infections are still very high, the government surveillance programme estimated one and 19 people in england was positive last week although hospital cases are still falling. one of the theatres it could leave people feeling under pressure to return to work before they have recovered both one of the fears. we don t know what it means the sick pay and isolation payments some people are entitled to. there are others who say we can overestimate the impact that government rules have. the government rules have. the government didn t place any rules on mixing at christmas and the numbers of contacts people were having was actually very low, similar to levels in the first lockdown. it s not like the testing system picked up all the infections, it s only picking up half the cases so not everyone is being told to formally isolate. it s why some experts say it might not have that big an impact on infections. it was largely unenforceable so they think people
for at least five days. it will be just under two years since the first restrictions were imposed at the start of the pandemic. mrjohnson made the announcement during prime minister s questions: provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions, including the legal requirement to self isolate, if you test positive, a full month early. mr speaker, this morning, i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. i asked our health correspondent nick triggle if the current covid data supported this move. there is lots of positive data and the trend is overall positive. hospital cases are going down, and despite the huge surge in infections we have seen because of the 0micron variant, the overall numbers of deaths that
cases daily have been falling, we have high levels of immunity in the population, eitherfrom those booster jabs we were population, eitherfrom those boosterjabs we were talking about or from boosterjabs we were talking about orfrom people boosterjabs we were talking about or from people that where deviously infected. hospital cases is the key one, and we have seen hospitalisations fall, the overall number in hospitals fall, the being we met number being admitted falling since the beginning of the year. that is because omicron was not as severe as previous variants of the virus and it has not led to the real pressure on the nhs we sought back this time last year with delta. deaths, we are still averaging, when we look at it, 250 people a day to covid, orafter we look at it, 250 people a day to covid, or after testing positive for covid, or after testing positive for covid, a lot of the statistics hard to read because, with so many infected, you often get people hospitalised and live the
of staff sickness caused by covid. hospitals in wales, scotland and northern ireland have all been facing similar pressures, as this winter wave of the pandemic passes and more people seek treatment. jim reed, bbc news. our health correspondent, nick triggle, says there is also concern in the nhs about the government s decision to end all covid restrictions a month earlier than planned. a lot of the experts have been expressing concern and surprise at that move. one called it either brave or stupid. the fear is clearly that it could push up infection rates. the number of infections we are seeing are still very high. the government surveillance programme estimated that one in 19 people in england was positive last week, although hospital cases are still falling. one of the fears is it could leave people feeling under pressure to return to work, for example, before they are recovered and perhaps when they are still infectious.
these restrictions, he s still plagued by partygate, it is difficult to change that heritage and the straight narrative and it is that that will play in the minds of some mps have not yet decided to submit those motions of no confidence. they mightjust be thinking, when it is going to end? are one photograph away from a political crisis in downing street? might like ian, with the latest, thank you very much. 0ur health correspondent nick triggle is here. the latest figures would support the fact that these covid 19 infections are going down? fact that these covid-19 infections are going down? are going down? there is lots of ositive are going down? there is lots of positive data are going down? there is lots of positive data and are going down? there is lots of positive data and the are going down? there is lots of positive data and the trend - are going down? there is lots of positive data and the trend is i positive data and the trend is overall positive. hospital cases are go