UK daily Covid cases fall 16% on last week as Boris scraps Plan B restrictions

DAILY Covid cases have fallen by another 16 per cent on last week, as Boris Johnson has ripped up Plan B restrictions.

Some 108,069 new Covid infections were reported by the UK Health and Security Agency today, down from the 129,587 last Wednesday.

The total cases reported in the past week (652,469) is down 37 per cent on the total from the week prior.

At the peak, 246,290 cases were diagnosed on December 29.

A further 359 deaths were reported today, down from 398 last week.

The Government coronavirus dashboard shows that, after rising with a lag behind cases, deaths from the Omicron wave may now be stabilising.

Fatalities in this wave have not come close to the highs seen in previous waves.

Hospital admission rates are also on a firm downward trend, with a 4.9 per cent drop in the weekly total.

As the Omicron outbreak continues to fizzle out, the Prime Minister announced today that Plan B measures in England are no longer needed.

Working from home and face coverings in classrooms have been ditched with immediate effect.

From January 27, face masks won’t be mandatory in any settings, and nightclubs and other venues will no longer be required to ask for a Covid pass for entry.

The Health Secretary Sajid Javid will address the nation at 5pm ahead of England's return to restriction-free life next week.

Mr Johnson told MPs in the House of Commons more than 90 per cent of over-60s across the UK have now had booster vaccines to protect them.

Booster shots are the best way to protect against Omicron and have been shown to reduce risk of hospitalisation by more than 80 per cent.

Mr Johnson said that data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed there are some places where cases are likely to continue rising, including in primary schools.

But that “our scientists believe it is likely that the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally”.

The PM also said that from March 24 the legal requirement to isolate for people who test positive is likely to be shelved.

He even indicated this could happen sooner, if the data continues to look good.

The latest ONS data shows one in 20 people had the virus in the last week in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland - with one in 25 catching the bug in Wales.

This is especially encouraging considering just two weeks ago one in 12 people in London were thought to be positive.

Infections have fallen from 3.7million last week to 2.9million today, in another promising sign the country is moving beyond the grip of the variant.

It comes as Government data shows that all 377 local authority areas in England have seen a fall in infections in the last week.

This interactive map shows how your local area fares.

A cluster of infections has been detected in the North East of England, which also currently has the highest R rate in the country, sitting between 1.4 and 1.7 compared with the English average of 1.1 to 1.5.

Northern Ireland previously had the most Covid hotspots in the UK, but this has now shifted to the North East.

The top three most infected areas in the country are all in the North East and the region also makes up the majority of the top ten infected places in the country.

South Tyneside has the highest rate in the UK, with 2,526 new cases in the seven days to January 14 - the equivalent of 1,671.4 per 100,000 people.

This is down from a rate of 2,738.6 for the seven days to January 7.

Downing Street said the Government’s scientific advisers had “no objection to the approach taken” in ditching England’s Plan B.

Independent scientists welcomed the removal of Plan B measures, but warned a sustained fall in cases may subside without restrictions.

Professor Dame Anne Johnson PMedSci, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences said: “It is difficult to predict what the removal of Plan B measures means for levels of COVID-19 infection and resulting hospitalisations. 

"We may be moving into a phase of the pandemic where the population has a high level of immunity to severe disease, arising from natural infection and vaccination.

"But we must recognise that there is still great uncertainty."

Dr Simon Clarke, Associate Professor in Cellular Microbiology, University of Reading, said: “Infection numbers are still very high in the UK, but the population-wide immunity is substantial and that is helping to suppress spread and to keep people out of intensive care.

"However, it’s like trying to fill a bath that leaks...

"Mass vaccination and widespread recent infections have topped up the nation’s immunity, but that will soon start to deplete and if there is still a lot of virus circulating, an Omicron bounce is possible."