Omicron wave continues to fall: Daily Covid cases drop 6% in a week
Omicron wave continues to fall: Daily Covid cases drop 6% in a week with 76,807 cases as nearly 37MILLION people get booster jabs
- UK Health Security Agency data shows another 76,807 positive tests were logged in the last 24 hours
- It marks the 17th day in a row that cases have fallen week-on-week but the downward curve has slowed
- The number of people dying with the virus rose again slightly, increasing by 3.5 per cent to 29
Britain’s Omicron wave continued to fall today with the country reporting a decrease of six per cent in cases, official data showed.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows another 76,807 positive tests were logged in the last 24 hours, down only slightly on the 81,713 recorded last Saturday.
It marks the 17th day in a row that cases have fallen week-on-week but the downward curve has slowed in the past three days, dropping by just four per cent yesterday.
Today’s case numbers do not include positive tests in Scotland, so the true number for the UK is likely to be higher. Covid cases are still rising in primary school children despite falling in every other age group, which is contributing to the slowdown.
The number of people dying with the virus rose again slightly, increasing by 3.5 per cent to 297 compared to 287 last week.
And 67,640 more booster vaccines were given out yesterday, taking the total number of people fully protected against the virus to 36,821,284 — 64 per cent of the over-12 population.
The data comes as it was revealed the Covid traveller testing system could be ditched for fully vaccinated holidaymakers as soon as Monday.
It is understood the rapid lateral flow test that double-jabbed arrivals must take by day two is likely to be ditched when ministers meet to discuss the rules.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is understood to be pushing for the removal of all testing for the fully vaccinated.
Boris Johnson yesterday attempted to quell a growing school rebellion as hundreds of headmasters continue to enforce classroom mask wearing.
The Prime Minister urged secondary staff to follow new rules that state face coverings are no longer required in lessons.
He believes it is vital that children receive ‘face-to-face education and can enjoy a normal experience in the classroom’.
Mr Johnson’s spokesman added: ‘The Prime Minister also thinks that the schools should follow the latest guidance.
‘We’ve been clear that we removed the requirement for face masks to be worn in classrooms and we will remove advice for face masks to be worn in communal areas from January 27.’
His intervention comes as families complain that schools across England are still insisting on masks during lessons as precautions against Covid.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has warned that Department for Education officials will be in touch with schools that refuse to ditch face coverings.
He will also personally vet any plans to bring back masks in schools in areas hit by Covid outbreaks.
In other coronavirus developments:
- Meat Loaf told a fan three weeks ago that he’d recently had an endoscopy and complained about never-ending lockdowns and restrictions, telling the fan in a Cameo video: ‘Covid’s a drag, but you can blame China’;
- Civil servants working from home were ordered to get back to their desks and make ‘maximum use’ of Government offices by next week;
- Plans to make jabs compulsory for frontline health staff were in doubt last night;
- Boris Johnson attempted to quell a growing school rebellion as hundreds of headmasters continue to enforce classroom mask wearing;
- Pharmacists can now refer obese people to free weight loss courses from today in a bid to boost their health and reduce their burden on the NHS.
The UKHSA data also showed another 17,277 first Covid vaccine doses were given out yesterday and 33,312 second doses were received.
In England, the number of people who have received a jab breached 31million yesterday, with more than 115million doses having been dished out in total since the start of the rollout
Dr Emily Lawson, head of the NHS Covid Vaccination Programme, said: ‘The fastest and largest vaccination drive in NHS history continues to hit milestone after milestone and has now delivered an outstanding 115million doses of the Covid vaccine, including almost 31million people with the vital protection of a booster in England.
‘We know that millions of people are overdue their booster by more than four weeks, and I would urge anyone who hasn’t already done so to get boosted as soon as possible.
‘The vaccine remains our best defence against Covid and long Covid, even if you have already had it, and you can grab a jab at one of the hundreds of walk-in sites open each day — from restaurants to stadiums and other community hubs, it has never been easier to get protected.’
The graph shows the proportion of people in England testing positive for Covid per age group. Infection rates were trending down in all age groups in the week to January 15, according to ONS estimates, apart from among two to 11-year-olds, with one in 13 (eight per cent) thought to be infected
It comes amid a push to make the travel system easier for holidaymakers, with the passenger locator form that holidaymakers must complete online before travelling to the UK also poised to be simplified from tomorrow.
The form has to be filled out within 48 hours of arriving in Britain but passengers have complained that it is cumbersome and asks pointless questions, such as how long returning citizens plan to stay in the country.
A meeting of the Cabinet’s ‘Covid O’ committee will also discuss whether ‘fully vaccinated’ status for travellers should mean having two or three jabs. Ministers are understood to be considering keeping it as two until spring.
At this point, double-jabbed travellers could again become subject to needing tests and only those with a booster would be able to travel test-free. However, destination countries may still require testing.
Scrapping the day two test would give the hard-hit travel industry another boost after the Government scrapped pre-return tests and costly post-arrival PCR swabs earlier this month.
As it stands, returning double-jabbed Britons must take one rapid lateral flow test by day two. If positive, they must take a confirmatory PCR test.
Unvaccinated travellers will remain subject to multiple tests and self-isolation.
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