England’s Covid outbreak is still fizzling out, according to surveillance data which shows the worst-hit boroughs are currently in Norfolk.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysts estimate 940,700 people were infected on any given day in the week ending November 8. It means around one in 60 people had the virus during the week.
The figure, based on random testing of thousands of people, was down 29 per cent on the prior seven-day spell and marked the first time cases dipped bellow 1million since mid-September.
Infections also fell by up to a fifth across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while cases were also down in all regions and age groups in England.
Experts hailed the continued trends as ‘reassuring’ but warned that it ‘may be too soon to say the recent wave of infections is behind us’.
Fears of a ‘tripledemic’ are high this winter, with doctors concerned that flu, Covid and other seasonal viruses will strike together in the coming months. The NHS is already battling record-high waiting lists for treatment, crises in the A&E and ambulance sectors, and the looming threat of strikes.
Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) experts estimate 940,700 people were infected on any given day in the week ending November 8. It means around one in 60 people had the virus during the week. It was down 29 per cent on the previous week and marked the first time cases dipped bellow 1million since mid-September
Covid infections also fell in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with cases down for the second week in a row in all four nations of the UK
In England, Covid was least prevalent in London, where just 1.5 per cent of the population were infected during the week. It was followed by the West Midlands and South East (both 1.6 per cent) and the East of England, East Midlands and North East (1.8 per cent). The North West was the worst affected region in the country, with 2 per cent of people infected during the week — one in 50
Sarah Crofts, deputy director for Covid Infection Survey Analysis, said: ‘Though it may be too soon to say the recent wave of infections is behind us, we have seen a decrease across the whole of the UK for a second week.
‘Infections in England are now under a million and at the lowest rate in seven weeks. We’ve also seen a decrease across every English region, and in every age group.
‘Whilst it is reassuring to see these decreases, we will continue to monitor the data closely over the winter months.’
The data shows infections fell 9 per cent to 97,500 in Scotland during the same week, where one in 55 people were carrying the virus.
They dropped 14 per cent in Northern Ireland to 34,200 (one in 55) and 23 per cent to 56,000 in Wales (one in 55).
In England, Covid was least prevalent in London, where just 1.5 per cent of the population were infected during the week.
It was followed by the West Midlands and South East (both 1.6 per cent) and the East of England, East Midlands and North East (1.8 per cent).
The North West was the worst affected region in the country, with 2 per cent of people infected during the week — one in 50.
Primary school children were the age group that were least affected by the virus, with just 0.9 per cent of them infected.
They were followed by children aged 11 to 16 (1.2 per cent) and 17- to 34-year-olds (1.6 per cent). Covid was most prevalent in adults aged 50 to 69, where 2 per cent of the population were infected.
The ONS noted that three in 10 Covid infections in the UK in the week to October 30 were caused by Omicron sub-variant BQ.1, up from 24.8 per cent one week earlier.
BQ.1, which has been dubbed one of the most immune-evading Covid strains yet, sparked alarm last month due to its rapid rise in Europe.
Experts are divided on whether it could drive another wave of infection, or whether it will fizzle out due to built-up immunity due to successive waves of infection and vaccination.
Covid hospital activity is also trending downwards on all fronts.
Some 522 people infected with the virus were admitted to hospitals in England on November 14, down 13 per cent in a week.
And there were 5,010 people in hospital beds across the country on November 16, down 11 per cent in seven days and the lowest figure logged in two months.
Meanwhile, there were 122 on mechanical ventilation beds on November 16, down 19 per cent week-on-week — another two-month low.
Even though these people are classed as Covid patients, only a third of were hospitalised primarily because of the virus. The rest sought NHS care for another ailment but also happened to be infected.
Covid hospital activity is trending downwards on all fronts in England. Some 522 people infected with the virus were admitted to hospitals on November 14, down 13 per cent in a week (top graph). And there were 5,010 people in hospital beds across the country on November 16, down 11 per cent in seven days and the lowest figure logged in two months (middle graph). Meanwhile, there were 122 on mechanical ventilation beds on November 16, down 19 per cent week-on-week — another two-month low (bottom graph)