Rise in England’s Covid Infection Rate Slowed as Lockdown Began

(Bloomberg) -- The rate of increase in Covid-19 infections in England was already slowing in the week the nation entered a four-week lockdown, according to figured published Friday.

The total rate of infections was one in 85 in the week through Nov. 6, from one in 90 previously stated, the Office for National Statistics said. Estimated new cases remained around 50,000 each day.

The study covers the week in which Prime MinisterBoris Johnsonput England into a partial lockdown, which began on Nov. 5 and will run to Dec. 2.

While news of a potential vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and German company BioNTech SE has brought hope the virus can eventually be contained, the government has stressed Britons must continue following the current restrictions to curb infections in the short-term.

• “The rate of increase is slower than previous weeks,” the ONS says
• Estimated that an average of 1.2% of the population, the equivalent of 654,000 people, had Covid-19 in the period
• Positivity increased in the southeast, southwest, east midlands and the northeast, the ONS said, “whereas some other regions appear to have leveled off”
• Rates are now decreasing in older teenagers and young adults

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.