in a week’s time.
‘Because prevalence is still high and there will be people there, especially if I am going to my local shop which is small and enclosed and can have quite a few people in there at one time in quite a small space, I don’t know most of those people, I think that 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 like in the fight against flu.
Yesterday, Mr Johnson stated that when regulations end on March 24, the law requiring people with Covid that they self-isolate is allowed to expire. He could also suggest that that date be moved forward.
The plan B measures that are aimed at stopping the spread and abuse of Covid will also be discontinued in England starting on January 26.
The PM informed MPs at the House of Commons that more than 90% of UK over-60s have had booster vaccinations. Science believed that Omicron had reached 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.
Johnson explained that workers will no longer have to be instructed to work at home. He also stated that mandatory Covid certification would end as soon as Plan B’s measures expire next Thursday.
Face masks will no longer be required by the government starting on Thursday.
This is the latest announcement in Operation Red Meat – the strategy devised by Number 10 to gain back support from Tory MPs after the Partygate row.