The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- John Furner
Covid cases are in freefall across the UK — despite gloomy warnings of impending ‘Kraken’ chaos.
Top statisticians estimate close to 1.1million Brits were infected with the virus on any given day last week.
This was down by 39 per cent on the week before, marking the lowest toll since late November, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Michelle Bowen, head of health surveillance dissemination and strategy at the ONS, said: ‘The picture is generally a positive one.’
Top statisticians estimate close to 1.1million Brits were infected with the virus on any given day last week. This was down by 39 per cent on the week before, marking the lowest toll since late November, according to the Office for National Statistics
The agency — tasked with tracking the coronavirus across Britain — will ‘continue to monitor the data closely’.
Today’s surveillance data flies in the face of concerns that the XBB.1.5 variant would drive a resurgence that cripples the NHS even further.
Health advisers described the ‘Kraken’, as it is nicknamed, as the most transmissible strain yet.
Some experts wanted face masks and pandemic-era restrictions brought back into British life to stifle the Omicron relative, which, they claim, burst onto the scene at the worst possible time given the NHS winter crisis and ‘flu-nami’.
Despite virus cases dropping, hospital admissions appear to have flattened off after being in freefall since before Christmas.
