England lockdown cuts virus cases by 30%, study finds

Photographer: Tolga Akmen / AFP / Getty Images

Coronavirus cases in England fell 30% after lockdown measures were rolled out in November, according to a study by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI UK Ltd.

The results show that cases were on the rise as the country entered a four-week lockdown on November 5 and a sharp decline followed the roll-out of national restrictions, according to the report released on Monday.

The study supports the findings “that stronger measures would be needed in some areas to prevent the epidemic from growing and that local levels should be strengthened to keep the virus in check once national measures end this week” , indicates the report.

The results come as lockdowns in England are due to end this week and Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces opposition from some members of his Tory party to his plan to replace the lockdown with a tiered system of restrictions for different areas. It is hoped that a vaccine can be administered quickly, starting next month.

Read more: Johnson tries to win over British Tories as Covid law revolt grows

The UK is on the way the first country to approve the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, ahead of a long line of countries awaiting protection against the coronavirus. Customs clearance is possible as early as this week, according to a person familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified because the process is confidential.

The results of the Imperial College study showed that 96 in 10,000 people had been infected with the virus in the 11 days leading up to November 24, up from 132 the previous period. Infections have fallen by more than 50% in the northwest and north, two of the worst-affected regions. The so-called R rate fell to 0.88 at the end of the period, below the key threshold of 1, when the spread of the virus accelerates and can lead to an exponential growth of cases.