Positive coronavirus tests in England are down a third in a week to their lowest levels since September, it has emerged.
A total of 45,229 people tested positive for Covid-19 in England at least once in the week to March 3, according to the latest Test and Trace figures.
This is down 34% on the previous week and is the lowest number since the week to September 23.
Across the nation 2.8 million lateral flow device (LFD), rapid tests were carried out in a week - the highest weekly total since rapid testing began.
LFD are swab tests that give results in 30 minutes or less, without the need for processing in a laboratory.
By contrast, 1.1 million polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were conducted in the week to March 3 - the lowest number since the week to October 14.
PCR tests are swab tests that are processed in a laboratory.
The figures were published in a week in which the Test and Trace scheme has come under intense scrutiny.
Yesterday the Prime Minister defended the programme, which could end up costing the taxpayer £37 billion, after MPs said there was "no clear evidence" it cut coronavirus infections.
During Prime Minister's Questions, Boris Johnson backed the programme, telling MPs: "It's thanks to NHS Test and Trace that we're able to send kids back to school and begin cautiously and irreversibly to reopen our economy and restart our lives."
It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he believed the team behind Test and Trace had done "an amazing job".
Mr Hancock told the BBC: "The team have built this testing capacity from nothing a year ago and so they've done an amazing job and I'm incredibly grateful to them."
Last week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Budget included an additional £15 billion for Test and Trace, taking the total bill to more than £37 billion over two years.
Of the 44,508 people transferred to the Test and Trace system in the week to March 3, 88.6% were reached and asked to provide details of recent close contacts.
This is down very slightly from 89.1% in the previous week.
Some 10.9% of people transferred to Test and Trace in the week to March 3 were not reached, while a further 0.5% did not provide any communication details.
