The prevalence of COVID-19 within the UK has reached file ranges, with about one in 13 individuals estimated to be contaminated with the virus up to now week, newest figures from Britain's official statistics company confirmed.
Some 4.9 million individuals have been estimated to have the coronavirus within the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million recorded within the earlier week, the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics mentioned.
The most recent surge is pushed by the extra transmissible omicron variant BA.2, which is the dominant variant throughout the UK.
Hospitalisations and loss of life charges are once more rising, though the variety of individuals dying with COVID-19 remains to be comparatively low in contrast with earlier this yr.
Nonetheless, the newest estimates recommend that the steep climb in new infections since late February, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrapped all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England, continued effectively into March.
The figures got here on the day the federal government ended free speedy COVID-19 exams for most individuals in England, below Johnson's "dwelling with COVID" plan. Individuals who wouldn't have well being situations that make them extra weak to the coronavirus now have to pay for exams to seek out out if they're contaminated.
"The federal government's 'dwelling with COVID' technique of eradicating any mitigations, isolation, free testing and a substantial slice of our surveillance quantities to nothing greater than ignoring this virus going forwards," mentioned Stephen Griffin, affiliate professor on the College of Leeds' medical college.
"Such unchecked prevalence endangers the safety afforded by our vaccines," he mentioned.
"Our vaccines are glorious, however they don't seem to be silver bullets and ought to not be left to bear the brunt of COVID in isolation."
Greater than 67 per cent of individuals 12 years outdated and above within the UK have had their booster or third dose of the coronavirus vaccine. From Saturday mother and father also can guide a low-dose vaccine for kids between 5 to 12 years outdated in England.
James Naismith, a biology professor on the College of Oxford, mentioned he believed that besides for many who are fully shielded or not inclined to the virus, most individuals within the nation would seemingly be contaminated with the BA.2 variant by the summer time.
"That is actually dwelling with the virus by being contaminated with it," he mentioned.