UK health secretary claims Covid-19 in retreat as testing rises and confirmed cases continue to fall
UK health secretary Matt Hancock has claimed the latest data shows that Covid-19 is now “in retreat.”
He made the claims as more people are getting tested – 197,000 yesterday he said – yet the number testing positive weekly continues to fall.
The UK has now completed more than 6.2 million tests nationwide while just 1266 returned positive results for coronavirus yesterday.
“There were 197,007 tests, bringing the total number of tests that have been done in this country to more than 6,240,000 and the number of confirmed cases as of yesterday was 1266.
“That brings the total number of confirmed positive test results to 291,409.
"Despite the vast increase in the number of tests that have been carried out the number of positive cases continues to fall.
“It has been falling on a seven day rolling average – a little bit up from the very low for yesterday of 1003 – but nevertheless continuing overall to fall.
“These data show that this virus is in retreat and in summary we are working through our plan and our plan is working – and that means we are able to restore some of the freedoms that so many people hold dear.
“So from the beginning of lockdown the challenge has been not just to bring the virus under control but how then to be able to ease the lockdown measures.”