Latest UK Covid wave past peak as infections fall by half a million in a week

ONS data shows rates nevertheless still remain among the highest seen during the course of the pandemic'

The UK's latest wave of Covid appears to have passed its peak, with infections falling by more than half a million in a week, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS estimates, based on swabs collected from randomly selected households, suggest the number of people infected in the UK fell by 586,400 in the week ending 20 July. Covid rates remain close to an all-time high, however, with an estimated 3,173,800 people, about 1 in 19, testing positive across the country in the most recent week surveyed.