Covid infections at their lowest for many weeks in Milton Keynes

Just 47 people have testing positive in the past 24 hours.

Two local testing stations were closed yesterday (Monday) due to frozen water pipes, but as results take up to three days, this is not thought to be a reason for the reduced figure.

Sadly, six more people in MK have died within 28 days of having a positive test result, bringing the toll up to 369. Meanwhile 170 Covid patients remain in MK hospital, seven of them on ventilation.

The overall case rate in Milton Keynes is now down to 498.4 cases per 100,000 of the population. This is down from more than 1000 just two weeks ago. But it is still higher than the rate for England, which is 403.9 cases per 100,000 people.

Nationally, the number of new infections was down to 20,089 today. Deaths, however, were very high, with 1,631 recorded over the past 24 hours. This has brought the nation's death toll to 100,162 people who have died within 28 days of a positive test.

Throughout the UK, more than 6.8 million people have now received their first Covid vaccination and more than 472,000 have also had their second dose.