Covid: UK cases fall for seventh day in a row

The daily number of Covid cases recorded in the UK has fallen for a seventh day in a row, to 23,511.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier urged people to "remain cautious" and not jump to "premature conclusions" about the falling numbers.

There were also a further 131 deaths reported within 28 days of a positive test, the highest number since March.

Public Health England said this showed the pandemic was "not over yet" and urged people to still take precautions.

Its medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle said people should get both vaccine doses, meet outside, isolate if told to by NHS Test and Trace and limit contacts.

She said the number of deaths was "in part due to the high number of cases recorded in recent weeks", with the latest figures highlighting "we are still in the third wave".

The cases figure is a fall of 23,047 from Tuesday last week, when there were 46,588 new cases.

Mr Johnson, speaking before the latest figures were released, said: "It's very, very important that we don't allow ourselves to run away with premature conclusions about this.

"Step four of the opening-up only took place a few days ago. People have got to remain very cautious, and that remains the approach of the government."

Mr Johnson, who was at Surrey Police HQ in Guildford on his first visit after self-isolating for 10 days, acknowledged frustration over the vast number of people being pinged by the NHS app and being told to quarantine.

"I totally understand that, particularly now as we're starting to see some better figures," he said. "But I think everybody understands that this is still a very dangerous disease.

"We do need to use the tools that we have. Self-isolation is the one that we've got. I urge people to do it."

The new test-to-release system will come in on 16 August but "until then, please could everybody stick with the programme", Mr Johnson said.

The prime minister declined to confirm or deny reports that students might be required to prove their vaccination status to attend lectures or stay in halls of residence, saying: "Young people are doing an incredible job of coming forward to get vaccinations."

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has said that those who refuse a vaccine are "selfish" and warned they will be barred from some events.

The UK government is considering the use of vaccine passports for some large scale events, such as football matches, having already announced they will be required for nightclub entry in England from the end of September.

Earlier, epidemiologist Prof Neil Ferguson, who previously said 100,000 Covid cases a day was "almost inevitable" after England's unlocking on 19 July said: "The effect of vaccines is hugely reducing the risk of hospitalisations and death.

"And I'm positive that by late September or October time we will be looking back at most of the pandemic."

Prof Ferguson, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it was "too early to tell" if Covid cases would now reach 100,000 a day, but he was "happy to be wrong - if it's wrong in the right direction".

He added: "We're not completely out of the woods, but the equation has fundamentally changed."

The number of patients in hospital with Covid-19 is still rising - although at a slower rate than during previous waves because of the impact of vaccinations.

The latest data showed there were 5,918 people in hospital on Monday, compared with 4,615 the previous Monday. And the most recent figure available for admissions to hospital, from 22 July, showed 945 were admitted that day.

In Northern Ireland, the chief medical officer Sir Michael McBride said the health service was operating under "huge pressures" as Covid admissions rose and more health trusts cancelled surgeries.

After critics branded the decision to continue easing restrictions as dangerous and unethical, you could be forgiven for expecting the prime minister to be more celebratory about the turnaround in infection rates.

Instead, there have been largely words of caution.

That reflects the fact that this wave of infection is finely balanced. Yes - it appears to have been brought under control before it got to some of the levels experts were warning about just over a week ago.

But that is because of two core factors: the levels of immunity in the population and how much mixing the public is doing.

Prior to the 19 July easing the amount of contact we had with others was still at under half the level it was before the pandemic hit.

If that goes up, it could be enough to tip the balance and send infections back upwards.

Ministers have been told by scientists advising them that the key is now vigilance as we are likely to be in a period where infection rates bobble around - a sustained period of mini-peaks that need to be carefully managed.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister, has said it was part of "our collective civil duty" to get vaccinated.

She accused those who deliberately spread misinformation about the vaccine of "anti-social behaviour", saying they were "putting people at risk".

"I'm not going to criticise people who have genuine concerns, but I will not stop trying to encourage you to educate yourself about the vaccine and come forward and get vaccinated," she said.

The Scottish government's national clinical director has said the country's case rate is "dramatically falling".

Professor Jason Leitch told the Today programme that Scotland once had the highest case numbers in five out of the top 10 local authorities in the UK, but now has none in the top 150.

He said: "We've now seen hospitalisations fall. Around 3% of positive people get admitted to hospital but they are now younger, relatively healthy and discharged quicker. But some stay, and we've had many deaths over the last few days."

He added that the Scotland-England Euro 2020 match had caused a spike in cases due to fans travelling.