Covid cases in England are at their highest level since January, with one in 60 people infected on any given day last week, according to official figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated 890,000 people in England – 1.63 per cent of the entire population – had the virus on October 9, up 13.2 per cent on the previous weekly figure.
Infections have not been as high since the UK began to recover from the second wave in mid-January, when 1million people were carrying the virus, according to the statisticians’ calculations.
Cases now appear to be rising in all cohorts, apart from those aged 35 to 49, where the ONS said the trend is uncertain. But the latest hike has been fuelled by infections among pupils, with one in 12 youngsters aged 11 to 16 infected.
It comes as separate data from the Department of Health showed cases reached a three-month high yesterday, with 45,066 new infections registered.
Experts have long warned of a fourth wave of infections this winter, as pupils return to classrooms, workers head back to offices and people begin socialising indoors in greater numbers.
And England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty yesterday claimed this winter will be 'exceptionally difficult' for the NHS even if there is not a surge of infections, due to a resurgence of flu and other seasonal viruses.
No10 has plans in place to bring back restrictions if the rollout of booster vaccines and jabs to over-12s fail to curb the impact of Covid on the health service. And ministers previously warned they could not rule out another lockdown as a last resort.
But despite the bleak figures, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today ruled out another lockdown this Christmas, saying there will 'be no issues' with seeing loved ones around the festive period.
No10 introduced tough restrictions last December which stopped millions from seeing their families, despite Boris Johnson repeatedly dismissing the possibility of Christmas being cancelled before the move.
The graphs show the proportion of people testing positive for Covid continued to increase in England and Wales and drop in Scotland, while the trend in Northern Ireland in the week ending October 9
The ONS data shows the estimated daily percentage of the population testing positive for Covid based on nose and throat swabs by age group. School children were the most likely to test positive for Covid in the week ending October 9
Grant Shapps has ruled out another Covid lockdown over Christmas despite cases hitting a three-month high
The estimates from the ONS show one in 60 people were infected in the seven days up to October 9, up from one in 70 last week, but less than the one in 50 estimated to have the virus at the peak of the second wave in January.
Data shows the infections are mostly being driven by rates among schoolchildren. Around one in 10 pupils aged 11 to 16 in England was estimated to have Covid last week – the highest positivity rate for any age group.
Rates have also increased for people aged 50 to 69, those aged 70 and over, and there are early signs of a possible increase for people from school Year 12 to age 24.
In Wales, around one in 45 people were thought to have Covid – up from one in 55 the previous week and the highest since estimates began last July.
In Northern Ireland, the latest estimate is one in 120, up from 130 the previous week, and in Scotland the figure is around one in 80, down from one in 60 the previous week.
While infection levels in England are high, they are not leading to the same level of hospital admissions and deaths as during the second peak thanks to the success of the vaccination campaign.
The percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 is estimated to
