U.K. Reports Fewest New Covid Cases in More Than Three Weeks

The U.K. reported fewer than 100,000 new coronavirus cases for the first time since late December, raising hopes that the country is past the worst of its omicron wave. The 99,652 infections recorded on Friday compare with almost 200,000 a day at the peak of the outbreak. Hospitalizations in London, the early center of the U.K. omicron onslaught, are below the recent high reached on Jan. 5., and show signs of decline elsewhere in the country as well. While the average number of fatalities is creeping upward, deaths have stayed relatively low compared with earlier waves.