COVID: Number of people with the virus in UK rose to 1 in 21 last week - as England's R number stands above 1
A health expert says the prevalence of COVID is increasing in every area and across age groups with the figures showing a "sharp uptick" in cases.
Friday 18 March 2022 21:40, UK
The number of people with COVID in the UK rose to around 1 in 21 last week, or 3.28 million people, the latest ONS figures show.
In England, around one in 20 in private households are thought to have the virus in the week to 12 March - or 2.7 million people.
That was up from 1 in 25, or 2.1 million people, recorded for the previous week to 5 March.
The ONS said hospital admissions for children under the age of 15 were more than double the peak recorded in the week ending 17 January last year.
A 'sharp uptick' in cases
The figures show the biggest rise in cases in England was in the South East.
Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, said the figures show evidence of a "sharp uptick" in COVID cases.
He said: "Prevalence is increasing in every area and across age groups. Without vaccines, this would be bleak for the country".
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England's COVID R number currently stands between at 1.1 to 1.4 - compared to last week's estimate of 0.8 to 1.1.
An R number between 1.1 and 1.4 means that for every 10 people infected, they will on average infect between 11 and 14 other people.