Northern Eire is barely nation to have seen a week-on-week rise within the prevalence of Covid-19 circumstances, regardless of infections falling for the primary time in two months throughout the remainder of the UK.
That is based on the most recent Workplace for Nationwide Statistics (ONS) figures, which present some 3.2 million folks in non-public households within the UK are estimated to have had Covid-19 within the week to July 20, down 16% from 3.8 million within the earlier week.
Nevertheless in Northern Eire infections there have elevated to an estimated 113,400 folks, or one in 16, up from 88,400, or one in 20.
The ONS describes the pattern as "unsure".
It's the first time complete infections have fallen throughout the UK typically for the reason that week ending Might 28.
Sarah Crofts, ONS head of analytical outputs for the Covid-19 an infection survey, mentioned: "Our most up-to-date knowledge recommend that we could now be over the height of the most recent wave of infections throughout the UK, though charges nonetheless stay among the many highest seen in the course of the course of the pandemic.
"We have now seen welcome decreases amongst most elements of the UK and in all age teams.
"With summer time holidays beginning and extra folks travelling, we'll proceed to intently monitor the information."
The present wave has been pushed by the BA.5 Omicron subvariant, which is now the dominant type of Covid-19 within the nation.
Excessive ranges of coronavirus antibodies among the many inhabitants - both from vaccination or earlier an infection - imply the variety of folks severely sick or dying from the virus stays low.
An estimated 2.6 million folks in England have been more likely to have had coronavirus within the week to July 20, the equal of round one in 20, the ONS mentioned.
That is down from 3.1 million, or one in 17, per week earlier.
In Scotland, 272,000 folks have been estimated to have had the virus in the newest week, or round one in 19.
That is down from 340,900, or one in 15.
Wales has seen infections fall to 156,200, or one in 19 folks, down from 183,200, or one in 17.
The ONS figures are based mostly on a pattern of swab assessments collected repeatedly from folks in households throughout the UK, whether or not or not they've Covid signs, and is essentially the most dependable measure of the prevalence of the virus.
If infections proceed to fall in future weeks, it means the BA.5 wave could have peaked within the UK at a decrease degree than the BA.2 wave earlier this yr, which noticed infections hit a weekly file of 4.9 million in late March.
Professor James Naismith, from the College of Oxford, mentioned it's "encouraging" to see the present wave "falling backwards", and that prevalence of the virus "could have fallen additional" for the reason that ONS estimates have been compiled.
He added: "The vaccines have proved terribly efficient at reducing severe sickness and deaths. They're much less efficient at stopping an infection. Many individuals have had a number of bouts of Covid-19 and being contaminated doesn't give a magical immunity - vaccination is by the far the most secure method to shield oneself towards severe sickness.
"This wave put the well being service underneath important stress, which additionally seems to be easing."