UK Covid-19 infections fall below one million for first time in two months

Northern Ireland is the only nation where infections are not showing a clear decline

A Covid-19 lateral flow test showing a negative result (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Archive)

Total Covid-19 infections in the UK have fallen below one million for the first time in two months, with most parts of the country continuing to see a drop in levels of the virus.

Hospital admissions and deaths are also on a downwards trend, with health experts linking the decrease to the roll-out of booster doses of vaccine.

Only in Northern Ireland are infections not showing a clear fall, with signs the recent drop has levelled off.

The total number of people in private households in the UK testing positive for coronavirus stood at 972,400 in the week to November 15, down 14% from 1.1 million in the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It is the first time UK-wide infections have fallen below one million since mid-September.

During the latest wave, the total peaked at just over two million in mid-October.

This is well below the peaks seen earlier in the year, when infections climbed to nearly four million in July and just under five million in March.

Sarah Crofts, ONS deputy director for Covid-19 infection survey analysis, said: “Infections have continued to decrease across much of the UK, except in Northern Ireland where rates have remained broadly the same.

“In England, infections are still decreasing among most age groups, although the trends among children are less clear in these latest data.

We will continue to monitor the data closely as the winter months progress

Sarah Crofts

“We will continue to monitor the data closely as the winter months progress.”

The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in England in the week to November 15 was 809,200, or around one in 65 people, down from 940,700 the previous week, or one in 60.

Scotland has seen infections fall to 83,700, or one in 65, down from 97,500, or one in 55.

Both England and Scotland have now seen infections drop for four weeks in a row.

Wales has recorded five consecutive weekly falls, with 45,400 people likely to have Covid-19 in the latest survey, the equivalent of one in 65 people, down from 56,000, or one in 55.

In Northern Ireland the trend is described by the ONS as “uncertain”, with an estimated 34,100 people having Covid-19, or one in 55, compared with 34,200 in the previous week, which was also one in 55.