The UK's COVID-19 alert level has been downgraded, with the threat of the NHS being overwhelmed receding.

The UK's chief medical officers say the alert level should move from 5 to 4 as the numbers of patients in hospital are "consistently declining and the threat of the NHS and other health services being overwhelmed within 21 days has receded".

Level 4 means transmission of COVID-19 is now "high or rising exponentially" compared with level 5 where there was "a risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed".

The UK has been on level 5 since the beginning of January when it was moved from level 4 as it went back into lockdown after Christmas.

In a joint statement, the four UK chief medical officers and NHS England's national medical director said they agreed the level should be downgraded following advice from the Joint Biosecurity Centre "and in light of the most recent data".

They added: "The health services across the four nations remain under significant pressure with a high number of patients in hospital, however thanks to the efforts of public we are now seeing numbers consistently declining, and the threat of the NHS and other health services being overwhelmed within 21 days has receded".

(With input from agencies)