COVID-19 cases are still on the rise in most parts of the United Kingdom, though there are signs the rate of increase in Britain might have slowed, suggest new figures.
Around one in 65 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to July 24, up from one in 75 in the previous week, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is the highest level since the week of January 30.
One in 65 is the equivalent of around 856,200 people, up from an estimated 741,700 people in the previous week.
It is the ninth week in a row that infection levels in England have increased – though there are “possible signs” the rate of increase may have slowed, the ONS said.
Infections are also estimated to have risen in Wales and Northern Ireland, though numbers have dropped in Scotland.
Around one in 160 people in Wales are estimated to have had COVID-19 in the week to July 24, up from one in 210 and the highest level since the week to February 12.
In Northern Ireland, the latest estimate is around one in 65 people, up from one in 170 – like England, the highest level since the week to January 30.
For Scotland, the ONS estimates that around one in 110 people had COVID-19 in the week to July 24, down from one in 80 in the previous week.
All figures are for people in private households, and do not include hospitals, care homes and other settings.
The number of COVID-19 infections in the UK, which is estimated every week by the ONS, is not the same as the number of new cases of coronavirus, which are reported every day by the government.
The average number of new cases of COVID-19 in the UK has fallen over the past week, which might suggest the third wave of coronavirus has peaked.
North-east England had the highest proportion of people of any region likely to test positive for coronavirus in the week to July 24: around one in 30.
North-west England had the second highest estimate: around one in 45.
Eastern England and south-west England had the lowest estimates: around one in 100.
