[ad_1]
The percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus is declining across most of England, as well as Northern Ireland and Scotland, as new figures reveal the impact of stricter restrictions on transmission.
According to the Office for National Statistics, which tests randomly selected household swabs weekly and captures symptomatic and asymptomatic infections, roughly 1 in 105 people in England’s community had the coronavirus between November 22-28, compared with about 1 in 85. the week before.
In Scotland, the figure fell from 1 in 115 to 1 in 130, and in Northern Ireland from 1 in 145 to 1 in 190. In Wales, however, infection rates appear to have stabilized, and it is believed that about 1 out of 170 people have had the virus in the last week.
The most recent data shows that infection rates decline in almost all regions of England, with the North East being the only area that does not show a drop in that week; however, the prevalence remains high in the community of England, with an estimated 25,700 new cases per day.
“During the most recent week of the study, the positivity rates varied substantially by region, with the highest rates seen in Yorkshire and The Humber, the Northeast and Northwest,” the ONS team writes.
The data comes as the government reported 504 more deaths in the UK on Friday within 28 days of a positive test – on Thursday the total number topped 60,000. On Wednesday, England emerged from the lockdown to a new tier system in which 99% of the population is below the top two tiers with strict restrictions on social gatherings and hospitality venues.
The ONS study also shows that even though the positivity rate falls across all age groups in England, the rates are still higher in secondary school age children.
Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor of cell microbiology at the University of Reading, said the findings showed that we are a long way from “eradicating” the disease, adding that the numbers also raise questions for those hoping to meet for Christmas.
“Creating ‘Christmas bubbles’ containing three households may be what the law allows, but I would be thinking very carefully about mixing children with their grandparents in particular this Christmas, especially considering how many under 16s still silently carry the virus. . ,” he said.
The latest findings come as the government revealed that the R number for the UK and England is now 0.8-1, a figure that reflects the situation in recent weeks. However, as with the ONS survey, there are regional differences: in London, for example, the figure stood at 0.9-1.1.
They are also in line with other recent data, including Imperial College London’s ongoing React-1 survey, which found a 30% drop in cases in the community in England when the prevalence in mid-November was compared to the rate in late November. October and at the beginning. of November.
