London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Coronavirus infection levels continue to drop in the UK

Coronavirus infection levels continue to drop in the UK

Levels of coronavirus infections in the UK have continued to fall, Office for National Statistics data shows.

The figures, for the seven days up to 27 February, reveal around 1-in-230 people has the virus in the community.

It suggests that the number infected has fallen by about a third in the most recent week of data.

Infections have also dropped in the over 70s age group in England, potentially as a result of the vaccine rollout, say experts.

The latest R number - 0.7 and 0.9 - suggests infection numbers are shrinking overall in the UK. It means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 7 and 9 other people.


People are still being advised to take precautions to stop the spread.

Low virus levels are needed to get the best out of the vaccination programme. It takes time for immunity to build after having a jab and protection may not be absolute even after two doses. People who are vaccinated may still be able to pass on the virus to others.

High infection rates also give the virus more opportunities to mutate. Experts are already concerned about new and emerging variants that could evade some immunity from vaccination or prior infection.

More than 20 million people across the UK have now received a first dose, with a target to invite all over-50s by mid-April and people in their 40s and 30s after that.

Schools are reopening on Monday in England in the first easing of rules. It remains to be seen what effect this will have on infection rates.

The ONS results, based on tests from people whether or not they had symptoms, suggest:

* Overall in the UK, one in 230 people has the virus - 421,300 overall

* In England, it is one in 220 (compared with one in 145 the week before)

* In Northern Ireland, it is one in 325 (compared with one in 195 previously)

* In Wales, it is one in 285 (compared with one in 205 before)

* In Scotland, it is one in 335 (compared with one in 225)

Sarah Crofts from the ONS said: "Infections continue to head in the right direction across the UK, with levels now similar to what we saw in early October and around a quarter of levels seen at the start of the year."


There is some regional variation, with the rate decreasing faster in some areas than others.

The trend in the north-east England, the East Midlands and eastern England is uncertain, the ONS said.

North-east England had the highest proportion of people of any region in England likely to test positive for coronavirus at around one in 150 people.

The West Midlands had the next highest estimate, one in 160.

The other estimates are:

* one in 185 for the East Midlands

* one in 190 for north-west England

* one in 195 for London

* one in 225 for Yorkshire and the Humber

* one in 260 for eastern England; one in 340 for south-east England

* one in 365 for south-west England

Prof Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics with The Open University, said: "Overall, the position is looking good. The virus hasn't gone away yet, and hasn't yet fallen to levels that we could live with in the longer term, in my view. But we're getting there, and we've got effective vaccines now."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
×