Covid cases plummet by 39 per cent to 48,161 compared to last week

Coronavirus cases across the UK have fallen by nearly 40 per cent in a week, dipping below 30,000 for the first time in two weeks as Public Health England said Sunday's data for virus deaths is not yet available. 

Official figures released this afternoon show there were 29,173 new cases recorded, in what is the fifth day cases have fallen in a row. It is the first time cases have fallen below 30,000 since July 11, when there were 29,985 - and the lowest number since July 10 at 27,843.  

There have been a total of 46,563,452 first doses of a vaccine administered and 37,160,659 second doses. However, figures showing the number of people who had died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus is not yet available. 

It comes amid mounting fears this week of a resurgence of the virus, as more than 600,000 people across the UK were 'pinged' by the NHS Covid app and doomed to 10 days of house-arrest, causing disruption to the economy and bringing the country to a halt.

Nearly one in five Metropolitan Police officers are currently absent from duty after being forced to self-isolate, while the Government on Thursday published a list of exemptions for key workers in energy, waste, water, and food supply and production amid pandemic chaos.

Industry bosses have warned how an emergency plan to tackle the impact of the so-called 'pingdemic' on the UK's food supply network has been an 'absolute disaster' and has done 'more harm than good'.

Food industry leaders claim they are yet to receive further details from the Government about which workers will be allowed to skip isolation rules if they are 'pinged' by the app. They also say hundreds of businesses which are to be allowed to take part in the scheme have not yet been briefed on the full details. 

Meanwhile, Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham called on ministers to scrap the app once the pandemic ends, as she warned the Government against developing it into a more permanent feature of life in the UK amid fears of 'mission creep' as the Covid crisis subsides.

Earlier today, Health Secretary Sajid Javid - who has recently completed 10 days of self-isolation after he tested positive for the virus - apologised for a tweet suggesting people should not 'cower' from Covid after bereaved families called his comment 'deeply insensitive'.  

Mr Javid on Sunday deleted the tweet, saying it 'was a poor choice of words and I sincerely apologise'. In the message, posted a day earlier, he announced he had made a 'full recovery' and said his symptoms 'were very mild, thanks to amazing vaccines.'

'Please, if you haven't yet, get your jab, as we learn to live with, rather than cower from, this virus,' he added.

But Mr Javid was forced to apologise after Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice joined MPs in branding his 'cower' remark as insulting to people who have shielded and those who stayed at home to protect society.

On Sunday, he tweeted: 'I was expressing gratitude that the vaccines help us fight back as a society, but it was a poor choice of word and I sincerely apologise. Like many, I have lost loved ones to this awful virus and would never minimise its impact.'

Co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Jo Goodman had said Mr Javid's original comment was 'deeply insensitive on a number of levels'.

She said: 'Not only are they hurtful to bereaved families, implying our loved ones were too cowardly to fight the virus, but they insult all those still doing their best to protect others from the devastation this horrific virus can bring.

'Words matter and the flippancy and carelessness of this comment has caused deep hurt and further muddied the waters of the Government's dangerously mixed messaging,' she said.

The group has welcomed Mr Javid's remarks while urging him to join them for a visit to the Covid memorial wall in London to 'understand the hurt and insult' caused by his 'poor choice of word' remains, Sky News reported. 

Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy questioned use of the word 'cower', as did Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner. Mr Lammy wrote: '129,000 Brits have died from Covid under your Government's watch. Don't denigrate people for trying to keep themselves and their families safe.'

Liberal Democrat health spokeswoman Munira Wilson said Mr Javid's tweet was 'outrageous' while thousands remain in UK hospitals with Covid-19. 'His careless words have insulted every man, woman and child who has followed the rules and stayed at home to protect others,' she said in a statement.

'He owes them all, especially the millions who are shielding, an apology.'

Public health expert Devi Sridhar said his remarks would be 'painful to read for those who were severely ill' and those who lost loved ones to Covid-19. The professor at the University of Edinburgh wrote: 'It wasn't because they were weak, just unnecessarily exposed to a virus.

'And wanting to avoid getting Covid isn't 'cowering' - it's being sensible & looking out for others.'

Mr Javid, who has received two doses of the vaccine, received a positive test result on July 17 for a coronavirus infection that ultimately sent Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak into isolation as his close contacts.

Mr Johnson's quarantine in his Chequers country residence is expected to finish at the end of Monday, as is Mr Sunak's.

The pair initially tried to avoid isolation by saying they were taking part in a testing pilot, but backed down in the face of widespread public criticism.

Mr Johnson's quarantine in his Chequers country residence is expected to end late on Monday.

Mr Javid's recovery follows junior health minister Jo Churchill announcing on Thursday that she was pinged by the NHS coronavirus app and will be required to quarantine. 

Labour leader Keir Starmer is also isolating for the fourth time after one of his children tested positive for coronavirus. 

Mr Javid replaced Matt Hancock as Health Secretary last month when the scandal-hit predecessor stood down amid public outrage after leaked CCTV footage showed him kissing an aide in breach of coronavirus social distancing rules.

An emergency plan to tackle the impact of the 'pingdemic' on the UK's food supply network has been an 'absolute disaster' and has done 'more harm than good', industry bosses have today warned.

Food industry leaders claim they are yet to receive further details from the Government about which workers will be allowed to skip isolation rules if they are 'pinged' by the NHS Covid app.

They also say hundreds of businesses which are to be allowed to take part in the scheme have not yet been briefed on the full details.

It comes after the Government bowed to growing pressure from the industry by allowing a key-worker exemption for food supply chain workers. Instead of being forced straight into isolation when 'pinged', food supply chain workers, along with a handful of other key workers, will instead be allowed to take part in daily testing.