THE number of UK coronavirus cases has today dropped by 21 per cent in a week – with 521 more deaths reported in the last 24 hours.
The figure is down by a fifth on last Friday’s rise (20,252) and follows a recent trend of infections slowing.
It brings the total number of positive test results in Britain to 1,574,562.
Another 521 more fatalities were confirmed, raising the total number of Covid deaths in Britain to 57,551.
Today’s rise in deaths is almost identical – although slightly bigger – than last week’s jump (511).
It is bigger still, than the Friday before that (376).
It comes as…
- Govt graph reveals how close YOUR area is to moving up or down Covid lockdown tiers
- Official coronavirus R rate could be as low as 0.9 across UK – as ‘epidemic is shrinking’
- GMB doctor says there’s ‘no scientific basis’ for not hugging family at Christmas
- New side effect of long-Covid sees sufferers’ teeth fall out suddenly
Yesterday, Boris Johnson put all of England under the toughest two Covid tiers — apart from a lucky one per cent.
Only the Isle of Wight and Cornwall, plus the Isles of Scilly, escaped strict curbs to follow national lockdown next week.
The PM said: “If we ease off now, we risk losing control of this virus all over again.”
ALL WIGHT FOR SOME
Meanwhile, Britain’s official coronavirus R rate could be below 1 across the country – and the epidemic is shrinking, experts say.
The current R value – the number of people an infected person will pass Covid on to – is now estimated to be between 0.9 and 1.
It’s the third week in a row the crucial value has dropped – likely as a result of the four-week national lockdown.
Yesterday, Mr Johnson also warned against “taking our foot off the throat of the beast” as he unveiled his toughened-up Covid tiers.
The PM plunged 55million people in England into Tiers 2 or 3 while admitting he was sorry for the “heartache”.
NEW TIERS
Mr Johnson said severe tiers were the only way to avoid a winter of hibernation and a New Year national lockdown.
But he promised: “Your tier is not your destiny.” Each will be reviewed on December 16, and weekly to the end of March.
The PM said enough troops — thought to be around 14,000 — were on standby for community testing to help get virus rates down.
But Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty gave a gloomier prognosis, warning it could be months before areas escaped the toughest tiers.
Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly landed in the lowest, Tier 1, when the month-long national lockdown ends just after midnight on Wednesday.
People living there will face few restrictions and be free to mingle indoors.
Some 32million people, just over 56 per cent of the English population will be in Tier 2 — including Liverpool and London.
