Covid UK: Daily cases fall for 13th day in a row to just 41,648

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Britain’s daily Covid cases fell for the 13th day in a row today, while hospitalisations and deaths also continued to trend downwards as the Omicron wave subsides.

Government dashboard data shows another 41,648 infections were officially recorded over the last 24 hours, down 28 per cent on last Monday. Cases have fallen week-on-week on every day since February 1.

The UK is now recording about 55,500 Covid cases every day, on average, which is about the same level as in mid-December when Omicron was just starting to take off. 

There were also a further 35 deaths recorded today, marking a 22 per cent fall in a week. But virus deaths are usually artificially lower on Mondays due to NHS recording lags.

The seven-day average number of deaths now sits at 178 — almost four times lower than this time last year, before vaccines were widely available.

Latest hospital data also shows there were 1,413 admissions on February 8, down 17 per cent on a week beforehand.

The tumbling statistics come as ministers use the Parliamentary recess to draft their strategy to learn to ‘live with Covid’ like flu, which is due to be unveiled on February 21. 

Boris Johnson has signalled his intentions to make England the freest country in the world by lifting even the most fundamental Covid restrictions including compulsory self-isolation for those who test positive. 

The Prime Minister has said the move can be taken as long as data continues to head in the right direction, and there are no rebounds in the daily numbers. 

Last week a SAGE subcommittee told the Government to consider the ‘unintended consequences’ before lifting all remaining Covid restrictions, and scrapping free lateral flow tests.

The experts claimed abandoning the swabs — which have already cost the taxpayer billions will lead to Covid becoming ‘hidden’ and mask any future outbreaks. Ditching the policy could create ‘ambiguity’ about the seriousness of the pandemic, they added, and make the public less likely to take personal precautions.

They argue that scrapping the compulsory isolation period without improving sick pay may force poorer people to go to work even if they are ill and risk spreading the virus to vulnerable.

The warnings were raised at a meeting of the Spi-B behavioural expert committee that feeds into SAGE last Thursday, a day after the Prime Minister revealed he intended to drop all remaining curbs in England within weeks.

About a quarter fewer Covid tests are now being carried out than last week, which may be behind the drop in cases.

But the positivity rate — the proportion of swabs that pick up the virus — is also pointing downwards in England, suggesting it is a real-terms drop rather than one caused by the virus.

A total of 19,000 booster doses were dished out yesterday, the latest data showed, alongside 13,623 second doses and 7,494 first jabs.

The vaccine roll out has slowed in recent weeks as many people are already inoculated, and concern over the virus continues to subside.

Some 52.5million Britons — or 91.3 per cent of over-12s — have already got one dose of the Covid vaccine.

A total of 48.7million — or 84.8 per cent — have got two doses, while 37.7million — or 65.7 per cent — have also had their boosters. 

It comes as an announcement on vaccinating five to 11-year-olds was delayed for the second time in a week amid an impasse between Britain’s vaccine chiefs and No10.

It was initially due last Friday, but was pushed back to today, and then delayed again over the weekend — this time until February 21.

It is unclear what exactly is causing the hold up, but in the past ministers have expressed frustration at the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVIs) caution over jabbing children.

The group initially dragged its heels on recommending jabs to 12 to 15-year-olds in September, citing a lack of safety data and concerns about side-effects.

In the end ministers had to circumvent the JCVI, and relied on Professor Chris Whitty to approve the jabs on the basis they would prevent further disruption to schooling. 

It is unclear whether the toned down language of the JCVI’s recommendation for five to 11-year-olds is behind the impasse.

There is also a suggestion that the Government wants to announce the roll out as part of its plan to ‘live with’ Covid like the flu — which is set to be unveiled when Parliament returns from recess on February 21.

A Government source told MailOnline the spate of scandals within No10 over the past week as well as the imminent war on the Ukrainian border may have led to the JCVI announcement ‘slipping down the pecking order’.

Most of Europe has already started vaccinating five to 11-year-olds against the virus, after opening up its drives in December amid the rampant spread of the Omicron variant.

Clinically vulnerable five to 11-year-olds were recommended two doses Pfizer jab in late December, although they were offered smaller doses than adults.

JCVI chiefs now appear to have signed off on inoculating healthy children of the same age, according to reports over the weekend.

They say it may help to protect against a ‘potential future wave’ of Covid infections. But the offer will be presented as ‘non-urgent’ because of the low risk Covid poses to the age group.

Healthy children face a vanishingly low risk of severe illness from the virus, with only six healthy children dying of the virus in England’s first year of the pandemic.

And two doses of a jab offer as little as 10 per cent protection against catching the antibody-resistant Omicron variant, UK data suggests.

Amid preparations to scrap remaining Covid restrictions, the SNP called on the Prime Minister to ensure that free Covid tests were still available for the devolved nations. 

Rumours have swirled in recent months that free testing could come to an end, with the announcement last week that self isolation rules could be scrapped later this month heightening fears.

SNP health spokesman, Martyn Day, said Mr Johnson must not impose changes to ‘appease Tory backbenchers’ and any decisions should be backed by medical advice.

‘The UK Government must confirm that it will continue to fund Covid-19 testing for devolved nations — after the confusion caused by Boris Johnson and his Tory ministers,’ he said.

‘Any changes to Covid testing must be guided by expert public health advice through the chief medical officers.

‘It would be typically reckless for the Westminster Government to simply impose changes in a bid to appease Tory backbenchers and save the Prime Minister’s skin.

‘Scotland’s more safe and cautious approach to the pandemic has seen better outcomes.

‘We must continue to be guided by the scientific evidence, and not by Downing Street’s concerns over the number of letters of no confidence in Boris Johnson from Tory MPs.’

The push comes as the Prime Minister and one of his ministers dodged questions on the issue.

During a visit to Scotland on Monday, Mr Johnson said: ‘On testing, which is important, we’ll make sure we continue to work with our colleagues in Scotland.’

When pushed, the Prime Minister added: ‘We’ll continue to work with our colleagues in Scotland but I believe the similarities in our approach vastly outweigh the differences.’

Scotland Office minister, Iain Stewart, told the BBC on Monday: ‘What we’ve said is that next week, if the figures and Covid continue the way they are, we’ll be setting out a comprehensive plan on what living with Covid in a normal sense looks like, but I am not sighted on what might be in that.’

He added that there continue to be ‘regular meetings several times a week’ between the UK Government and the devolved administrations on the Covid response.

Sage, the independent group of advisers who have been counselling the Government throughout the pandemic, cautioned against removing free testing.

The group said getting rid of free testing would make it harder for people to take precautions and ‘may also increase anxiety among those who have found testing reassuring after possible exposure, particularly those who are, or live with, someone who is clinically vulnerable’.

‘Some people may also take the removal of free and accessible testing as a signal that they should continue to attend workplaces/social gatherings while showing Covid-19 symptoms, as these become conflated with other symptoms of respiratory illness such as influenza,’ the group added.