London, Europe Brief News – About one in 35 people in England – 2.8% of the population – had Covid, official data showed.
According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, more than 1.7 million people thought to have had the virus in the most recent week.
Infection levels have also risen in Wales and Northern Ireland: for both, an estimated one in 40 people had Covid in the week ending 29 September. In Scotland, the trend remained unclear, with one in 50 people estimated to have had Covid in the same week.
1.74m people in the UK have had Covid19 in the most recent survey results, a 31% rise from 1.3m people the week before.
In England, infection levels have increased in all regions except the north-east in the most recent week, and for all age groups except those aged two years to school year 11 (aged 15-16). The highest levels of infection were reportedly seen for people aged 70 and over. About 3.7% of this age group having had Covid in the most recent week.
Sarah Crofts, the deputy director for the Covid-19 Infection Survey, described the rise in infections amongst older age groups in England and Wales as “notable”.
The latest Covid and flu report from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), released on Thursday, also suggested a rise in Covid cases, as well as an increase in the hospital admission rate in the first full week of October.
