UK Covid cases rise by 28,612 in one day, as infections remain low three weeks after Freedom Day

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The number of people testing positive for Covid has fallen – amid hopes that the UK is now approaching post-pandemic life.

Another 28,612 infections were recorded today – an increase of 10 percent compared to last week when 26,144 cases were reported.

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Top experts say they believe there will be no need for lockdowns in the fall – as the UK weathers the pandemicCredit: PA

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Another 103 Britons lost due to the deadly virus

Tragically, deaths are up 45 percent from this time last week.

And 103 more deaths from the virus were recorded today, compared to 71 last Saturday. Deaths and severe injuries lag behind the rise in cases.

The number of new infections recorded each day has fallen broadly, despite last month’s Freedom Day – leading to hopes that Britain may now be past the darkest days of the crisis.

Britain passed a grim milestone yesterday, as six million have tested positive since the pandemic began.

But the current situation is much brighter than government scientists expected.

Just weeks ago, Sajid Javid warned there would be 100,000 cases per day by the end of the summer.

Instead, the number of infections currently averages between 20,000 and 30,000 per day.

It comes as follows:

Sage models for this point in time predict more than 6,000 people hospitalized at the lower end, and more than 25,000 as a worst-case scenario.

Currently, 5,631 patients are admitted to the wards.

Leading academics say they don’t think there will be more closures in the fall.

Autumn “will be fine”, Sir John Bell, a professor of medicine at Oxford University, told The Times, adding: “We’re past the need to shut down because of a vaccine.”

Sage’s advisor, Professor John Edmonds, said he did not expect the September shutdown – and credited the “amazing” vaccines for the turnaround.

We are past the need for closures

Sir John Bell

But Boris Johnson is said to be more cautious about the news – and has become “the most pessimistic person in the room” when discussing the UK’s response to Covid.

The prime minister is believed to have been “injured” by having to cancel the holiday season for millions.

“Christmas is still haunting him,” a source said.

But despite Johnson’s concerns, there was more good news this week.

The epidemic in Britain is shrinking faster than almost anywhere else in the world – suggesting that our third wave is over.

RATE BLUMITES

Public Health England said the critical R rate – a measure of how strong it is – fell to 0.8 for the first time since the lockdown.

A separate research from King’s College London backed up these numbers.

The current R rate means that every ten infected people now transmit it to only eight others.

As long as the rate remains below one, the outbreak will shrink. The lower the level, the faster it shrinks.

R rates are much higher across Europe and the world.

In Germany it is currently 1.6, in France 1.3, Sweden 1.4, Italy 1.2, Belgium 1.1, Spain 1.02.

Only tiny Luxembourg has a marginally low R-rate – currently 0.79.

In Israel 1.5, in the US 1.4 and even in Australia, with a “zero Covid” policy, 1.3.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the UK has crossed 6 million since the pandemic began in an effort to vaccinate young Britons

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