Early signs that Covid may be rising in parts of the UK

Officials from the Office for National Statistics said there are early signs of a possible increase in the number of people testing positive for COVID in England and Northern Ireland.

According to their findings, the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants are most likely to blame for the modest increase.

According to studies, these variants may be able to propagate more quickly than “older” Omicron variants.

According to the most recent figures, over 990,000 people in the UK have COVID.

That translates to nearly 1.5 per cent of the population (about one in 65 people), up from one in 70 the week before.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) most recent data covers the week ending June 2nd.

While some sections of the UK have shown an increase in infections, the general trends in Wales and Scotland are unknown.

The ONS collects statistics by randomly testing hundreds of people in UK households, whether or not they have symptoms, to estimate how many viruses are present.

They provide the most precise picture of COVID infection since free public testing in England and Scotland was discontinued.

Until the end of June, some free testing will be available in Wales and Northern Ireland.

“Today’s data shows a mixed picture for infection rates across the UK, with minor increases in England and Northern Ireland, principally driven by expanding trends in Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 genotypes,” said Sarah Crofts, a spokesman for the Office for National Statistics.

According to the paper, “infections with Omicron BA.2 remain the most frequent type of COVID-19 and are dropping over much of the UK.”

According to ONS projections for the week ending June 2nd,

• In England, approximately one in every 70 people had COVID.

• One out of every 75 people in Wales had COVID; one out of every 65 people in Northern Ireland had COVID.

• In Scotland, one in every 40 people had COVID.