Covid case rates have fallen across all age groups throughout England, official data has revealed.
Newly released Department of Health data shows that infection rates are falling in every age group in England, with the fastest drop among people in their 20s.
It comes after latest government figures showed the number of UK Covid cases have increased for the first time in 8 days - but are down 40% on last week.
New infections had been falling over the preceding seven days but were still at their highest level since January.
In total there were 27,734 new Covid cases recorded on Wednesday, up from 23,511 the previous day.
Speaking of the latest Department of Health data Dr Jonathan Stoye, a virologist at the Francis Crick Institute, said the drop in Covid cases in all age groups was 'very good'.
He told MailOnline : "But the key thing will be to wait until Friday when we will get the next round of results from the ONS (Britain's largest Covid surveillance study).
"One would predict it may be less sensitive to changes in the populations being tested, for example those resulting from school closures, than the Department of Health figures.
"If the two measures are going in the same direction we would seem to be in a good place... unless, of course, the unlocking of July 19 causes a reversal."
The data revealed Covid cases were falling fastest among adults in their twenties last week, a fall of 15 per cent for the week ending July 22 compared to the previous day.
But among older adults the decline was more gradual and infection rates dropped by just one per cent in adults aged in their late 80s.
The figures are based on the rolling seven-day infection rate for age groups.
Across England adults in their early twenties had the highest infection rate, at 947 cases in the last seven days per 100,000 people, followed by adults in their late twenties, at 923, and then those in their early thirties, at 842.
Meanwhile, data from the Office for National Statistics suggest that almost 92 per cent of adults carry antibodies to the disease, or about 73 per cent of the population.
University College London estimates total population immunity is now at 87 per cent.
Dr David Matthews, a virologist and coronaviruses expert from the University of Bristol, told The Telegraph : "In terms of herd immunity – by which we mean the virus has managed to reach everybody and therefore most people will have a level of immune memory – I suspect we're very close to it.
"Assuming nothing truly spectacularly leftfield happens then this pandemic is pretty much over for the UK. I suspect we will not see a major surge this winter, or any serious levels of fatalities.
"The more we close the gap on the last 10 per cent who haven't had the vaccine the better we will be. Everyone will eventually meet the virus and it is far better to do so vaccinated."
