UK is 'past pandemic' as risk of catching coronavirus 'as low as 1 in 40,000'

The UK is "past the pandemic" as the risk of catching coronavirus drops to as low as 1 in 40,000, according to one expert.

Prof Tim Spector, an epidemiologist at King’s College London, said the country was moving into an "endemic" period and urged people to become "more relaxed and less stressed out".

He told Sky: "We are better than we were and we have one of the lowest rates in Europe and its's till dropping.

"It's showing the damage risk of have symptomatic COVID is really low at the moment- we estimate as low as one in 40,000.

"I think it looks like at the moment we are past that pandemic period and moving into endemic where we get low levels of infection and occasion outbreaks that don't spread to the rest of the population.

Those aged 42 and over are now bring invited to book a vaccination appointment (Getty Images)

"There are some regions where that risk is four or five times higher but others where it is really really low."

In areas with low infection risk, Prof Spector said: "People should be much more relaxed and less stressed out."

He added: "For me this is a very reassuring picture and we should be a bit more upbeat about it."

Prof Spector's comments come after older vaccinated people were told to “get out there and socialise”.

Professor Spector said people should be more "upbeat" about the UK's current coronavirus situation (PA)

Millions have headed to pub beer gardens as the country begins to emerge from lockdown (REX/Shutterstock)

One of Britain’s leading scientists monitoring coronavirus says the elderly are being “terrified by Government messages and may never go back to normal”.

Ministers say the national lifting of all restrictions is in sight after official case rates dropped below 50 cases per 100,000 people in more than 95% of areas of the UK.

Separate data from King’s College London ZOE COVID Symptom Study app suggests new UK symptomatic infections may have dropped to just 1,000 a day.

A leading expert urged those who had been vaccinated to head out and socialise (Getty Images)

It puts the current risk at one in 45,000 in the unvaccinated and just one in 150,000 in those who have received both doses.

Meanwhile NHS Test and Trace figures show infections fell by 9% in the week up to April 21, despite 600,000 more swabs being carried out.

Out of 5.1 million tests in the most recent week, just 16,776 were positive.

The Government advice is still to remain two metres away from people you do not live with or who are not in your support bubble.

The ZOE COVID Symptom Study app has been downloaded by 4.6 million Brits and is the largest coronavirus community monitoring project in the world.