Coronavirus cases have fallen in England, Wales and Scotland for the first time since September – but are rising in Northern Ireland, the latest figures suggest.

Infections across the UK as a whole went down – from 2.05 million people testing positive for COVID-19 outside of hospital and care homes for the week ending 17 October to 1.87 million for the one ending 24 October.

This is the first overall drop in cases since 5 September, according to the Office for National Statistics figures.

Levels in England went from around one in 30 people having COVID to one in 35.

In Wales they decreased for the second week in a row from one in 35 to one in 40.

There was a decrease in Scotland, from 159,200 people on 17 October to 141,400 on 24 October, but the ONS said the trend was uncertain.

In contrast, Northern Ireland saw cases increase for the second week in a row – from around one in 35 people having the virus to one in 30.

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The BQ.1 and XBB subvariants of Omicron are behind the latest wave of infections.

With universal testing no longer available, the ONS Infection Survey is the most reliable measure of COVID in the community.

However, there is a time lag in reporting.

Infections falling in North and Midlands

Official figures also show that COVID hospital admissions have decreased – to 7.78 per 100,000 people in the week to 30 October from 9.82 the previous week.

Infection rates are highest in the over-70s, with 3.8% of that group likely to have had COVID during the week ending 24 October.

-Cases increased in school children in Years 2 to 6, but fell in 16 to 24-year-olds.

Geographically, there were decreases in northern English regions and the Midlands, but uncertain trends in London, the South East, South West and the East Midlands.

NHS leaders and scientists have continued to warn of the dangers of high levels of COVID alongside flu and RSV.

Booster jabs are currently available for the vulnerable, NHS and social workers and the over-50s.

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