THE director of public health for Worcestershire, Dr Kathryn Cobain, and Worcester’s MP has thanked the public for their efforts to tackle Covid-19, but urged caution moving forward.

They were speaking after nationally University of Oxford professors researching coronavirus say Britain is no longer in a pandemic, as a result of the country’s successful vaccine rollout which has cut infection rates by 90 per cent.

Sarah Walker, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at Oxford and chief investigator on the National Covid Infection Survey, told The Telegraph that Britain had moved from a "pandemic to an endemic situation”.

It was also highlighted that for the first time in six months the deadly virus has dropped to being the third biggest killer in England.

The current rate for the city is 23 per 100,000, up to April 17 - a far cry from the peak of 815 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to January 8, having fallen steadily since through a combination of lockdown and the vaccine rollout.

Dr Cobain said: “We are doing really well nationally and here in Worcestershire.

"Together we are making a huge difference, thank you so much for all you have done so far.

"It’s really important we continue to do all we can, nobody wants to see the numbers going back up. Our vaccination programme in the county is continuing to progress well and we’re really beginning to see the difference it is making. When you are called for your vaccination, I’d urge you to have it.

"Vaccines remain the best way to protect people and have already saved thousands of lives.”

Robin Walker MP said: “I’m really pleaded with the continued progress of the vaccine roll out locally, seeing we are now up to really high percentages of the over 55s who have had their vaccine.

"It also seems to be feeding through to the pressure on our hospitals, and the case numbers. That is all really positive. But the one thing to be wary of is the international situation.

"We do have to be constantly on alert for new variants and things that could threaten that progress. It is a welcome step in the right direction that we have seen this downgrading of the current threat, but we have to keep an eye out globally because unfortunately other countries are not making the same progress.”