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Coronavirus infections have dropped by nearly a third in England during the second national lockdown, research suggests.
Falling infections in the North East and North West, where cases fell by more than half, have helped drive change, according to the latest findings from the React study from Imperial College London.
Cases also decreased in Yorkshire and the Humber, but prevalence remained high in the East Midlands and West Midlands.
Overall, there was a 30% drop in coronavirus cases across the country for almost fifteen days.
The study of more than 105,000 volunteers estimates that 1 in 100 people in England had the virus between November 13 and 24, a dramatic drop from the 1 in 80 reported on November 2.
In previous studies, the cases doubled every nine days, while now they are reduced by half.
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COVID-19: Probable restrictions until Easter
Professor Paul Elliott, director of the Imperial program, said this suggests that the tiered system and subsequent lockdown had helped reduce cases.
It will be a welcome boost for Boris Johnson, who faces a rebellion from his own MPs like the Commons. ready to vote in their new tougher tier system on Tuesday.
Professor Elliot said: “These trends suggest that the tiered approach helped slow infections in these areas and that the blockade has added to this effect.
“As we approach a challenging time of year, it is even more vital that through our actions and behaviors we all play our part to help keep the virus at bay.”
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He added that the data offered “encouraging signs”, especially since the worst affected regions are registering declines in cases.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock also welcomed the findings, but said it was too early to “take my foot off the pedal.”
“The coming weeks and months are the busiest time of year for our NHS, so it is vital that we all continue to abide by new local restrictions, wash our hands, cover our faces, and observe social distancing,” he said.
The Health Department said the research supports the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) advice that stricter measures are needed to halt the growth of the epidemic in some areas.
At a press conference last week, England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said that at the lowest level, Level 1, cases would continue to rise.
Tier 2 should maintain the level of cases, he said, while stricter Tier 3 measures should reduce infections.
The total number of coronavirus cases in the UK now stands at 1,617,327, while COVID-19-related deaths stand at 58,445.
