By Charlotte Webster-
Covid-19 infections in the UK have jumped by more than half a million in a week, with the rise likely to be driven by the latest Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5, figures show.
Public attention to the virus has gone down since lockdown times and strict restrictions have been eased, but infection levels al went down for a period of time.
However, new figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that a total of 2.3 million people in private households are estimated to have had the virus last week, up 32% from a week earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The statistics show the highest estimate for total infections since late April, but is still some way below the record high of 4.9 million seen at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave at the end of March.
Sarah Crofts, ONS head of analytical outputs for the Covid-19 infection survey, said: “Across the UK we’ve seen a continued increase of over half a million infections, likely caused by the growth of BA.4 and BA.5 variants.
“This rise is seen across all ages, countries and regions of England.
“We will continue to monitor the data closely to see if this growth continues in the coming weeks.”
The virus remains most prevalent in Scotland, where 288,200 people were estimated to have had Covid-19 last week, or one in 18.
This is up week-on-week from 250,700, or one in 20, and is the highest estimate for Scotland since early April.
In England, 1.8 million people were likely to have had the virus last week, the equivalent of around one in 30- up from 1.4 million, or one in 40, the previous week.
Wales has seen infections jump to 106,000, or one in 30, up from 68,500, or one in 45.
Official statistics suggest that the prevalence of the virus in England is likely to be highest among 50 to 69-year-olds, where 4.2% – one in 25 – were likely to have had the virus last week.
The next highest estimate was for 25 to 34-year-olds, at 4.1%.
It is too soon to see any impact on infection numbers from recent large events such as the Glastonbury Festival, Wimbledon or the Hyde Park music festival.
Friday’s figures are the latest evidence that the virus is circulating at increasing levels across the country.
Dr Mary Ramsay, director of clinical programmes at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “We continue to see an increase in Covid-19 data, with a rise in case rates and hospitalisations in those aged 65 years and over, and outbreaks in care homes.
An estimated 8,928 patients in England had Covid-19 on June 30, up 39% on the previous week, Government figures show.
This is just over half the level of patients recorded at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave.
In Wales, 548 patients with Covid-19 were in hospital on June 29, up 52% from the previous week.
And Scotland has seen patients jump 34% week-on-week, reaching 1,298 on June 26.
The trend in Northern Ireland is uncertain, with numbers rising in early June before levelling off in recent days between 320 and 340.
Around six in 10 hospital patients who test positive for Covid-19 are being treated primarily for something else, rather than the virus.
But they will need to be kept isolated from those patients who do not have Covid, putting extra pressure on hospital staff.