Covid-19 infections have fallen in England, Wales and Scotland, according to official data, suggesting that the latest wave, fuelled by the highly transmissible BA.5 coronavirus variant, may be in retreat.
The Office for National Statistics’ Coronavirus Infection Survey showed that an estimated 2,632,200 people in England tested positive in the week to July 20, equating to about one in 20 people, down from one in 17 the previous week.
In Wales, the figure was about one in 19 people compared with one in 17 the previous week. In Scotland, about one in 19 people had the virus, down from one in 15 a week earlier.
In Northern Ireland the statisticians said the trend remained “uncertain”, with about one in 16 people testing positive, a rise from one in 20 the previous week.
The data are collected from private households and exclude infections in hospitals or care homes, for example.
Sarah Crofts, head of analytical outputs for the survey, said the most recent data “suggest that we may now be over the peak of the latest wave of infections across the UK, although rates still remain among the highest seen during the course of the pandemic”.
“We have seen welcome decreases among most parts of the UK and in all age groups. With summer holidays starting and more people travelling, we will continue to closely monitor the data,” she added.
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