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CORONAVIRUS

Lockdown working, insists Matt Hancock as cases start to flatten

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, welcomed the latest figures which showed that infections may have started to fall
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, welcomed the latest figures which showed that infections may have started to fall
STEFAN ROUSSEAU/GETTY IMAGES

Coronavirus cases have levelled off across England, raising hopes that the lockdown will reduce infections.

Two sets of figures yesterday, for England and for the UK, showed that infections had largely stopped rising and may have started to fall. The health secretary said that Britain was reaching the “peak of the second wave”.

Matt Hancock welcomed figures for England from the Office for National Statistics showing that infections had levelled off, and UK-wide government data suggesting that daily cases were starting to fall.

Yesterday 20,252 cases were reported and Mr Hancock said: “The latest average number of new cases each day is now 22,287 — I’m glad to say that that is just down on the 24,430 a week ago.”

Taken with the ONS figures,