Covid cases are falling across UK, ONS data shows

For week ending 16 April, one in 17 people likely had virus in England, figures show

The number of people with Covid-19 fell last week, new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.

Some 3.76 million people in the UK are estimated to have tested positive for Covid-19 over the most recent seven day period covered by the data, a decrease from the previous week’s figure of 4.41 million.

In the week ending 16 April, one in 17 people were likely to test positive for the virus in England. This is a decrease from the previous week’s data, which showed one in 14 had the disease.

Northern Ireland saw the biggest decrease, with one in 30 people suspected to have the virus, compared to one in 19 in last week’s dataset.

In Wales, one in 15 people were thought to be carrying the virus, down from one in 13. In Scotland, the estimated number of infected people dropped from one in 17 people to one in 19 people.

Meanwhile, the number of people infected with the Omicron variant has fallen in England to just under 60 in every 1,000 people. In Scotland, it is just over 50 per 1,000 people.

The number of people infected with the Omicron variant has also fallen (PA Wire)

Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, and professor of structural biology at the University of Oxford, said: “Where Scotland has gone, England will likely follow. Prevalence peaked around the middle of March at around 84 people in every thousand. Prevalence has fallen in every region and in all age groups.

“All things being equal a fall in prevalence should feed through to reduced pressure in hospitals which are clearly under extreme stress. This will lead to a fall in deaths, which have continued to rob families of their loved ones.”

Hospital admissions decreased in the week ending 17 April, to 16.17 per 100,000 people. This is down from 19.94 per 100,000 people the previous week.

Hospital admissions decreased for those over the age of five, but increased for those aged zero to four.

The largest decrease was those aged 85 and above. However, hospital admission rates still remain the highest for this group.

The lowest rates of hospitalisation were those aged five to 14.