Covid-19 levels are rising in most parts of the UK, in the latest sign a new wave of the virus is under way. Infections have increased in England, Wales and Scotland, though Northern Ireland is continuing to see a fall. Most age groups in England have seen a jump in prevalence of Covid-19, with rates highest among secondary school-age children.
The number of hospital patients in England who have tested positive is also continuing to rise. A total of 1.2 million people in private households in the UK were likely to have Covid-19 in the week to February 7, up 20% from one million the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
It is the second week in a row the UK-wide total has increased and comes after a steady drop in levels throughout January. A surge in the virus in the run-up to Christmas saw infections peak at three million at the end of December, though this was well below the figures seen in previous waves, including in spring 2022 when the weekly total climbed to a record 4.9 million.
