No decline in Covid-19 infections in first days of lockdown
Infection levels did not slow down, and may have risen instead, during the initial 10 days of the latest national lockdown, scientists tracking the spread of the virus have found.
The research, carried out between 6 and 15 January, found one in 63 people were infected across England, and the infection was most prevalent in London, where one in 36 people were infected, according to reports.
Government figures declined over the same period of the study, from a high of 68,053 on 8 January to a low of 45,533 on 12 January.
The researchers warned it would be weeks before the vaccine rollout has a substantial effect.
Yesterday England’s daily death toll hit a record 1,820 deaths, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson blaming the figure on the “new variant that we saw just before Christmas.”
The scientists warned that at the current number of cases, there would only be continued pressure on the NHS.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health told Sky News that the report does not yet reflect the impact of national lockdown.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “These findings show why we must not let down our guard over the weeks to come.
“Infections across England are at very high levels and this will keep having a knock-on effect on the already significant pressures faced by our NHS and hospitals.”