According to latest government figures the Covid reproductions number, known as the R value has fallen below 1 for the first time since July last year.
Sage who advise the government said the estimates are based on the latest data from 8 February, which includes hospital admissions and deaths.
Sage said the R number has fallen below 1 in all NHS regions, but warned, “However, prevalence of the virus remains high, so it remains important that everyone continues to stay at home in order to keep the R value down, protect the NHS and help save lives.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted, “thanks to the national effort”, the R number has now fallen before 1 – for the first time since July.
“We still have lots of work to do to defeat this virus, but we’re making great progress.”
Speaking to Sky News, Professor Rowland Kao, of epidemiology and data science at the University of Edinburgh said this is a “significant” moment.
Professor Kao said, “It’s also significant because it appears to be below 1 pretty much everywhere in the UK, which means as far as we can tell, there seems to be no problem areas.
“It’s telling us that we’re heading in the right direction.
But he cautioned case numbers and intensive care bed occupancy across hospitals are still “relatively high,” he added, “We’re on course for the moment.”
Professor Neil Ferguson Imperial College London said this comes due to the rapid rollout of the vaccination programme.
A leading scientist who was a fierce advocate for the first national lockdown has said that coronavirus restrictions could be largely lifted by May.
Professor Neil Ferguson Imperial College London said this comes due to the rapid rollout of the vaccination programme.
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