Surprising sign in UK Covid crisis as cases plateau for the first time in a month

UK Covid cases have plateaued for the first time in a month – but health experts are still urging caution as the crisis rages on.

The UK has reported its lowest amount of Covid cases in a month, with health experts saying the virus may be starting to plateau.

The country recorded another 81,713 cases on Saturday, the lowest number of daily infections since December 15.

The number of infections is down 18 per cent from Friday.

Cases have fallen by 32.8 per cent week-on-week in the last month, with additional drops recorded nearly every day since January 4.

UK Health Security Agency chief medical adviser Dr Susan Hopkins told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “There is still a high rate of infection around the country, about one in 15 in England, and about one in 20 in other parts of the UK.

Infections have slowed down since Christmas. Picture: Supplied.

“We see that infections are plateauing in the community, which is good, in London and the South East and the East of England.

“There are still risings, but much slower in the northern parts of the country.”

Professor Julian Hiscox, chairman in infection and global health at the University of Liverpool, is one of a growing number of UK experts who believe the crisis is finally reaching its endgame.

“We’re almost there, it is now the beginning of the end, at least in the UK,” he told the BBC. “I think life in 2022 will be almost back to before the pandemic.”

The UK Health Security Agency said it is increasingly confident that the Omicron coronavirus variant “causes low severity of disease in adults,” as it published its updated briefing on the variant Friday.

And it’s a trend that seems to be happening elsewhere in Europe as well, with the Netherlands easing some of its restrictions on Saturday, with the nation previously facing some of the harshest rules in the continent.

Following an announcement by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, shops, gyms, hairdressers and sex workers will now be able to reopen, in a move seen by many as a sign that things were slowly starting to return to normality.

It comes after a viral UK strain was found in Brisbane last week.

Borders were closed after six cases of the virulent UK strain were found, but authorities are now confident they have a handle on the infection.

Brisbane residents and those from surrounding local government areas like Ipswich and Logan can only travel freely to NSW and the ACT.

Other states like South Australia and Victoria require travellers to register and be tested.