A record 4.9 million people in the UK are estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million in the previous week, the Office for National Statistics said.
Only a month after Covid restrictions ended in the UK, the number of Covid cases has soared, rising by around 600,000 cases in a week.
The ONS released the figures for the end of March showing that the virus infection rates had reached an all time high.
The figures come near to exactly one calendar month from when all Covid restrictions were lifted on February 24.
The government has come under fire in recent weeks for scrapping universal free testing of Covid-19.
Previously Brits could access lateral flow tests, free of charge, over the counter at pharmacies or from the government website.
But that ends today (April 1) with many major pharmacies instead offering a pack for under £10 or single tests for under £2.
Some groups will still have access to free asymptomatic testing including patient facing NHS staff, adult social care and hospice staff.
A small number of care home visitors who provide personal care, some prison workers and workers in high risk domestic abuse refuges will also have access to the free testing.
But while free universal testing has been scrapped some of Boris Johnson's own Covid experts have warned the "world needs to be ready" for new vaccine-immune variants.
Sir Patrick Vallance was one of Mr Johnson's right hand men during the pandemic as he consulted with experts on a weekly basis to navigate the country through coronavirus.
But at a Royal Society conference, the Government scientific advisor warned that a future pandemic was inevitable.
He said: "It's very obvious to everyone in this meeting that there will be a future pandemic.
"That I think is clear.
"It's also clear this one is not over and we've got very high infection rates at the moment.
"And the room for this virus to evolve remains very large, so we could be taken by surprise again with a variant that escapes immunity."
He added: "We've got no idea what the next pandemic might be and it certainly won't be the same as this one.
"Whatever it is, the world needs to be ready to respond."
