Infections soar to highest seen yet but R-rate may be slowing

NHS boss Stephen Powis has urged people not to be alarmed after daily Covid cases leapt by a third to their highest number on record.

The 33,470 new cases yesterday were more than five times higher than during April’s peak, and up more than 12,000 on the day before.

And 5 3 new deaths were recorded, bringing the UK’s total to 50,928.

Prof Powis said hospital admissions were also rising – with over 12,700 patients now in hospital in England.

‘That number will unfortunately continue to rise if infection rates continue to increase,’ he added.

‘More infections inevitably also mean more deaths and more people suffering from the debilitating effects of long Covid.’ But at yesterday’s Downing Street press briefing he warned that ‘it’s important to look at the number of cases over a number of days and not take one in isolation’, as the seven-day average for new infections stood at 23,000.

Prof Powis also pointed to research suggesting the spread is slowing. One study, by King’s College London, found the R-rate may have fallen to 0.9 since the new lockdown.

‘The second wave peaked at the end of October when the R-rate was 1.1,’ lead scientist Prof Tim Spector said.

‘This is great news for the UK and suggests the population’s behaviour was already having an impact before the further lockdown restrictions.’

Imperial College said the rise in infection may have slowed from an R-rate of 1.2 at the end of October.

But Prof Powis warned that restrictions remained ‘vital’ before a vaccine was widely in use.

He said: ‘We know these measures work. We must keep going.’