Covid-19 infections rose in England and Scotland earlier this month, while the trend in Wales and Northern Ireland was uncertain, figures show. A total of 1.4 million people in private households in the UK were likely to test positive for coronavirus in the week to December 9.
This was up from 1.1 million in late November but below the two million weekly infections in early October. The estimates published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) give a snapshot of what was happening in the UK at the start of December, when coronavirus was starting to become more prevalent among the population.
More recent data shows the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in England, Scotland and Wales is on a clear upward trend, with patients in England up 29% in the past week to the highest level for nearly two months. The ONS infection survey is the most reliable measure of the prevalence of coronavirus and is based on a sample of swab tests from households across the UK.
