Number of people in England with Covid-19 jumps by 75 per cent in a week
The number of people infected with Covid-19 in England has gone up by around 75 per cent last week, new figures suggest.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that 85,600 people in England had the virus in the week to 29 May, equating to around one in 640 people in private households.
This is the highest level since the week to 16 April and is up from 48,500 people, one in 1,120 people in private households – in the week ending 22 May.
Figures are still lower than they were earlier this year, with the ONS estimating that 1,122,000 people had Covid-19 in the week to 2 January.
The percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 is estimated to have increased in north-west England, the East Midlands and south-west England.
There are also signs of a possible increase in the West Midlands and London while the trend is uncertain for other regions, the ONS said.
In many regions positivity rates are very low, meaning trends are difficult to identify since they are affected by small changes in the number of people testing positive from week to week.
North-west England had the highest proportion of people of any region in England likely to test positive for coronavirus in the week to 29 May: around one in 280. South-east England had the lowest estimate: around one in 1,490.
The ONS said the percentage of people testing positive has increased in those aged 35 years and over and in school Year 7 to school Year 11 in England in the week ending 29 May.
Wales, NI and Scotland
Meanwhile, there are “early signs” of an increase in the percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus in Wales, with around one in 1,050 people estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to 29 May.
This is up from one in 3,850 in the previous week and is the highest estimate since the week to 16 April.
In Northern Ireland the trend is “uncertain”, with an estimate of around one in 800 for the week to May 29, broadly unchanged from one in 820 in the previous week.
The trend is also “uncertain” for Scotland, where the latest estimate is around one in 680, broadly unchanged from one in 630. All figures are for people in private households.