Covid daily figures: Cases fall below 100,000 as 288 more deaths announced
A further 95,787 Covid cases have been reported in the latest daily figures along with 288 deaths.
The rise in cases brings the total in the UK to 15,709,059 while the total number of deaths stands at 153,490.
The daily infection tally is down 3.8 per cent on last week and represents a 46 per cent decrease on the figure reported a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, a further 65,203 Britons received a booster vaccine on Thursday. It brings the total to 36,753,644.
Some 48,082,636 second doses have been delivered, an increase of 33,674.
Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics showed that new cases of Covid in the UK averaged nearly half a million a day during the week after Christmas - almost three times the official figures.
An average of 173,400 new cases of coronavirus per day were recorded from December 26 to January 1, according to the Government’s Covid-19 dashboard.
But the true number of cases was likely to be nearer 479,100 a day, according to estimates by the ONS.
The ONS figures are based on analysis of nose and throat swabs taken from a representative sample of more than 150,000 people in private households.
Elsewhere, Boris Johnson urged teachers who insist masks should still be worn in lessons to follow the rules which state that they are no long required for use in classrooms.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said “children have been one of the hardest hit as a result of the disruption throughout the pandemic”, adding that Mr Johnson “believes it is vital that children are receiving face-to-face education and can enjoy a normal experience in the classroom”.
Mr Johnson on Wednesday announced Plan B measures would be axed following a sustained fall in cases. Britons are no longer required to work from home or provide vaccine certification to attend indoor events.
The legal requirement for people with Covid to self-isolate will also be allowed to lapse when the regulations expire on March 24, Mr Johnson said.
