‘I lowered my guard’: four people on catching Covid for the first time

Cases of coronavirus infection have reached a record high since restrictions were lifted. Photograph: Amer Ghazzal/Rex/Shutterstock

The number of people with Covid across the UK has hit record levels, figures released on the day England ended free testing suggest.

One in 13 people in the UK were estimated to have Covid in the week ending 26 March, according to the Office for National Statistics, including a record 6.6% of over-70s.