UK DAILY Covid cases have risen by 40,375 in the last 24 hours – which is a 19 per cent increase on last week.
But 145 fatalities have been reported today – which is a drop by nearly a quarter in a week – as Brits continue to get their booster jabs in the battle against the virus.
This time last week, there were 34,029 cases reported in the UK.
And the number of Covid deaths was 193 – which means there was a 24 per cent decrease in fatalities this week.
This follows news that coronavirus hospital admissions are falling as booster jabs kick in to protect Brits, new data has revealed.
The crucial R rate has also fallen once again this week, dropping from 0.9 – 1.1 to 0.8 to 1.
Hospital admissions have decreased in all age groups and are down to 7.44 per 100,000 people, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found.
While case rates are still highest in secondary school aged kids, people who are being admitted to hospital with the bug are aged 85 and older.
Over 11 million Brits have now had their booster jabs, as a result, experts say Covid cases are now falling faster than at any other time this year.
Sarah Crofts, Head of Analytical Outputs for the Covid-19 Infection Survey, said: “There has been a welcome decline in infection rates across both England and Wales, though rates across the UK remain high overall.
“With a marked decrease in infections among secondary school children in England, the half-term break may have played a part, though infections were decreasing prior to this time.
“Over the next few weeks we will see if this decline continues.”
It comes as experts today warned that Covid could continue to ruin Christmas for five years.
While just 53 places have seen a rise in infections in the last seven days, Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London, and the lead on the ZOE Symptom Tracker app, said we shouldn’t get complacent with the virus.
At present all ambulance trusts in England are currently on a high level of alert and are under significant strain as winter pressures start to mount.
In the UK 322 areas have seen a fall in coronavirus cases in the seven days up to November 6, with the map above showing most recent infections.
Covid is currently taking up around eight per cent of hospital beds in the UK and the NHS is continuing to urge people to book their jabs and boosters to prevent the NHS coming under even more pressure this winter.
Trusts around the country are ‘on their knees’ as patients continue to wait for hours to receive care.
SLOWING RATE
The Orkney Islands in Scotland currently has the highest rate of infection in the UK, with 150 new cases in the seven days to November 6, the equivalent of 669.6 per 100,000 people.
This is up from 455.4 in the seven days to October 30.
Torfaen in Wales has the second highest rate, down from 747.6 to 666.4, with 632 new cases.
Vale of Glamorgan in Wales has the third highest rate, down from 767.2 to 635.6, with 860 new cases.
Copeland in Cumbria has the highest rate in England (598.2) and Fermanagh & Omagh has the highest rate in Northern Ireland (548.8).
Yesterday it was reported that a cluster had emerged in parts of Scotland and that is still the case, with five areas in the nation have seen the biggest week on week rises.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is up from 388.7 to 615.1 and the Orkney Islands has also jumped from 455.4 to 669.6.
Perth & Kinross is up from 239.0 to 427.9, while Inverclyde has also jumped from 269.9 to 443.8.
East Ayrshire has also witnessed an increase in cases, going from 390.6 to 544.4.
