Covid: ‘Sharp increase’ in people testing positive in parts of UK
Positive cases of Covid-19 are increasing sharply in parts of the UK, with around one in 60 people now testing positive in Wales and one in 85 in England, figures suggest.
An estimated 52,200 people in private households in Wales had Covid-19 between December 12 and 18, according to the latest infection survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is the highest estimate for Wales since the survey began in the summer, and is up from 33,400 people for December 6 to 12 – the equivalent of a jump from around one in 90 people testing positive to around one in 60.
The rate has also continued to rise in England, where an estimated 645,800 people in private households had Covid-19 between December 12 and 18, up from 567,300 people in December 6 to 12.
This is the equivalent of a jump from one in 95 to one in 85 people.
The figures do not include people staying in hospitals, care homes or other institutional settings.
In regions of England, the rate has “continued to increase sharply” in London, eastern England and south-east England, the ONS said.
London now has the highest rate of people testing positive, with an estimated 2.1% of people in private households testing positive for Covid-19.
London’s rate of new cases of Covid-19 has trebled in just two weeks, according to the latest weekly surveillance report from Public Health England.
The rate stood at 602.2 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to December 20, up from 200.3 in the seven days to December 6.
Rates have increased in all regions, with eastern England recording the next highest rate after London (440.7) followed by south-east England (380.6) and the West Midlands (218.8).
This is followed by south-east England (1.4%) and eastern England (1.2%).
The percentage testing positive in south-west England has also increased during the most recent week, while rates have continued to decrease in north-west England and Yorkshire & the Humber.