COVID BITES

■ THE weekly number of people in England contracting Covid has fallen for the first time since the beginning of May. A total of 189,232 people tested positive in the week to July 28, a drop of 39 per cent on the week before. Meanwhile, the Zoe Covid study suggested daily symptomatic cases in the UK have fallen to an average 46,905, from 60,271 last week. The study’s Dr Claire Steves said school holidays likely had an effect, warning cases remain high.

■ A FIFTH of patients being treated on Covid wards are aged between 18 and 34, says the head of the NHS. Chief executive Amanda Pritchard revealed about 1,000 young adults are currently ‘really unwell’ in hospital – four times more than the winter peak. Urging people to ‘not delay sorting your jab’, she said the NHS was making it ‘as easy as possible to protect yourself, your family and your friends’, with pop-up and walk-in clinics boosting 1,600 permanent sites in place.

■ MORE top grades could be given to A-level students this summer than last to make up for disruption, it has been suggested. Next week, students will receive their results, based on teachers’ assessments after exams were cancelled for the second year. Prof Alan Smithers, of the University of Buckingham’s Centre for Education and Employment Research, warned: ‘The danger is the inflated grades. In other words, lower standards, will become the new norm... which makes it much more difficult for universities to select accurately.’

■ LOCKDOWNS have made people more spontaneous with buying new clothes, getting a drastic haircut and moving house, a study finds. Other things done on a whim include donating to charity, quitting a job or getting a tattoo. A fifth of adults are ready to inject a sense of adventure into their lives after more than a year of restrictions. ‘We’re keen to awaken our minds,’ says Mentos gum, which polled 2,000 adults.

■ SYDNEY has suffered its worst day of the pandemic after recording 262 cases and five deaths. Four of those who lost their lives had not received a jab. The rise comes as New South Wales enters a seventh week of lockdown. Victoria also went into a seven-day shutdown last night, after reporting eight cases. State premier Daniel Andrews said it was needed ‘to bring case numbers down’. With only one in five Australians fully vaccinated, health experts warned stop-start lockdowns will continue.