UK sees 116,227 extra Covid cases and 482 fatalities in bank holiday backlog

DAILY Covid cases in the UK have risen by 116,227 today – which includes a bank holiday backlog.

While the figure is high, given that it covers five days worth of data, it actually indicates numbers are getting lower.

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Last Thursday, the last time the figures were updated, there were an extra 32,608 cases and 350 fatalities within 24 hours.

Whereas for the past five days, an average 23,000 daily cases have been logged.

Over the bank holiday 482 new fatalities were tragically recorded.

Last week Professor Tim Spector had warned while cases were still high, patients in hospital were no longer rising.

And the latest update today, from April 14, shows the number of people on wards with the bug has dropped below 18,500 for the first time since March 26.

Most people thankfully recovered at home with the milder strain of Omicron, but some more vulnerable patients will need hospital treatment.

Sajid Javid said the rise in infections last month was to be expected after restrictions were lifted, and the Government wasn’t concerned due to Omicron causing a milder illness.

The huge drop in falling official cases coincided with the scrapping of free tests last month – but the rise had started to dip before then.

Vaccines are the best line of defence, health bosses say, with a new study showing symptoms in the triple jabbed last on average half as long as a common cold.

Spring boosters are being dished out for certain groups in society, to keep their immunity high.

Anyone over 50 who had Covid in the last six months is at increased risk of another illness, a study has found.

People who fall into this category could find they develop shingles in the months after beating off Omicron.

Research published in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases said even patients with a mild case were at greater risk than those who had not been infected with Covid.

Those who were hospitalised with a severe case of coronavirus are more at risk, at 21 per cent more likely to develop shingles.

Over the weekend a senior NHS leader demanded facemasks and social distancing be brought back in following a surge in Covid patients.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, wants ministers to discuss “sensible precautions” Brits can take to help ease pressure on the health service.

This goes against Boris Johnson’s “living with Covid” plan which saw an end to most restrictions – including mask wearing – and pushed life back to normal.