THE UK’S daily Covid cases have come down by a third in a week.
Today’s 143,382 infections, which includes test results from the weekend, are down 33.3 per cent on last Monday’s 215,001.
Monday’s Covid case figure always includes data from Saturday and Sunday.
Meanwhile, 210 deaths were reported against last Monday’s 217, giving early glimpses that daily deaths are stabilising.
Hospitalisation numbers are still on an upwards curve, but should follow trends of cases with a slight lag.
Free Covid testing has now been scrapped for the majority of people in England, with the rest of the UK to follow suit.
Read more on coronavirus
The lab test capacity was slashed by half, from almost a million on Thursday to 500,000 per day over the weekend.
With significantly fewer people getting tests, it means the official Government coronavirus dashboard, which collects positive test data, is no longer an accurate representation of the outbreak.
However, Government-funded surveillance systems are still going ahead.
The most recent findings from the Office for National Statistics revealed a record 4.9 million people had Covid last week across the UK.
In England one in 13 were infected with the bug, and Scotland reported one in 12 hit with the virus.
The Omicron “sister” variant, called BA.2, is currently the most dominant and driving record high infections.
It spreads faster than any other variant seen before. However, the Omicron family causes a more mild disease.
A booster vaccine is the only way to sufficiently protect yourself against the Omicron bug.
The second round of boosters is being currently offered to the most vulnerable of society.
Meanwhile, vaccination appointments have opened up to five million children as young as five.
Parents are now able to book their kids aged between five and 11 years old in for their first Covid vaccine dose.
Children will be offered two shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, at least 12 weeks apart, at a third of the dose given to adults.
NHS England said hundreds of sites will offer jabs, with more coming on stream throughout the week.
It comes as the NHS has expanded the official coronavirus symptom list.
More than two years into the pandemic, the list of possible signs that someone might have the illness has been quietly extended.
It came just after free Covid testing ended.
Read More on Trending In The News
Previously, Brits were warned a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to the senses of smell and taste may be Covid – and that only these three symptoms warranted a free NHS test.
As well as the three previously listed, potential symptoms include feeling tired, a headache, sore throat and runny nose.
