THE UK’s daily Covid deaths have dropped for the fourth day in a row – as 155 fatalities are recorded.
And cases have plunged too, as today saw 30,693 positive tests, marking a 25.6 per cent dip on last Saturday.
Yesterday saw Covid cases drop below 200 for the first time in three days – as cases fell after JVT’s grim Christmas warning.
A further 193 people lost their lives on Friday – down on the 214 fatalities recorded one day prior.
It follows a week of soaring death tolls, with Thursday marking the third day in a row that fatalities crossed the 200 mark.
In comparison, on Wednesday the UK saw 217 deaths – while Tuesday had another 293.
Earlier this week, Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam warned Christmas is under threat for the UK as Covid is once again “penetrating” the older vulnerable group.
Van-Tam said the festive season will be “problematic” as the UK is “running quite hot” with high cases and rising deaths.
Hopes of a normal Christmas are starting to increase, but with no enforced social distancing and high case rates continuing – with flu still to come – scientists are worried.
Prof Van-Tam told the BBC: “Christmas, and indeed all of the darker winter months, are potentially going to be problematic.
“Deaths are increasing – there might be some artefacts in the very latest figure – but essentially deaths are increasing.
“If you then look at hospital admissions, those have plateaued in the last four days. And if you look at the total number of patients in hospital with Covid, those have gone down in the last two or three days, but only a small bit.
“So what that tells me is that we have to just wait and see a bit longer – this could be a pause before things go up, it could be the very first signs that things are beginning to stabilise but at a high rate.
“On cases, they are now starting to fall, but that mainly reflects the fact that this big wave we’ve had in teenagers is now starting to slip away.
“But my worry is that the deaths are increasing and that shows that the infection is now starting to penetrate into those older age groups.”
From Monday Brits eligible for a vital booster shot can book themselves in a month before they are due their jab.
The booking system has been changed to make sure everyone with waning protection against Covid is topped up as soon as possible.
The NHS will allow people to pre-book their booster five months after their second jab, in time for the day the reach the six-month eligibility mark.
Currently, someone can only book an appointment at six months, which is slowing the process down.
Trending In The News revealed on Thursday that ministers were plotting the move for next week.
Boosters are at the centre of the Government’s plan to keep Covid hospitalisations and pressure on the NHS down during a “challenging winter”.
