Britain’s coronavirus infection rate is now significantly lower than 25 of the EU’s 27 countries – as the UK’s daily Covid cases plunge by 28 per cent in a week, official figures revealed.
The UK’s successful vaccine rollout means it is now in the best position of all major European nations, despite being the worst hit in January.
The weekly infection rate in France – where intensive care units are overwhelmed – is around eight times higher than in the UK.
But President Emmanuel Macron blamed the so-called ‘British variant’ for the country’s surge in cases, saying it created ‘a pandemic inside a pandemic’ as France heads into its third national lockdown from Saturday.
He yesterday announced that all of mainland France will be under a 7pm curfew, working from home will be expected from those that can, gatherings will be limited, non-essential shops will be closed, and travel restrictions will be imposed.
In Germany, which recorded 23,681 cases on March 30, the infection rate is nearly three times higher.
Over the past week, the UK has recorded an average of 73 cases per one million people every day.
This is a lower rate than all 27 EU nations apart from Denmark and Portugal, which have both adopted strict lockdowns.
Hungary, the worst affected EU nation, has a daily rate of 882 cases per one million.
In France it is 571, while the rate in the Netherlands is 449 and in Italy it is 334.
As Europe battles a third wave, UK cases, deaths and hospitalisations have fallen to a six-month low.
On Wednesday, another 43 deaths and 4,052 cases were recorded. Deaths are now averaging 50 a day, down from a peak of 1,284 deaths on January 19. It also marked a 56 per cent week-on-week drop in deaths on last Wednesday.
The contrasting fortunes of Britain and mainland Europe are largely down to our successful vaccination programme.
Nearly six in ten adults in the UK have now received at least one dose.
But across the EU, just 11 per cent of the population have been vaccinated.
NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens is urging all over-50s and younger people with health conditions yet to be vaccinated to book an appointment now.
During April the NHS will focus on second doses but appointments for all over-50s not yet protected will also be available.
Yesterday, the number of second doses of Covid-19 vaccine outnumbered first doses for the first time.
A total of 270,526 second doses were registered on March 30, compared with 224,590 first doses, according to government figures.
Previously the number of first jabs per day had always exceeded second jabs.
A total of 4.1million people in the UK are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, around one in 13 adults.
The weekly infection rate in France (revellers in a park in Paris, pictured) – where intensive care units are overwhelmed – is around eight times higher than in the UK
Britain’s coronavirus infection rate is now significantly lower than 25 of the EU’s 27 countries (including Belgium, Brussels pictured) – as the UK’s daily Covid cases plunge by 28 per cent in a week, official figures revealed
People crowd the boulevard for an evening stroll in Szczecin, northwestern Poland.
Britain now has a lower infection rate than Poland
Over the past week, the UK has recorded an average of 73 cases per one million people every day.
This is a lower rate than all 27 EU nations (including the Czech Republic, pictured) apart from Denmark and Portugal, which have both adopted strict lockdowns
Sir Simon said: ‘We’re well on track to meet our April 15 goal of offering NHS Covid vaccination to everyone aged 50 and over, 광주 성형외과 as well as other high risk groups.
‘In just the past two weeks we’ve now jabbed nearly 85 per cent of people aged 50-54, and over three million of the highest risk people have also now had their top up second dose.’
But last night Dr Yvonne Doyle, of Public Health England, warned: ‘As restrictions lift and the weather improves, we cannot drop our guard.
We’re not out of the woods quite yet.’
She said: 광주 성형외과 ‘There are still as many people in hospital now as there were at the start of the second wave, and tens of thousands of us are getting infected every week and may become seriously ill.
‘As restrictions lift and the weather improves, we cannot drop our guard.
We’re not out of the woods quite yet.’
She urged Britons to continue washing their hands, wearing facemasks and social distancing to stop coronavirus spreading, adding: ‘[Covid] case numbers are still high in certain places and looking forward they are certainly not predictable, so your actions are still saving lives.’
Her warning came as a third wave of Covid-19 surges across Europe, with countries facing a desperate bid to vaccinate their populations in time.
Macron yesterday announced a four-week lockdown in France from Saturday which will bring the whole country in line with 19 virus hot-spot territories which have had a limited lockdown imposed for the past two weeks.
The President also announced a three-week closure of nurseries, schools, colleges and high schools, that will have a staggered reopening from April 26.
‘The epidemic is accelerating, and we are likely to lose control, so we must find a new way of reacting.
We must therefore set ourselves a new framework for the coming months,’ the head of state said during the dramatic address.
President Emmanuel Macron (pictured) blamed the so-called ‘British variant’ for the country’s surge in cases, saying it created ‘a pandemic inside a pandemic’ as France heads into its third national lockdown from Saturday
