According to official Government data, the Covid caseload in Britain continues to rise. Today there are more than 53,000 cases.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows there were 53,945 positive tests in the last 24 hours, up 14.2 per cent on the 47,240 recorded last Thursday.
The number of cases increased for the second straight day, and it was only the second occasion in more than one month that cases crossed the 50,000 threshold.
But the number of people dying with the virus fell to 141, down 4.1 per cent on the 147 fatalities recorded last week.
And hospitalisations also fell, with 700 admissions recorded on Sunday, the latest date data is available for. It was down six per cent on the 745 seen the previous week.
Separate data today from a surveillance survey showed that the number of symptomatic Covid patients in the UK increased by almost five percent to over 80,000 each day last week.
Based on the test results of around 650,000 volunteers, ZOE’s symptom-tracking survey estimated that 80.483 people became ill during week ending November 27.
It marked a rise of 4.9 per cent compared to the estimate on the previous week and means one in 61 Britons suffered a symptomatic infection at any given time, King’s College London scientists who run the study said.
But infections started to fall in the over-55s, in a clear sign of the effect of booster vaccine doses — with more than 19million people now having had a third dose according to Government data.
No10 unveiled its new scheme to vaccinate all over-18s by the end of January on Tuesday, with the UK today buying 114million more doses in an effort to stop the spread of the new supermutant Omicron variant.
Based on the test results of around 650,000 volunteers, ZOE’s symptom-tracking survey estimated that 80.483 people became ill during week ending November 27.
Coronavirus chaos continues another day
- Data revealed OmicronDelta was beaten by the variant, making it now the dominant strain. South Africa in just a week;
- Scientists believe that they are able to solve the mysterious Oxford-AstraZeneca blood clots.
- Britain’s medicine watchdog has approved the approval of a second Covid drug. The UK Government has requested 100,000 doses.
- Boris Johnson was given his coronavirus booster shots. He stated that the country is “building ever higher the wall to protect against Omicron variant.”
- The Prime Minister urged urged Britons not to call off their Christmas parties after his government’s muddled messaging sparked a wave of festive cancellations and a super-spreader event in Norway infected up to 60 people out of 120 with Omicron.
The UKHSA data shows some 407,851 people received their booster dose yesterday — a rate still short of the NHS’s target of 500,000 a day, which is needed to reach all adults by the end of next month.
Another 26,028 received their first dose of vaccines, and 32,356 were given a second.
ZOE epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector said that Omicron has “rudely awakened the UK” to the pandemic. Spector encouraged people to track their symptoms and help to monitor the strain.
According to him, “Omicron rudely awoke many countries including the UK from their slumber over Covid.”
Although we have more data needed to determine the risk this variant poses, I urge the public to not panic. However, it is important that everyone be more vigilant.
“Getting your third vaccination, covering up with a face mask, staying away from large indoor crowds and remaining home when you have symptoms similar to colds are all ways to reduce the spread.
“The ZOE Covid Study will be a key tool in fighting this variant.
“We require everyone to log their symptoms, tests results, and vaccinations into the app in order to rapidly understand the new variant and aid the rest of the world.
The figures show cases are highest in children aged under 18, who are seeing more than 32,000 symptomatic infections per day — although the numbers have fallen over the week.
Covid was the most common in the East Midlands and East of England, as well as the South East. One in every 57 people infected during the week with the disease.
The study estimated the R rate — the average number of people an infected person will pass the virus onto — is around 1.0 for the whole of the UK.
Figures show cases are highest in children aged under 18, who are seeing more than 32,000 symptomatic infections per day — although the numbers have fallen over the week.
People aged 75 years and older have the lowest levels of illness with less than 1000 cases per day.
Covid was more common in East Midlands, East of England, and South East where 1 in 57 were infected each day.
London and the North West had the lowest rates with one in 68 people falling ill with the virus during the week.
Data from the Government showed that 393,000 adults had received their third booster dose of vaccines yesterday. That brings the total vaccination rate to 18.6million.
30500 people received the first jab, and 32,000 got their second.
Pfizer boss Dr Albert Bourla today said Britons could need a Covid vaccine every year to maintain its ‘very high’ levels of protection.
In an interview, Dr Bourla from the UK’s leading vaccine supplier suggested that additional jabs might be required for many years.
Pfizer had already developed a tweaked version of the jab that would fight Omicron, and it may work better than any other vaccine-induced immune system.
After purchasing another 114million Covid vaccines which were potentially modified to prevent variants, the UK made this announcement.
Ministers have agreed to increase the country’s immune system for the next two winters, according to the deal.
According to Dr Bourla, the BBC was informed by him that annual vaccines…are likely to be required to protect against a strong and high degree of infection.