Test and Trace: Weekly Covid cases hit highest level in England since mid-February
NHS Test and Trace figures showed that almost 80,000 people tested positive for coronavirus in the week to June 23, as the PM gave his strongest hint yet that reopening will go ahead on July 19.
The latest figures showed that 79,247 people tested positive between June 17 and June 23 – a 43 per cent increase on the previous week, and the highest weekly number of people testing positive for the virus since the week to February 17.
Test and Trace data also showed that 10,289 people started isolating in a managed quarantine hotel in the same week – a 3 per cent increase on the previous week. Under current government guidelines, people who have travelled from a “red list” country must pay to isolate in one of these hotels.
6,343 people started quarantining at home during the same week as well – an indication of the number of people who arrived in England from “amber list” countries, as the current guidelines mean amber list arrivals have to quarantine at home.
The health department said the true number of people quarantining at home is likely to be higher than this number, as international arrivals have the option to book a private PCR test, which are not included in the Test and Trace figures.
Although the increased Covid case numbers are understood to be caused by the more highly transmissable Delta variant that is currently widespread in the UK, the mortality and hospitality rates in the UK remain low.
According to the latest Public Health England (PHE) data, 14 people died on June 30 within 28 days of testing positive from Covid.
Although this isn’t quite as low as some of the single figure tolls recorded after the UK’s third lockdown, it’s miles off the peak of the second wave. The government reported 1,820 deaths in a single day on 20 January, for example.
The hospitalisation rate from Covid was slightly higher, with 263 patients admitted on June 30.
Boris Johnson, who has said repeatedly that the government decision on the end of lockdown would be “guided by the data”, today said that it was “ever clearer” vaccines had broken the link between Covid cases and deaths.
“That gives us the scope, we think, to go ahead on the 19th, cautiously and irreversibly,” he said.
But the PM also warned that “extra precautions” in England may be needed beyond July 19 when Covid restrictions are set to be eased.
Johnson said he will be “setting in the course of the next few days what step four will look like exactly”, but gave no indication about potential Covid rules that could still remain in place.
Almost 85 per cent of the UK population has now received a first dose of the vaccine, according to the latest daily update – and 62 per cent have received their second jab.