UK Covid Deaths Surpass 60,000 as Cases Show Signs of Slowing
Daily Cases and Deaths Still High
Last Friday, the UK recorded 16,022 new Covid-19 cases and 521 deaths. The seven-day average stood at a grim 460.3 deaths per day. Yesterday, the total number of coronavirus-linked deaths within 28 days of a positive test passed the terrifying milestone of 60,000.
On Thursday, there were 14,879 fresh cases and 414 deaths. The total confirmed UK cases now hit 1,690,432 with 60,617 fatalities.
R Number Drops Below 1 for First Time Since September
The Government Office for Science and Sage revealed the crucial Covid reproduction number — or R value — has slipped to between 0.8 and 1. This is the lowest estimate since August and a slight dip from last week’s 0.9 to 1 range.
When the R number is above 1, the virus spreads exponentially. With the latest figure, every 10 infected people now pass the virus to between 8 and 10 others, signalling a slowing outbreak.
Meanwhile, the growth rate of infections is between minus 3% and minus 1%, meaning new cases are shrinking by up to 3% daily across the UK.
Rapid Testing Paused in Greater Manchester Care Homes
Greater Manchester councils have hit pause on rapid lateral flow testing for care home visitors amid concerns over their accuracy. Studies suggest these kits miss roughly a third of the most infectious cases detected by standard PCR lab tests.
Lateral flow tests are vital for allowing indoor visits but are known to miss about 50% of infections overall. Even when the viral load is high, these kits still fail to catch around 5% of cases compared to PCR tests.
US Faces Dire Situation as California Plans Tough Lockdown
Across the pond, California’s governor plans to impose some of America’s toughest stay-at-home orders days ahead, as ICUs near capacity. The US continues to smash grim records, reporting over 200,000 new cases and 2,900 deaths on Thursday alone, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The nationwide toll tops 275,000 deaths and more than 14 million infections, solidifying Covid-19’s brutal impact in the States.
