The UK is no longer the Covid capital of Europe, according to official data.
Austria, Belgium and Ireland have taken over Britain with their infection rate, despite all three countries having stricter policies on vaccine passports and face masks.
Figures from November 4, show how the UK's infection rate per million people dropped to fourth place in Western Europe, according to Our World in Data — an Oxford University-based research platform.
The UK's infection rate was recorded to be 574.31 per million people compared to Austria (674.04), Belgium (634.13) and Ireland (580.44).
In Austria, people must people high-grade FFP2 masks on public transport and essential shops.
Unvaccinated individuals must wear masks in all shops and museums, and everyone must show proof of vaccination or a negative test before entering virtually all indoor settings.
Austria is also carrying out the most Covid tests in Western Europe, which could partly explain why their infection is so high.
Belgium and Ireland, which are both recording higher infection rates than the UK, are testing up to two-third less than the UK.
In Belgium, people are required to wear a face mask on public transport and shops, and they must show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter all hospitality and fitness venues.
In Ireland, the number of households that can meet indoors is capped to three for vaccinated families and unvaccinated people are only able to meet indoors with one vaccinated household at once.
Infections in the UK appear to be dropping as a total of 30,693 new daily cases were recorded on Saturday, a 25.5 per cent fall on last week's figures.
Daily cases appear to have fallen sharply compared to the 41,278 recorded on Saturday, October 30.
It comes as the Tory government has continued to ignore plans to bring in 'Plan B' measures ahead of winter, despite warnings from scientists.
Last week, Sir Patrick Vallance said the UK was still in a "very uncertain phase" of the pandemic - and the Government needed to be ready to act quickly if the situation worsens.
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The Chief Scientific Adviser said Plan B measures needed to remain on the table and ministers need to "push beyond natural reluctance" to impose new Covid curbs.
The Government's Covid Winter plan contains a list of contingency measures if the virus begins to surge, known as plan B.
These include making face masks mandatory in some settings, vaccine passports and ordering people to work from home.
