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The “unbreakable link” between COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths is “being broken” by the vaccination program, the health secretary said.
Cases have fallen 34% in the past seven days and a 29% drop in hospital admissions over the same period is the fastest decline at any point in the pandemic, according to the latest government data.
Deaths have fallen 41% in the last week.
Matt Hancock said: “What all this shows is that the link between the cases and the hospitalization and then the deaths that had been unbreakable before the vaccine, that link is now breaking.”
Hancock also said that more than 21.3 million people, two-fifths of the UK adult population, have received their first dose of the vaccine and just over a million people, about 2% of UK adults. United, they have received both doses.
The seven-day moving average of second daily doses stood at 4,253 on February 15, but had risen to 27,356 on February 28.
Hancock said: “As anyone who has been to a vaccination center will know, the joy on people’s faces when they receive the jab is uplifting and more and more people will have this sense of protection for the weeks and months to come.”
The UK is still on track to offer a first vaccine to all at risk by April 15 and to all adults by the end of July, he added.
“Things are going in the right direction.
“These are difficult times, but thanks to the vaccine, we are making progress.
“We are not there yet, so as we move towards recovery, it is vital that everyone continues to do their part, follow the rules, and of course when the call comes, get your jab.”
Public Health England also said that another 236 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19 as of Friday.
However, the number of new cases has yet to be released due to a “delay in submitting case data from England to PHE,” according to a message on the government board.
Also on friday a sixth person in the UK who tested positive for a Brazilian coronavirus a “worrying variant” was found.
the COVID-19 variant, seen for the first time in the city of Manaus, is thought it would spread more quickly than the original virus and be better able to evade existing vaccines.
In total, six cases of P1 coronavirus Variants have been confirmed: three in England and three in Scotland.
