Covid infections in Wales decline for the fifth week in a row

The number of Covid-19 infections in Wales has fallen for the fifth week in a row.

According to the latest weekly infection survey, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 45,400 people were estimated to have the virus in the week ending 15 November, the equivalent of one in 65 people.

This is down almost 20% from the previous week when 56,000, or one in 55 people were thought to have Covid.

Infections have also fallen in England and Scotland for the fourth month in a row as UK-wide Covid infections fell below the one million mark for the first time in two months.

During the latest wave of the virus, the total peaked at just over two million in mid-October.

This is well below the peaks seen earlier in the year, when infections climbed to nearly four million in July and just under five million in March.

Hospital admissions and deaths are also on a downwards trend, with health experts linking the decrease to the roll-out of booster doses of vaccine.

Only in Northern Ireland are infections not showing a clear fall, with signs the recent decline has levelled off.

The number of people testing positive for coronavirus in England in the week to November 15 was 809,200, or around one in 65 people, down from 940,700 the previous week, or one in 60.

Scotland has seen infections fall to 83,700, or one in 65, down from 97,500, or one in 55.

Uncertain

In Northern Ireland the trend is described by the ONS as “uncertain”, with an estimated 34,100 people having Covid-19, or one in 55, compared with 34,200 in the previous week, which was also one in 55.

The total number of people in private households in the UK testing positive for coronavirus stood at 972,400 in the week to November 15, down 14% from 1.1 million in the previous week, according to the ONS.

Sarah Crofts, ONS deputy director for Covid-19 infection survey analysis, said: “Infections have continued to decrease across much of the UK, except in Northern Ireland where rates have remained broadly the same.

“In England, infections are still decreasing among most age groups, although the trends among children are less clear in these latest data.

“We will continue to monitor the data closely as the winter months progress.”