2ND WAVE GOODBYE?
New infections fall but outbreak still at dangerously high levels
Booze plea from holed-up students
THE Covid second wave seems to be slowing, with swab testing figures showing a fall in new infections.
There are now 8,400 new infections per day, down from 9,600 daily during the previous week, the Office for National Statistics estimates.
For six weeks, the ONS Covid-19 Infection Survey has studied almost 300,000 test swabs from randomly selected members of the public, whether they have symptoms or not.
But Katherine Kent, co-head of analysis for the project, said: “While the evidence suggests the increase in new cases may be levelling off after a sharp rise in August and September, it is too early to be certain at this stage.”
It came as the official UK death toll rose by 66 yesterday to 42,268. Infections are highest in the North West, North East, London and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Health chiefs warn the outbreak is still at dangerously high levels.
Public Health England national director Paul Johnstone said: “Most of the evidence shows the virus continues to spread across the community, especially among younger people, while admissions to hospital and critical care are increasing. Tragically, the trend Covid-related deaths has risen.
“There are some small signs the recent measures introduced may be having a positive effect. However, it is far too early to say.” Structural biology in professor James Naismith, of Oxford University, said: “The ONS surveys are the most reliable guide we currently have to the progress of the epidemic.
“It demonstrates the virus rose rapidly from the end of August to midSeptember. There is some evidence the rate of increase may have slowed, which is encouraging.”
A new estimate suggests the R rate – the average number of people each patient passes the virus to – has risen. The findings from the Sage scientists put the figure at between 1.3 and 1.6.
This is up from between 1.2 and 1.5 the previous week. The R rate uses hospitalisation and deaths data which can take three weeks to catch up and reflect the level of virus circulating. The figures came a day after a different study suggested the R rate is falling.
Today, new local restrictions come into force for more than two million people across Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Warrington.
Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston has rowed back on his remarks from the previous day, when he had said: “We defy the Government and we do not accept these measures.”
He was furious with the extent of the changes, including a ban on households mixing in pubs and restaurants.
But he said yesterday: “I urge everyone to abide by the restrictions.”
Around 16.7 million people in England and Wales are now under tougher restrictions. In North Wales, those living in Conwy, Denbighshire,
Flintshire and Wrexham cannot leave or enter each of these areas without a “reasonable excuse”, such as work.
Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s refusal to tell people in England not to travel to Wales showed he is “reluctant to recognise the border”.
More than 50 universities have now been hit by cases of the virus.
Nearly 1,800 students and staff have been confirmed as infected and thousands of students are having to self-isolate in their halls.
Burnley in Lancashire still has the highest rate of new cases per week, with 340.8 per 100,000 people, according to Public Health England.
Manchester is second at 289.4 cases per 100,000.
Levels of socialising, eating out and travel have dropped off across the
country, according to ONS polling for the period of September 24 to 27.
Around 20% of adults left their home to meet people in a non-public place such as a house. This was down from 30% the previous week.
Meanwhile, the PM has said sorry for the difficulty people have had in getting a test. Many have reported major delays and some say they had to travel hundreds of miles.
Mr Johnson, who had blamed a “fraying of discipline” this summer for the spike in cases, insisted more tests were being carried out in the UK than any other European country.
He said: “Of course there are people who’ve had bad experiences. I apologise for the bad experiences people have had with NHS Test and Trace.”