Sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in England

The number of new COVID-19 cases in England more than doubled in a week at the end of September, according to latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics.

There were an average of 17,200 new cases per day in private households between 25 September and 1 October – compared with 8,400 new cases per day the previous week from 18-24 September.

The ONS said there has been a “marked increase” in the rate of new infections during the last six weeks, now at its highest level since the survey began in May.

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The figures do not include people staying in other settings such as hospitals and care homes.

The ONS said the highest current rates of infection was among older teenagers and young adults – from school year 12 through to age 24 – where “rates have grown very rapidly in the most recent weeks”.

The second highest rates are among secondary school children – school years seven to 11.

There have been increases across other age groups, the ONS said, but “to a much lesser extent”.

And there are clear differences between the regions, with the North East, North West and Yorkshire & Humber worst affected and have all seen steep increases in recent weeks.

Other regions except for southeast England (outside London) have experienced smaller rise in infection rates, the ONS said.

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In Wales, an estimated 6,100 people in private households had COVID-19 between 25 September and 1 October – the equivalent of around one in 500 people.

The ONS said while infections had risen in Wales during the last month-and-a-half, the trend may now be levelling off.

However, it urged caution at the results due to a relatively small number of tests within the survey sample.

For the first time the ONS gave an estimate for Northern Ireland, with one in 500 people in private households estimated to have had COVID-19 in the two weeks from 18 September to 1 October.