Covid infections continue to subside with just 1.4million infected in England last week (one in 40)
England’s summer Covid wave has continued to crash, with just one in 40 people infected on any given day in the first week of the month.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysts estimate just over 1.4million people had the virus in the week up to August 6. It was down 32 per cent on the week ending July 26, when the figures were previously updated.
The ONS’ weekly figures were paused last week, with the hundreds of thousands of survey participants now self-testing and reporting results online rather than being visited at home.
Today’s figures also showed infections fell in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while also dropping in every age group and every region of England.
Statisticians said the lowest levels were seen in children, who are on school holidays, and are continuing ‘to monitor the data closely’ ahead of the return to schools next month.
The promising data comes despite renewed calls to reintroduce Covid restrictions last night after a study found most people with the virus are infectious for longer than previously thought.
Tony Blair’s Institute for Global Change urged the government to consider ‘mandatory mask wearing on public transport and most indoor public venues’ to reduce pressures on the NHS this winter.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysts estimate just over 1.4million people had the virus in the week up to August 6. It was down 32 per cent on the week ending July 26, when the figures were previously updated
Today’s figures also showed infections fell in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The ONS’ weekly figures were paused last week, with the hundreds of thousands of survey participants now self-testing and reporting results online rather than being visited at home
Statisticians say they saw ‘decreases are among nearly all ages in England with the lowest levels seen among children’
Sarah Crofts, head of analytical outputs for the Covid-19 Infection Survey, said: ‘Infections have continued to fall across much of the UK to levels last seen in mid June.
‘Our latest data show these decreases are among nearly all ages in England with the lowest levels seen among children. We will continue to monitor the data closely to understand the impact of the summer holidays.’
The ONS stats show cases in Scotland fell 37 per cent from 260,800 to 164,100 last week, with around one in 20 people infected.
Infections dropped 34 per cent to 72,600 in Wales — one in 30 — and two thirds to 36,600 in Northern Ireland — one in 17.
They are also dropping in every region of England, with the East of England seeing the biggest drop at 43 per cent.
It was followed by the East Midlands (37 per cent), South West (35 per cent), London (21 per cent) and South East (21 per cent).
The smallest drop-off was seen in Yorkshire and the Humber (7.85 per cent), where one in 35 people had the virus on any given day.
