This page contains data and analysis published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) from 26 to 30 October 2020. Go to our live page for the most up-to-date insights on COVID-19.
28 October 2020
Crime decreased at height of lockdown
There has been a 19% decrease in the number of victims of crime in England and Wales between April and June 2020, compared with the same period in 2019.
Statistics from the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales (TCSEW) show that the decrease in overall crime, during the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown, was largely driven by a 30% drop in thefts overall, compared with the previous quarter in 2020.
The lockdown, which was implemented at the end of March 2020, prompted a societal change, in that people were staying at home, making it difficult for theft crimes to be committed.
Falling TCSEW victimisation levels during April to June 2020 were driven by large decreases in theft offences
England and Wales, based on interviews conducted between May and August 2020
Source: Office for National Statistics - Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales
Notes:
- These data are published as Experimental Statistics.
Download this chart Falling TCSEW victimisation levels during April to June 2020 were driven by large decreases in theft offences
Image .csv .xlsTotal police recorded crime decreased by 4% in England and Wales to approximately 5.8 million offences in the 12 months ending June 2020; the annual decrease was mainly driven by substantial falls during the April to June 2020 period, particularly in theft offences.
The quarter from April to June 2020 also saw a 43% drop in theft offences and a 47% drop in robberies, compared with April to June 2019. This reflects the increase in time people spent at home during the lockdown, reducing opportunities for theft in public spaces, and the closure of the night-time economy.
By contrast, recorded drug offences rose by 30% in April to June 2020 (57,132 offences) compared with April to June 2019. This reflected proactive police activity in crime hotspots and was largely driven by offences involving the possession of drugs.
27 October 2020
Characteristics of people testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19)
Analysis of the characteristics of people in the community who tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) has shown a higher percentage of people reporting symptoms at or around the time of their test in recent weeks, compared with a low point in the summer months.
From 28 September to 11 October 2020, 34% of participants in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey who tested positive for COVID-19 reported any evidence of symptoms at the time of the test. A smaller proportion of those who tested positive, 24%, reported experiencing a cough, fever or anosmia (loss of taste or smell) at the time of the test.
Overall, during late June to late July, very few people who tested positive reported any evidence of symptoms at the time of their positive test (as low as 0%), compared with up to 38% at other times.
A higher percentage of people who have tested positive in recent weeks reported symptoms at the time of their test from a low point in the summer months
Percentage of people who tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) and who reported symptoms at the time of their test, by non-overlapping 14-day periods between 26 April and 11 October 2020
Source: Office for National Statistics – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey
Notes:
- All results are provisional and subject to revision.
- These statistics refer to infections reported in the community, by which we mean private households. These figures exclude infections reported in hospitals, care homes and/or other institutional settings.
Download this image A higher percentage of people who have tested positive in recent weeks reported symptoms at the time of their test from a low point in the summer months
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A similar pattern can be observed for the proportion of those who tested positive and who reported experiencing symptoms around the time of their positive test, rather than just on the day of the positive test.
From 28 September to 11 October 2020, 45% of those who tested positive for COVID-19 reported any evidence of symptoms around the time of the test, with 33% of those experiencing cough, fever or anosmia (loss of taste or smell) around the time of the test. Again, very few people reported any evidence of symptoms around the time of their test between late June and late July.
Analysis of the age, rural or urban location by region and travel behaviour of those testing positive for COVID-19 is also presented in Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey: characteristics of people testing positive for COVID-19 in England, October 2020.