February 19th, 2021

Coronavirus infection rates drop across the UK

By TheNationalNews

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Coronavirus infection rates have fallen across the UK, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show.

About one in 115 people in private households in England had coronavirus between February 6 and 12, according to new estimates from the ONS. That is down from about one in 80 people in the week to February 6 and is the lowest figure since November 29 to December 5, when the estimate also stood at one in 115.

In Wales, about one in 125 people are estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to February 12, down from the previous ONS estimate of one in 85 for the previous seven days, while in Northern Ireland, about one in 105 people had Covid-19 in the same period, down from one in 75.

Vaccines appear to be playing a part in reducing coronavirus transmission by up to two-thirds, according to earlier “real world” data handed to the British government.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will consider the data showing the effects of one dose of either the Oxford/AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines as he finalises a route out of lockdown next Monday.

Other statistics show that coronavirus cases are falling most rapidly among the elderly, who were prioritised for vaccines, with care-home outbreaks halving in a week.

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