Britain's Covid-19 instances have fallen by 1 / 4 % on final week's figures to 34,377 constructive exams within the final 24 hours.
Deaths are additionally down, by 23 % on final week, to 128, as figures proceed to point out the Covid-19 outbreak seems to be shrinking within the nation.
It comes because the Prime Minister is about to unveil his blueprint for 'dwelling with Covid' on Monday, with ministers set to finalise the the technique over the weekend.
When unveiling his intention to do away with the final restrictions - together with the necessity for contaminated individuals to self-isolate, the PM final week claimed it will solely occur if the outbreak continued to recede.
Right now's figures will inevitably give him much more confidence, with instances, deaths and hospitalisations having been in freefall for over a fortnight.
The every day figures present 34,377 constructive Covid exams have been registered within the final 24 hours, down 25 % on the 46,025 instances final Saturday.
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It comes after it was revealed that Mr Johnson's prime scientific advisers worry that subsequent week's bonfire of the remaining Covid guidelines may depart Britain battling a variant that kills as much as a 3rd of individuals it infects.
Paperwork launched from the panel's final assembly warned that any sudden change to the principles carries the potential to speed up the pandemic.
One paper mentioned by SAGE, which delved into potential situations that might emerge over the subsequent few years, dismissed the milder nature of Omicron as being a 'likelihood' occasion and argued that it is a 'frequent false impression' that viruses evolve to turn into weaker.
It warned of a 'sensible chance' {that a} variant may spawn that's simply as deadly as different coronaviruses recognized to strike people, reminiscent of MERS, which has a 35 per cent case fatality fee. Mutations are extra probably whereas circulation of the virus is excessive, the panel stated.
Referencing the doc in its minutes, SAGE warned that the situation - which they've already floated earlier than - remained a 'legitimate' chance.
Three new papers from the influential group's final assembly on February 10 have been put into the general public area at present whereas three others have been printed final Friday, together with one warning dropping the remaining restrictions would 'improve nervousness'.
The PM's announcement final week was extensively seen as a determined ploy to appease hardline anti-lockdown Tory backbenchers and fend off a flurry of no-confidence letters following a spate of allegations about unlawful lockdown events in Downing Avenue.
Mr Johnson's blueprint will probably be checked over once more by ministers on Sunday, Whitehall sources say, earlier than being introduced on Monday when Parliament returns from recess.
He has already confronted vocal opposition to his plans, with the chief govt of NHS Confederation at present saying the Authorities couldn't 'wave a magic wand' and faux the virus had disappeared.
Matthew Taylor, who heads up the organisation which represents hospital bosses, urged ministers 'now isn't the time to take dangers'.
He stated the final restrictions ought to solely be relaxed progressively and on the premise of proof to keep away from any sudden flare-ups, despite the fact that instances, hospitalisations and deaths have all been trending downwards for weeks because the Omicron wave recedes.
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Separate papers from SAGE advisers warned Covid transmission may improve by as much as 80 per cent if the Authorities abandons the final restrictions.
The scientists on the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M-O) stated: 'A sudden change, reminiscent of an finish to testing and isolation, has the scope to result in a return to speedy epidemic development.'
They warned a fast uptick may result in present projections of Covid deaths dropping beneath 100 a day by March being proved inaccurate, with deaths as a substitute beginning to rise once more.
SAGE advisers on the New and Rising Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) warned it was probably the subsequent variant might be simply as harmful as Alpha and Delta - which triggered waves final winter and summer season.
They stated it was a 'sensible chance' {that a} extra harmful variant may emerge both via mutations or a hybrid between two variants rising - in a course of scientifically often called recombination.
In one other situation, they stated Covid may bounce into animals and the mutate earlier than crossing again to people.
The virus emerged in an animal host - thought prone to be bats - earlier than spreading to people. There are additionally strategies that the Omicron variant developed in rodents, though these are but to be stacked up with proof.
The committee admitted, nonetheless, that over the subsequent few years it was probably the virus would turn into 'much less virulent'.
They stated this could occur because it turned 'totally tailored' to people, stopping it triggering critical illness.
Different scientists have already predicted it's probably that no variant will have the ability to set the UK again to the identical place it was in in March 2020 when the virus first emerged.
Professor Francois Balloux, a geneticist at College School London, stated final week: 'Some variants will probably be intrinsically extra extreme than others, however as soon as everybody has been vaccinated and/or contaminated a number of occasions, no variant can set us again to ranges of Covid hospitalisation and dying we skilled throughout the pandemic.'
Some SAGE scientists have already known as for Britain to begin 'dwelling with' Covid the identical approach as with the flu. Professor Graham Medley, No10's chief modeller, warned the virus 'cannot be an emergency perpetually'.
He stated final month: 'Sooner or later it must cease being an emergency however that's prone to be a part out somewhat than an lively time limit the place any individual can declare the epidemic over.'
Boris Johnson is making ready to put out his plan for 'dwelling with' the virus on Monday when Parliament returns from recess. He has already introduced self-isolation will go from subsequent week, and the plan can also be anticipated to see the tip of free lateral stream exams from subsequent month.
However the plans are already dealing with opposition, with NHS chief Mr Taylor warning uncertainty over long-term immunity from vaccines and former an infection and the chance of future variants imply it was nonetheless too early to drop the ultimate measures.
He urged ministers 'now isn't the time to take dangers', saying the final restrictions ought to solely be relaxed progressively and on the premise of proof to keep away from any sudden flare-ups, despite the fact that instances, hospitalisations and deaths have all been trending downwards for weeks because the Omicron wave recedes.
Calling for the brakes to be slammed onto No10's 'dwelling with Covid' plans, Mr Taylor - Tony Blair's former coverage adviser - stated: 'The Authorities can not wave a magic wand and faux the menace has disappeared completely.' He added the transfer to exit the acute part of the pandemic 'should not be pushed by political expediency'.
