Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current prevalence of COVID-19 in England; and whether this rate is increasing or decreasing.

There are early signs of a fall in prevalence in all regions of England and in Scotland, with the largest decline being observed in London. Data from the Winter Coronavirus Infection Survey estimates that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in England on 3 January 2024 was 3.2%. This is a decrease from 4.6% of the population in England estimated to have SARS-CoV-2 on 20 December 2023.

It is not unexpected for surveillance data to show a temporary change in the transmission rates of respiratory infections over the Christmas period. The UK Health Security Agency and the Office for National Statistics will continue to monitor the data closely to confirm whether this drop in prevalence will be sustained.