England's COVID-19 prevalence drops to 1 in 80, ONS says

A man wearing a face mask is pictured among a crowd in Oxford Street, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, July 18, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/Files

LONDON (Reuters) – The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England was around 1 in 80 people in the week ending Aug. 14, Britain’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday, slightly lower than the previous week’s estimate of 1 in 75.

The figures came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government last month lifted nearly all coronavirus restrictions such as the mandatory wearing of masks in indoor public spaces.

The share of people testing positive also fell in Scotland to an estimate of around 1 in 200 people, whilst the trajectory remained uncertain in Northern Ireland where roughly 1 in 50 were estimated to have the virus.

The level increased in Wales to 1 in 130 people, the ONS said.

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