LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – According to the latest figures given by the Office for National Statistics, covid infections are on the rise in the UK, with one in every 25 persons affected (ONS).
Coronavirus has infected 300,000 people in Scotland, or one in every 18 people, the highest number recorded throughout the pandemic.
In most of the UK, a sub-variant of Omicron known as BA.2 is now regarded to be the most common strain.
It’s too early to identify what’s causing the increase in instances, according to the ONS.
However, other scientists feel that the BA.2 variant’s greater transmissibility, recent relaxation of limits, and fading vaccine protection are all contributors.
When asked if the government was concerned about sub-variants, Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, claimed the government had “no concerns at all.”
He claimed Omicron was the final variant to be considered concerning, but that the country had “successfully navigated” it, but that the government was still keeping a “close eye” on the situation.
“We have a world-class surveillance system in place, and while we have seen a minor increase in infections in some places,” he added, “overall case counts are still very low, and hospitalisation numbers are well below their high.”
According to the ONS infection survey, which tests thousands of people at random in households throughout the UK, 2.6 million persons tested positive in the week ending 5 March, up from 2.4 million the week before, roughly one person in 27.
There were also increases in all four of the United Kingdom’s countries:
- in Northern Ireland, from 5.8% to 7.8% (one in 13 persons);
- in Scotland, from 5.3 to 5.7 percent (one in 18);
- in England, from 3.6 percent to 3.8 percent (one in 25); and
- in Northern Ireland, from 5.8% to 7.8% (one in 13 persons);
Infection is now spreading to older age groups, with 2.9 percent of those over the age of 70 in England testing positive, the highest level since mid-January.
This spring, people over the age of 75, care-home residents, and the most vulnerable over-12s will receive an additional vaccine shot to improve their protection.
Six months following their most recent vaccination, these groups will be invited to get a jab.
