Covid cases rise as experts warn against complacency

COVID cases have risen for the first time since March, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics.

The increase is likely to be driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of omicron. Studies show these variants may be able to spread slightly more easily than previous omicron variants.

A total of 989,800 people in private households in the UK are estimated to have had the virus in the week ending June 2, up from 953,900 the week before.

It is the first time that the number of infections has risen week-on-week since the end of March, when the number hit a record 4.9 million.

In England, 797,500 people were testing positive for Covid-19 last week – the equivalent of about one in 70. This was up from 784,100 a week earlier.

The proportion of people testing positive for Covid-19 in England is estimated to have increased in particular among those aged between 35 and 49, though there were early signs of a rise among people aged between 16 and 24, the ONS added. Regionally, infection levels are estimated to have risen in the North West, London and the South East, with some evidence of an increase in eastern England.

Levels have fallen in the South West and the West Midlands, while the trend in all other regions was uncertain.

The latest figures come as as experts say a rise in Covid hospital admissions in England may herald a new wave of cases caused by omicron sub-variants.

The original omicron variant (BA.1) caused a surge in infections in December and early January.

According to data published yesterday, hospitalisations have slowly started to climb again, with a 17 per cent jump nationally compared to last week.

Although figures remain relatively low – with 577 people admitted on Thursday, compared with 2,000 a day in early January – experts said we should not be “complacent”, and warned that any increase was likely to put more pressure on an NHS already under strain.