Britain's daily Covid cases rose by another 10 per cent in a week today and deaths ticked upwards — but hospitalisations plunged 17 per cent.
Government dashboard data showed 44,242 infections were registered in the last 24 hours, a slight uptick from 40,375 last Friday.
Covid cases have trended upwards every day since November 11 except for one. And official data suggests infections are now rising in children and parents, following the return of schools from half-term.
Another 157 Covid deaths were also announced by health chiefs, which was an eight per cent rise from the same time the previous week.
Latest hospitalisation figures showed 827 admissions were recorded on November 15, which was down 17 per cent in seven days.
It comes after the Office for National Statistics' weekly surveillance report suggested England's Covid cases dipped by 10 per cent last week. The report, based on random swab tests done by thousands of Britons, estimated 824,900 people were infected on any day in the week ending November 13, the equivalent to one in 65 people. This was down slightly from 925,400 previously.
But in a warning sign that the downturn in infections has stalled, No10's top scientific advisers today claimed the R rate remained level between 0.8 and 1.0 last week.
And a slew of reports yesterday suggested infections are trending upwards among children after they returned to the classroom from half-term.
Austria today announced another lockdown and made Covid vaccines compulsory for residents, amid a Covid wave that is sweeping across Europe.
Fears of another Christmas lockdown were sparked this week when Boris Johnson admitted that the drastic action was not completely off the cards at a Downing Street press conference. But the Prime Minister also said there was still nothing to suggest England needed to ramp up its Covid restrictions.
He urged people to get their booster vaccines and warned of Europe's spiralling crisis, which saw Austria become the first country to impose another lockdown.
Despite the growing concerns over the continent's outbreak, top experts are confident Britain won't be forced into cancelling Christmas again. One scientist behind a surveillance study showing cases were ticking upwards said he remained 'optimistic' that festivities could go ahead without any restrictions.
Office for National Statistics weekly surveillance estimated there were 824,900 Covid cases in England over the week to November 13, equivalent to one in 65 people. This was down slightly from 925,400 previously
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/latest
Austria is among the European nations worst-affected by the new wave of Covid, with infections soaring rapidly even as cases rise across most nations on the continent. Generally, those with the lowest vaccination rates are being hit hardest
Covid deaths are still far below rates seen during the first and second waves of the pandemic, thought to be in-part due to protection conferred by vaccines, though have started to climb rapidly in recent days
The ONS surveillance report relies on random swabbing of more than 100,000 Britons every week to estimate the prevalence of the virus across the country.
It is seen as the gold-standard method of tracking the country's outbreak by ministers because it is not affected by asymptomatic carriers.
Figures suggest Wales had the highest infection rate in the UK last week, with one in 55 people likely infected with the virus. It was followed by England and Northern Ireland, at one in 65, and Scotland, at one in 95.
When cases were broken down by age groups, figures showed only 11 to 16-year-olds saw a drop in cases last week. Infections flatlined in all other groups.
Meanwhile, No10's top scientists estimated the R rate was still between 0.8 and 1.0, the same as the previous week.
But they said in London and the South East it could now be above the cut-off point and be as high as 1.1, which would mean an outbreak is growing.
The R rate is a lagging indicator measuring how many infected people are passing the virus on. It reflects the situation on the ground up to three weeks ago, simply because of how it is calculated.
An R below one suggests that for every ten people who catch the virus, they are passing it on to fewer than ten others.
Two separate surveillance reports yesterday suggested Covid cases are now rising in younger age groups, too.
King's College London scientists, who track symptoms instead of tests, also estimated infections dipped 10 per cent overall last week, but they said cases appeared to be trending upwards among under-18s.
There was still a drop in cases for over-75s, while they flatlined in all other age groups.
And the UK Health Security Agency weekly surveillance report, which is based on Government testing rates, estimated cases rose sharply in over-18s last week.
It said cases also rose slightly among under-70s, but dipped in older age groups.
Britain's daily Covid cases also appear to be trending upwards, with rises in younger age groups and 50 to 65-year-olds appearing to drive the increase.
Professor Tim Spector, the eminent scientist who leads the King's College study, said he was 'cautiously optimistic' Christmas will be business as usual this year.
He said: 'In terms of what it means for Christmas, I’m cautiously optimistic for the remainder of the year. It’s becoming clear that children and the school holidays play a key role in the waves of infection.
'I think it’s safe to say that we can expect to see another
