Cases in London are continuing to fall
(Picture: PA)London Covid cases have peaked and are falling, new figures from a leading study have shown.
Figures from the ZOE COVID study show the capital is approaching 370 cases per 100,000.
Earlier this month, cases reached a peak of close to 400 per 100,000 people earlier this month.
London’s total new daily incidence rate is now 34,080 with an R-rate of one.
Across all regions in England, bar the North East, new cases per 100,000 are now stalling or beginning to fall.
In the North East are beginning to exceed 250 per 100,000 people but it is also the region with the lowest incidence rate in England.
While cases are beginning to fall for the majority of England, the study estimates 203,973 cases a day across the UK on average.
That is just 4.5 per cent higher than the 195,068 reported last week, the study reports.
Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist on the ZOE COVID Study app said: “Although the true rate of new cases unlike the government dashboard is currently far too high, it is somewhat reassuring to see signs of rates slowing down and it looks like we’ve now passed the second big peak of the year, with hospitalisations, ICU cases and deaths also continuing to fall.
“Cases need to decline more among older and more vulnerable age groups before we can start to relax, and it’s still too early to tell the effects of Long COVID as a result of an Omicron infection or the effect of the super infectious BA.2 variant that continues to increase nationally.
“Despite the Government’s hasty decision to end all restrictions this month, and the message this sends, this does not mean the pandemic is over and we should all try to be good citizens by continuing to self-isolate when ill and protect ourselves and others from what can be a really nasty infection.”
The drop off in case rates in London comes as Boris Johnson revealed the remaining Covid restrictions will be scrapped a month early on February 24.
Following the week-long recess, the Prime Minister announced he will introduce the Government’s ‘Living With Covid’ strategy to MPs.
Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said: “Provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions - including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive - a full month early.
“It is my intention to return on the first day after the half-term recess to present our strategy for living with Covid.”
The final restrictions which will be lifted on February 24 will include the legal requirement to self-isolate if you have tested positive for Covid or are showing symptoms and
