Covid levels starting to fall in UK, says ONS

The number of people in the UK infected with coronavirus is falling, says the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

About 4.4 million people had the virus in their body in the week up to 9 April, down from nearly 4.9 million the week before.

That's about one-in-15 people testing positive for the virus.

The study, which uses its own testing, gives the clearest indication of the virus's spread since free testing ended in England.

Sarah Crofts, from the ONS, said: "Across most parts of the UK infections have thankfully begun to decrease.

"It is too early to say if we have passed the peak of infections, and infections overall remain high."

In the week leading up to 9 April, the ONS estimates:

Rates of Covid are falling in most of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. They seem to have plateaued in Wales, but are still climbing in north-east England, which now has the highest rates in any part of the UK.

The overall drop will be a welcome development as the NHS is under intense pressure.

A record 6.2 million people are waiting for routine NHS treatment. A&E is heaving, with only 71% of patients seen, treated and then admitted or discharged in under four hours, compared with 87% in March 2019 - before the pandemic began.

However, the number of people being admitted to hospital with Covid across the UK is starting to fall. The figures had risen from about 1,100 a day in mid-February to nearly 2,400 by the end of March. It has since dropped to about 2,250 a day.