Covid cases fall across England as health chief warns against complacency

‘We saw last year how dangerous it is to relax restrictions prematurely’

Some hospitals could be under pressure for months, despite falling cases of Covid-19 (AFP via Getty)

Coronavirus cases have dropped across all regions in England and among all age groups, according to the latest Public Health England data.

But NHS hospitals are still under considerable pressure as seriously ill patients remain in intensive care.

The improving picture has prompted warnings from Public Health England’s medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle who warned the country must not become complacent adding: “Dropping our guard at this stage could waste everything we have endured over the last few weeks.

“However encouraging it is that case rates and hospitalisations continue to fall across all age groups and regions, it is important to reduce the level of infection in our communities because the rates remain very high.”

PHE’s latest surveillance report found the highest rate of infection was among 30 to 39-year-olds, with 358.6 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to January 31, down week-on-week from 499.5.

Among 20 to 29-year-olds, the rate dropped from 478.7 to 333.5, and for 40 to 49-year-olds, it fell from 442.5 to 316.0.

For people aged 80 and over, the rate fell from 412.0 to 284.5.

The West Midlands region is the worst hit area for infections with an overall rate of 319.9 infections per 100,000 people. This has fallen from 427.5 in the week before.

Northwest England has the second highest rate at 281.1 with the southwest recording the lowest rate at 172.9.

Admissions to hospital have fallen from 33.6 per 100,000 people to 25.26 per 100,000 people. The West Midlands and those aged above 85 have the highest rates of admission.

NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson warned that although the NHS had now passed the peak of infections the health service was still in “dangerous territory”.

He added: “Although the number of patients in hospital with Covid-19 is falling from the peak last month, there are still 26,000 Covid positive inpatients, 40 per cent higher than the peak of the first wave in April 2020.  

“The NHS currently has nearly 70 per cent more critical care beds than it did last winter, with some trusts still having to open more ICU beds last week to accommodate the sickest patients.”

He added it was wrong for “some siren voices” to prematurely argue for a relaxation in restrictions.

“We saw last year how dangerous it is to relax restrictions prematurely.”

In the House of Commons, Mark Harper, chair of the Tory lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group, called on vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi to say when Britons can get back to "living as normal".

He told MPs: "I'm very pleased the Government has agreed that once the first four cohorts have their vaccine and it becomes effective from March 8 we can start unlocking the economy.

"Does the minister agree with me that once the first nine groups have been vaccinated - accounting for 99% of deaths and about 80% of hospitalisations - that will be the right time for all restrictions to be relaxed so that we can get back to living as normal, get our children back to school and the economy fully open?"

Mr Zahawi said early March was when "protection really kicks in" for those vaccinated in mid-February, adding: "March 8 is the plan to reopen schools and then gradually reopen the economy."

He added it is "important to wait for the evidence", with research ongoing to see the impact of the vaccines on infection rates and transmission.

Mr Zahawi added: "We're getting some really positive data from Israel and the Oxford team."

Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said the rate of the fall in Covid-19 cases made him optimistic that restrictions on households mixing could be lifted as soon as next month with school pupils going back before the March 8 target date.

He told BBC Radio 4's World At One: "I think there could well be a case for opening schools sooner - I particularly think schools for children under 11 years of age, where the evidence that they contribute to the spread of the epidemic in the wider population is a lot lower.

"I would certainly hope to see schools, and particularly junior schools, opening relatively soon."

Asked about when people could start to see friends and family, Prof Hunter replied: "Personally I believe we should be able to start doing that probably not long after (schools reopen) - if I had to bet on a time, I'd say some time in March certainly."