Stricter restrictions working as Covid infection rate slows

The Covid infection rate is slowing down now that stricter restrictions have come into force with the R rate falling from 1.7 to 1.1 this month.

The Covid infection rate is slowing down now that stricter restrictions have come into force with the R rate falling from 1.7 to 1.1 this month according to a study by Imperial College London and Ipsos Mori. This means efforts to keep the virus at bay are working and that these statistics highlight the need for protective measures.

Covid infection rate slows

Just under 33% of the UK population is under local lockdown as the government attempts to prevent the rate of infection from further increasing.

Between September 18-26, more than 80,000 people in England were tested as part of the country’s largest study into the virus. The study analyses levels of infection in the general population via mass testing every month.

Despite the R rate dropping for the nation overall, there were still significant increases in a number of different age categories and areas. The fourth report of the study shows that roughly 55 people per 10,000 tested positive, an increase on 13 people per 10,000 in the previous study.

This is equivalent to 411,000 people in England having Covid during that time.

The highest infection rate was for those aged 18-24, with one in 100 people in that category infected. Those aged over 65 also saw a dramatic increase jumping from 0.04 per cent to 0.29 per cent since the last report. There were also significant regional differences regionally: the north-west of England had the highest levels of infection meanwhile the number of infections in London increased from 0.1 per cent to 0.49 per cent.

The final report showing the results of those tested between September 18 and October 5 will be released next week.

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