Is Covid still in your area? Interactive map shows remaining UK hotspots as infections fall

Office for National Statistics says cases are trending in the right direction though 1 million are still infected

Covid cases in England have fallen for the second consecutive week, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics said in its latest update on Friday that, in the week ending to 21 May, around 1.6 per cent of the population (or one in 60 people) had tested positive for the virus in England.

This was down from 1.9 per cent (or one in 55) in the previous week.

Cases are also declining in Wales and Northern Ireland, but the trend is less clear in Scotland, the ONS said.

The number of people who tested positive there last week was 2.57 per cent (or one 1 in 40) - up slightly from 2.32 per cent (or one in 45) the previous week.

The ONS's interactive map below shows where cases are most prevalent north of the border and across the rest of the UK.

Sarah Crofts, head of analytical outputs for the infection survey, said cases are trending in the "right direction across much of the UK".

She said: "While Scotland and some regions of England saw an uncertain trend in the most recent week, it is too early to say if these uncertain trends mark the end of recent declines."

The figures mean that around 1 million people have the virus - similar to the levels seen at the start of December last year.

They come come ahead of the lifting on 30 May of the last remaining Covid restrictions anywhere in the UK, when the legal requirement to wear a face-covering in health and care settings in Wales come to an end.

Mark Drakeford, Wales first minister, said people can look forward to a "brighter future", although he urged the public to keep taking steps to protect themselves, such as self-isolating if they have Covid symptoms and staying up-to-date with vaccinations.