Britain's daily Covid-19 cases fall by 16 per cent in a week

THE daily coronavirus cases in Britain have seen a dip by 16 per cent in a week.

According to the official record as of Monday (17) there were 1,979 new infections in the past 24 hours.

While the mortality rate remained the same as last week, a further five fatalities were registered,

Britain is witnessing a surge in the number of jabs taken by the people after the roll-out was expanded to 38 and 39-year-olds.

Health chiefs also dished out another 131,318 first doses of the Covid vaccine and 183,745 second doses.

However, the Prime Minister has urged people to proceed with a 'heavy dose of caution' because of fears over spiralling cases of the Indian variant.

Matt Hancock revealed to the Commons that 2,323 cases of the variant have now been identified in 83 local authorities. The Health Secretary said the resurgence emphasised the importance of getting a jab for people of all ages but that the infections 'were not tending to penetrate into older groups'.

Local outbreaks of the alarming new B.1.617.2 variant have sprung up in Bolton, Blackburn, Sefton in Merseyside, Bedford, Nottingham and Leicester as Public Health England last week confirmed it has found 1,313 cases so far.

Department of Health figures showed of the deaths recorded till Monday, three were in England and one was in Northern Ireland and Wales. There were no fatalities from the virus in Scotland.

Covid cases have plateaued recently amid mounting concern over the Indian variant, which scientists suggest could be 50 per cent more transmissible than the already dominant Kent variant.

Bolton is a hotspot for the mutant strain. It has the highest infection rate in the country after 790 residents tested positive, giving an infection rate of 274.4 cases per 100,000 people.

Followed by Bedford which has 212 cases or 122.3 per 100,000 and Blackburn with Darwen 176 cases or 117.6 per 100,000). Both are also hotspots for the B.1.617.2 strain.