UK "past the peak" of COVID-19 wave, says England's medical officer

England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty on Wednesday said that the United Kingdom is "past the peak" of the current wave of COVID-19 cases.

"Whitty said during a briefing as quoted by CNN, "I think that most of my colleagues think that we are past the peak."

"Now that doesn't mean you can never have another peak but at this point in time provided people continue to follow the guidelines we're on a downward slope of cases, of hospitalizations and of deaths in all four nations in the United Kingdom. So I think we do think at this point, this peak, at least, we are past," Whitty added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK government hopes to set out a route map on February 22 for exiting its current national lockdown. "It feels to me at the moment we will be going down in tiers nationally," Johnson said as quoted by CNN, but he warned, "that could change".

The American media outlet further reported that almost 9 in 10 people aged 75 and over have received a first dose a Covid-19 vaccine in England, the Department of Health said on Wednesday. However, Johnson said February 22 would be the earliest the government will be able to set out "in as much detail as possible" how they intend to lift some restrictions.

Johnson also said the government would make a further announcement on hotel quarantines on Thursday.

( With inputs from ANI )