Covid-19 infections in England and Wales lowest for eight months

The number of Covid-19 infections in England and Wales has dropped to its lowest level for eight months, new figures suggest.

Around one in 1,180 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to May 2, down from one in 1,010 the previous week, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It is the lowest figure since the week to September 5 2020, when the estimate stood at one in 1,400.

The percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus is estimated to have decreased in all regions of England except in Yorkshire and the Humber, eastern England and London where the trend is uncertain, the ONS said.

Yorkshire and the Humber had the highest proportion of people of any region in England likely to test positive for coronavirus in the week to May 2: around one in 470.

South-west England had the lowest estimate: around one in 6,410.

In Wales, around one in 2,070 people in private households is estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to May 2 – down from one in 1,570 in the previous week, and the lowest since the week to September 5.

In Northern Ireland, the estimate is around one in 750 people, up from one in 940 in the previous week.

The ONS said the trend in Northern Ireland over the two most recent weeks has “remained level”.

The estimate for Scotland is around one in 760, down from one in 640 and the lowest since estimates began for Scotland in October.