Coronavirus infection rates have fallen across the UK, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show.
About one in 115 people in private households in England had coronavirus between February 6 and 12, according to new estimates from the ONS. That is down from about one in 80 people in the week to February 6 and is the lowest figure since November 29 to December 5, when the estimate also stood at one in 115.
In Wales, about one in 125 people are estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to February 12, down from the previous ONS estimate of one in 85 for the previous seven days, while in Northern Ireland, about one in 105 people had Covid-19 in the same period, down from one in 75.
Vaccines appear to be playing a part in reducing coronavirus transmission by up to two-thirds, according to earlier “real world” data handed to the British government.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will consider the data showing the effects of one dose of either the Oxford/AstraZeneca or Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines as he finalises a route out of lockdown next Monday.
Other statistics show that coronavirus cases are falling most rapidly among the elderly, who were prioritised for vaccines, with care-home outbreaks halving in a week.
The Telegraph quoted government sources as saying that the Public Health England data – which is not yet publicly available – was "very encouraging".
Prof Neil Ferguson, a key scientific adviser to the government, said the two-thirds drop in transmission was “not too far off” the modelling he has seen.
"There are two factors we have to look at: one is how quickly our infection levels are declining, in particular how quickly hospitalisations and deaths are declining. The second is the picture of the real world effectiveness of vaccines," he told BBC's Radio 4 Today programme on Friday.
“They are both looking promising at the moment.”
Prof Adam Finn from the University of Bristol said “everything is moving in the right direction”.
“We’ve got to the point in our study in Bristol to say it’s definitely having an effect – it’s just hard to put an exact number on it at the moment,” he said.
“It’s becoming clear for the Pfizer vaccine, which we’ve been using for a month longer, and it will take slightly longer for the Oxford vaccine to come through, but they are definitely doing the job.”
More than 16.4 million people have been given a first dose of the vaccine, with about 573,000 given a second dose, according to government data.
Scientists reported on Thursday that England's third national lockdown had cut coronavirus cases by two thirds but stressed that restrictions should be lifted cautiously because the effect of vaccines were still unclear.
Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said the government wanted the current lockdown to be the last but he could not rule out another if case numbers surge.
“Ultimately no one can predict with complete certainty what the vaccine will do and how it will evolve,” he told Sky News.
“We very, very much hope that this is the last lockdown [but] we can’t give complete 100 per cent certainty because viruses don’t work like that.”
Mr Johnson pledged to be driven by "data and not dates" as he plans the country's lockdown exit strategy.
Meanwhile, scientists reacted with confusion to reports suggesting the government is preparing to slash the size of its contact tracing workforce.
Contact tracing workforce to be slashed
Test-and-trace staff were told that their numbers would be slashed “as a result of the decreasing levels of prevalence” of Covid-19 across the country, Sky News reported.
The directive followed an email earlier in the week that some contact tracers would have their shifts reduced by 10 per cent.
Dr Simon Clarke from the University of Reading said the timing of the move was odd given that the easing of restrictions would put “upward pressure” on cases.
As the UK looks to the next stage of its pandemic fight, age appears to be firming as the dominant factor in deciding vaccine priority.
Prof Wei Shen Lim, chairman of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation, said more lives would be saved by targeting age groups than by any other factor.
Key workers such as teachers and police officers had been mooted as the next groups that should receive vaccines.
But if officials decide to keep prioritising vaccines based on age, over-40s could begin receiving their vaccines by late March.
Prof Lim said the overall speed of the vaccine drive should be the biggest concern.
"One of the great successes of the programme is the rate of deployment, and this is now the most important factor in the programme,” he told doctors at an online forum on Thursday.
"Age dominates by a long way, and almost all the underlying health conditions contribute some increased risk, but not a huge amount of increased risk."
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
Where to submit a sample
Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs: 2018 Jaguar E-Pace First Edition
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Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
The five pillars of Islam
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER
Directed by: Michael Fimognari
Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo
Two stars
