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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Kieren Williams

UK Covid cases down by 7% in the last week with 277 more reported deaths in 24 hours

The UK has reported 89,176 cases of Covid over the past 24 hours, with 277 deaths confirmed.

These are both down on yesterday, marking a slight decline throughout the week after infections breached the 100,000 mark.

However, cases remain high, around the 90,000 mark despite the omicron peak being nearly a month ago.

This comes as the remaining Plan B rules in England have been eased this week, meaning masks are no longer required in public space like on trains, buses and underground.

On top of that, Covid passes, which were previously required for large-scale indoor and outdoor events were scrapped.

However, a number of supermarkets including Sainsbury's, John Lewis and Waitrose have all said they will continue to ask their customers in England to wear masks.

Some train passengers will also be asked to wear one.

Plan B has been eased as it seems the UK has gotten through the worst of the Omicron wave.

Despite early fears that the new variant could prove the killer one which would force the UK back into lockdown, it has long peaked and began to fall.

A first look inside the Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital (Lancashire Evening Post / SWNS)

It reached highs of nearly 220,000 new cases confirmed a day at new years, but has since tumbled sharply.

This sudden peak and sharp decline mirrored patterns in other countries like South Africa, whose Omicron wave played out ahead of the UK’s.

However, in recent days, it seems that case rates have plateaued.

After falling to around 90,000 new cases confirmed a day, the UK’s infections have struggled to fall below and if anything been on the rise since.

Numbers breached the 100,000 mark again this week.

The underground on the day the rules on mask wearing in public are eased after Omicron (Alamy Live News.)

And as this happens, the country feels the lag from the high case rates as deaths now spike.

This week deaths have risen over the 400 Brits confirmed to have died in 24 hours mark.

But, even as a number of hospital trusts and councils were forced to declare critical incidents due to Omicron, the country managed to push through without anymore major restrictions.

The Nightingale Surge Hub at Royal Preston Hospital (Lancashire Evening Post / SWNS)

This plays out as Boris Johnson seems to have seen off efforts from within and without the Conservative party to end his premiership.

Sue Gray’s report now seems like it will be delayed thanks to the Met Police deciding to investigate the “numerous events”.

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