After all those gloomy claims, infections dip

INFECTION levels in England have fallen slightly in the wake of gloomy warnings over cases.

About one in 80 people had Covid in the week to September 11, which was down from one in 70 the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The highest rates were seen in secondary school pupils, suggesting the return to school is causing the virus to spread. About one in 25 of those aged 11 to 16 tested positive.

But just 0.7 per cent of over-70s were estimated to have the virus in the latest survey results.

A rate of one in 80 means about 700,000 have the virus in England. The figures exclude hospitals and care homes.

In Scotland, one in 45 people had Covid in the week to September 11, according to the ONS. It is the second week in a row that the rate has been at its highest level since Scottish estimates began in October last year. Professor James Naismith, from the University of Oxford, said the numbers tell a ‘mixed story’, adding: ‘Scotland is not well placed for the oncoming winter...

‘I think it is very important to figure out quite quickly why Scotland is in such difficulty.’

In Wales, around one in 60 are estimated to have had Covid in the week to September 11, up from one in 65 in the previous week. In Northern Ireland, the latest estimate is one in 75, down from one in 60.

Yesterday, 32,651 cases and 178 deaths were recorded in the UK.

On Tuesday, Boris Johnson unveiled his winter plan for Covid as officials warned the disease remains a risk.