England’s Covid cases are at their highest since mid-January, with nearly one in fifty infected last week. This is despite growing concerns about a fourth wave of the virus and slow booster vaccine roll-out. Ministers will have to adopt its winter Plan B.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show around 977,900 were infected in England on any given day in the week up to October 16.
Since the country began to recover from its darkest days during the second wave of infected at the beginning of this year, the infection rate has declined.
Cases rose 9.88 per cent on last week’s figure of 890,000 — the fourth week in a row infections have increased.
The figures come as separate data from the Department of Health — based on the Government’s official testing programme as opposed to the random swabbing of thousands of Brits — showed cases breached 50,000 for the first time in three months yesterday.
The Department of Health recorded 52,009 more infections, an increase of 15% on a week earlier and the highest number since July 17, the peak of the summer spike. The daily average is now at peak second wave levels.
Medics warn that cases will continue to rise unless Britain accelerates its vaccine booster rollout. Only 4million of the 8.7m English patients who are eligible for a booster have had one. This includes just a third and half of those over 80.
Doctors warned today that the NHS is causing delays by sending text messages to elderly Britons who “do not know how their phones work”
Boris Johnson issued a desperate plea yesterday for more Britons to get boosters for the virus to ‘fortify people’s defenses. He was concerned that rising cases could force them to cancel Christmas plans.
Despite increasing numbers of cases and accusations from doctors that they are ‘wilfully neglectful’, the Government has resisted growing pressure to go back to its winter Plan B’ to bring masks and WFH guidance.
The number of cases is expected to have increased in all regions except south-east England, the West Midlands and north-east England, where it seemed to level off.
The percentage of students who test positive is highest in school years 7-11, at 7.8 percent. This is an increase week-on-week from 7.1%.
The ONS found that Covid infection rates have increased across all age groups in England except for those between 25 and 34. This trend is not clear.
The percentage of positive tests for school-aged children in grades 7 to 11 is still high at 7.8%, an increase week-on-week over 7.1 percent.
The number of cases is expected to have increased in all regions except for the West Midlands and south-east England, where it seemed to plateau, and north-east England, Yorkshire and the Humber, which showed a trend that was not clear.
One in 45 people in northwest England and southwest England were most likely to test positive between October 16th and October 16. This was the highest ratio for any region.
The lowest proportion was found in London and south-east England, where it was around one in 75.
Yesterday’s separate figures showed that infections are increasing in every age group, and in four-fifths (or more) of England. A more transmissible strain known as Delta is suspected to be the reason.
AY.4.2 is now available in all of the country, except for two dozen.
And the country’s largest symptom-tracking surveillance study suggested daily cases have already hit 80,000, feared to be the threshold at which the epidemic becomes ‘unstable’.
Sajid Javid (Health Secretary) maintained that the country can handle 100,000 cases per day.
Official data shows that Britain is detecting 46,791 Covid cases each day on average. The latest figure is up 17% over last week.
The virus was detected in 54,571 people who were tested positive on October 18. This is just inches away from the peak in mid July when 60,763 people were infected by Covid.
A weekly report from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) — which has replaced Public Health England — yesterday revealed Covid cases have risen in all age groups, but are now at a record high among school children.
Around 85 percent of England’s 149 local authorities had experienced an increase in infections during the week ending October 17, with 12 areas reporting a rise of more than 50%.
Only 4million (purple line) of England’s 8.7million eligible persons (green line), have received the crucial third dose. Ministers are urging people to come forward to get their inoculations.
In the seven days ending October 17, 1,366.8 cases per 100,000 children aged 10-19 years were recorded, up from 1,134.9. The rate of five- to nine year-olds is 719.2, which is up from 585.0.
This is the highest weekly rate in both age groups since October 2020, when this data was first collected by the UKHSA.
In England, case rates continue to rise across all age groups. The lowest rate is for people over 80, at 121.2, a rise of 115.6. Rates are rising in all parts of England except one.
Separate data from King’s College London’ssymptom tracking study revealed that cases among Britons had increased by a fifth in one week to the highest levels this year.
Infected people were estimated to have been 81,823 in the week ended October 16th. This is nearly twice the number of reported cases each day of 45,000.
Data from the study — which is based on reports from around 750,000 users of the ZOE Covid Symptom Study app — suggests one in 63 people in the UK have symptomatic Covid.
Professor Tim Spector, an epidemiologist, is the leader of the study. He warned that the UK was’really in trouble’. The UK must act now to stop the situation from spiraling out of control before winter.
Professor Spector stated that the UK is in serious trouble with over 80,000 new cases per day.
Despite the positive trends we’ve been reporting for several weeks, this hasn’t happened overnight.
“As feared,” cases have spread to older people, leading to more deaths and hospitalisations. The UK must take immediate action to stop this situation from spiraling out of control ahead winter.