Covid-19 levels among the general population remain low, with no sign of a fresh spike in infections in the weeks following the new year, data suggests.
Some 2.0% of people in private households in England and Scotland are likely to have tested positive for coronavirus on January 24, the equivalent of around 1.2 million people or one in 50.
This is down from 2.2%, or around one in 45 people, a fortnight earlier on January 10.
The figures have been published as part of the Winter Covid-19 Infection Study, which is monitoring prevalence of the virus over the next few months.
The project is being run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and is based on data collected from around 150,000 individuals, who use lateral flow devices to test for the virus.
Prevalence stood at an estimated 4.3% of people in England and Scotland in the week before Christmas, or one in 23 – the highest since the study began in mid-November.
The new figures suggest there was no clear rise in infections as people returned to work and school in early January.
Professor Steven Riley, UKHSA director-general for data and surveillance, said: “It is encouraging to see that this week’s data suggests that Covid-19 prevalence across the country has remained low and I am grateful to the volunteers who participate in this study and enable us to make these estimates.
“While this is undoubtedly good news, it does not mean that we should become complacent.
“Covid-19 is still causing serious illness and hospitalisation, particularly in older and more vulnerable people.
“If you have symptoms of a respiratory illness like Covid-19, try to limit your contact with other people as much as possible, especially those who are more at risk.”
The rate of hospital admissions in England of patients testing positive for coronavirus is broadly stable, standing at 5.0 per 100,000 people in the week to January 28, up very slightly from 4.8 per 100,000 the previous week, according to UKHSA figures.
This is just below the rate of 5.2 per 100,000 seen over Christmas.
Admissions remain highest among people aged 85 and over, at 58.6 per 100,000, followed by 75 to 84-year-olds at 23.1.
An average of 3,982 hospital patients in England tested positive for Covid-19 last week, compared with 3,895 the previous week and 4,245 in the first week of January – the highest so far this winter.
Patient numbers peaked at more than 9,000 last winter.