England's Covid cases have reached their highest level since mid-January with nearly one in 50 infected with the virus last week, official data has shown amid growing fears that the impending fourth wave and sluggish booster vaccine roll-out will force ministers into adopting its winter Plan B.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show around 977,900 were infected in England on any given day in the week up to October 16.
Infections have not been as high since the country began to recover from the darkest days of the second wave in at the start of the year.
Cases rose 9.88 per cent on last week's figure of 890,000 — the fourth week in a row infections have increased.
The figures come as separate data from the Department of Health — based on the Government's official testing programme as opposed to the random swabbing of thousands of Brits — showed cases breached 50,000 for the first time in three months yesterday.
Department of Health bosses recorded another 52,009 infections, a 15 per cent jump on a week ago and the highest number since July 17 at the peak of the summer spike. The daily average is now approaching peak second wave levels.
Medics warn cases will continue to spike unless Britain doubles the speed of its vaccine booster rollout. Only 4million out of the 8.7m patients in England who are eligible for a booster now have had one, including just a third of care home residents and half of over-80s.
It is being held up by the NHS sending texts to elderly Britons who 'do not know how to use their phones', doctors warned today.
Boris Johnson yesterday issued a desperate plea for more Britons to come forward for their boosters to 'fortify' people's defences against the virus, amid fears the rising cases could lead to last-minute curbs ahead of Christmas once again.
The Government has so far resisted growing pressure to revert to its winter 'Plan B' to bring back masks and WFH guidance despite surging case numbers and in the face of doctors accusing them of being 'wilfully negligent'.
Cases are estimated to have increased in all regions of England except south-east England and the West Midlands, where it appeared to level off, and north-east England and Yorkshire and the Humber, where the trend was uncertain
The percentage of people testing positive remains highest for those in school years seven to 11, at 7.8 per cent, up week-on-week from 7.1 per cent
When modelling the level of Covid infections among different age ranges in England, the ONS said rates have increased in all age groups except for those aged 25 to 34, where the trend was uncertain.
The percentage of people testing positive remains highest for those in school years seven to 11, at 7.8 per cent, up
