Covid cases are rising among the oldest teenagers and adults in their early twenties in England for the first time in a month, MailOnline's analysis of official figures revealed today.
Scientists claimed the worrying trend was likely triggered by 'Freedom Day' and the reopening of nightclubs, but also warned that lower vaccine uptake and colder weather towards the end of the month may be partly to blame.
Other experts said they suspected the data may have played a role in the dramatic U-turn of vaccinating children, with health chiefs yesterday confirming all 16 and 17-year-olds would be offered jabs within weeks.
Britain's Covid cases rose week-on-week yesterday for the first time in almost two weeks, sparking warnings that the people must keep their guard up and that the worst of the third wave is not definitely over.
Department of Health data suggests the trend in cases — which have been flattening off over the past week — is being driven by an up-tick in cases among 15-19 year olds and 20-24 year olds.
Rates remained static in other age groups and continued to plunge among 30 to 89-year-olds.
Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at Reading University, warned there was a risk these infections could yet spill over into older age groups, with previous waves beginning in the young before rapidly picking up the pace among older, more vulnerable people.
He called on the over-50s to make sure they get their booster jabs when they are dished out, to ensure they have the best protection possible.
It comes as separate data today confirmed cases were genuinely declining last week — and that the blip was not down to a lack of testing. But the surveillance studies don’t reflect the current situation because they are lagging measures.
ZOE’s symptom-tracker claimed the 22 per cent drop in people falling ill was the ‘good news the UK had been waiting for’. Public Health England data showed rates fell in all but 12 of England’s 149 authorities.
And Test and Trace statistics showed the shrinking outbreak helped to ease some of the ‘pingdemic’ chaos that has disrupted the nation over the past month.
Covid cases are rising among adults in their early twenties and the oldest teenagers in England, and are static among adults in their late twenties. Experts said this could be due to Freedom Day easings and the long daylight hours encouraging more socialising. Younger age groups tend to do more socialising than older age groups
Covid cases are still dropping week-on-week in all age groups, but the rate of decrease has slowed considerably among adults in their early twenties. It could switch to a rise in cases in the coming days
Britain's Covid cases rose yesterday for the first time in almost two weeks, rising five per cent from seven days ago to 29,312 new infections.
Experts said Freedom Day easings including the reopening of nightclubs could be behind the rise. But they also said the longer daylight hours leading to more mixing were likely playing a part . Pictured are revellers on the dancefloor at Powerhouse nightclub in Newcastle on Freedom Day
The Covid Symptom Study estimated cases fell by almost a quarter last week, after saying they had plateaued. It estimated 46,905 people are now catching Covid every day, down from almost 60,000 previously
Test and Trace data showed Covid cases dropped by almost 40 per cent a week ago, in yet another sign the third wave has peaked. They said 189,232 Britons tested positive for the virus over the seven days to July 28
MailOnline’s analysis of the Government data was based on the date tests were carried out, meaning they also lag behind slightly. But they offer one of the most accurate ways of tracking the state of the outbreak.
It can take up to a week between someone getting infected and testing positive because of the time taken for symptoms to develop and swabs to be analysed for the virus.
The statistics showed the weekly infection rate — the number of positive tests per 100,000 people — among 20-24 year olds stood at 734 on July 30. This equated to around one in 136 adults in the age group having Covid.
The rate is still lower than it was the week before (783.2), but it has been up on every day since July 26 (633.9).
Among 15 to 19-year-olds, the Covid infection rate has also been trending upwards since July 26 (from 694.2 to 724.6).
New NHS boss Amanda Pritchard (pictured)
A fifth of Covid patients currently in hospital are aged between 18 and 34, the head of the NHS revealed today.
Amanda Pritchard, who took over as chief executive of the health service last week, urged young people to get a vaccine.
In her first major interview since taking the role, she said there is 'no doubt' the roll-out is keeping people out of hospital and saving lives.
Some 20 per cent of the 5,000 patients currently in hospital with the virus are young people, according to NHS data. This is up from 5.4 per cent — around one in 20 — at the peak of the second wave in January.
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