Infections at lowest rate since autumn

COVID-19 infections across all parts of the UK have fallen to the lowest level since the autumn, new figures suggest.

According to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), around one in 480 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to April 10 – down from one in 340 the previous week.

This is the lowest figure since the week to September 19, 2020, when the estimate stood at one in 500.

Meanwhile in Wales, around one in 920 people was estimated to have had coronavirus in the week to April 10 – down from one in 800 in the week before and the lowest level since the week to September 10.

In Northern Ireland, the estimate was around one in 710 people, a drop from one in 300 in the previous week and the lowest since estimates began for the nation in October.

The estimate for Scotland was around one in 500, falling from one in 410 and again the lowest since estimates began for the nation in October.

The drop in infection levels across the UK marks a contrast to rising case rates in other parts of the world.

World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said coronavirus cases globally were rising at “worrying” rates and highlighted that the number of new cases confirmed per week had nearly doubled during the past two months.

Speaking in Geneva, Dr Tedros said the number of new cases “is approaching the highest rate of infection that we have seen so far in the pandemic”.

The ONS said Northwest England had the highest proportion of people of any region in England likely to test positive in the week to April 10: around one in 260. South-west England had the lowest estimate: one in 1,150.