Thank you for joining our live coverage of the latest UK Covid data.

• The Office for National Statistics says infections jumped by 32% in a week
• During the week ending on 24 June, 2.3 million infections were recorded across the UK
• One in 30 people in England and Wales, one in 25 in Northern Ireland and one in 18 in Scotland have the virus
• Experts say two sub-variants of Omicron - called BA.4 and BA.5 - are driving the new infections in the UK and elsewhere
• Today's figures come from a random selection of tens of thousands of people taking Covid tests, regardless of whether they had symptoms

• People can catch the newer variants even if they have had coronavirus recently.
• Vaccines are still offering strong protection against severe illness and the new variants are not thought to be any more dangerous
• Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, England's former deputy chief medical officer, told the BBC the Covid situation now "is much, much, much closer to seasonal flu"
• Autumn booster shots will be offered to anyone over the age of 65, health and care staff, and adults aged 16-64 who are particularly vulnerable to severe Covid

Read more about today's ONS figures here.

The live page writers were James Clarke, Charley Adams and Malu Cursino. Our editors were Nathan Williams and Rob Corp.

Image source, PA Media

The president-elect of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine says he is concerned about work force problems as Covid infections rise.

Dr Adrian Boyle says there has been a "modest rise" in hospitalisations, but the "big problem" was people being unable to work because they have coronavirus.

"What we’re seeing is lots of staff off and that’s creating lots of problems that we can’t open wards, we don’t have enough beds."

He told the BBC that these consequences were leading to emergency departments filling up and long waits for ambulances.

"The waits [for ambulances] we’ve had in April and May have been much longer than we’ve seen in winter periods in previous years," said Dr Boyle.

"We're getting pretty worried about [staff] burnout.

"I’m worried about nursing staff working in hospitals getting pretty fed up and beginning to walk away."

Image source, PA Media

Perhaps one of the signs reminding us that coronavirus is still prevalent in the UK is the fact three of the world's top male tennis players have pulled out of Wimbledon after testing positive this week.

Croatia's Marin Cilic, who was beaten in the 2017 final by Roger Federer, was the first to go, on Monday. He tweeted, external that he'd been self-isolating and was hopeful of being ready to play but still felt unwell and was "heartbroken" to be missing Wimbledon.

Last year's runner-up Matteo Berrettini of Italy followed him on Tuesday morning, a few hours before he was due to play his first round match. "I have no words to describe the extreme disappointment I feel," said Berrettini, who revealed he'd had flu symptoms and had been isolating for a few days.

And Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut yesterday became the third member of the world's top 20 to test positive and withdraw. "Fortunately, the symptoms are not very serious, but I think it is the best decision," he said. He'd played on Tuesday, winning his first round match comfortably.

Players do not have to test routinely at Wimbledon this year, and are not compelled to withdraw if they test positive, but have been asked to be respectful of their fellow players and people they come into contact with.

The tournament has crowds back at full capacity for the whole fortnight for the first time since 2019. Some restrictions were still in place in 2021 and the whole event was cancelled in 2020.

Covid vaccines modified to target new Covid variants could give better protection when used as a booster, the European Medicines Agency says.

Pfizer and Moderna have already developed shots to target two types of Covid - the original one that started the pandemic, plus the Omicron variant called BA.1, which caused the massive wave of infection over the winter.

Experts are looking to update the vaccine further to keep up with a virus that is changing or mutating.

The US Food and Drug Administration has recommended manufacturers change the design of their booster shots to include components tailored to combat the new BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron that are behind rising infections now.

The UK will announce its final plans for the autumn booster Covid vaccine programme nearer the time.

Image source, Getty Images

The rise in Covid cases in the UK is no cause for alarm because of the tools in place to deal with the virus - according to the man who was health secretary at the height of the pandemic.

Matt Hancock, writing in the Guardian, external, says Covid will always be around but we are not being "swamped" and we can rely on vaccines to protect us from severe illness or death.

"As the man who led calls for restrictions during the pandemic as health secretary, I understand the worries that people have; this is a truly horrible virus," he says.

"So many people have died, here and around the world, and many more have had awful experiences with the disease. But I also know that we now have the tools to deal with this virus and any calls for restrictions should be categorically rejected."

Hancock says he would ask people who want more restrictions "where does it end?"

He adds:

People need to do everything they can to avoid infecting the vulnerable - professorpublished at 14:19 British Summer Time 1 July 2022

14:19 BST 1 July 2022

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Prof Adam Finn, professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol, has been looking over the latest Covid data and tells the BBC that with cases possibly still rising it is likely more people will end up ill and off work and some will need hospital treatment.

The virus is more infectious now than at any previous time in the pandemic, he says, but it is a lot less likely to make you seriously ill than the viruses circulating in 2020 and 2021 were - especially if you have been vaccinated.

"It is now getting to the point that the virus is becoming hard to avoid for anyone not in isolation," he tells the BBC.

We've reported that one in 18 people in Scotland had coronavirus last week, which is the highest rate of all the UK nations.

But why is this?

Microbiologist Prof Hugh Pennington said he was not surprised by the recent surge in cases because less was being done to control the virus spreading, but it was not clear why rates were higher in Scotland.

"There's a fair amount of chance involved," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live.

He said it can depend on super-spreader events and where the virus was a few months ago.

"There's no simple explanation," said the professor from the University of Aberdeen.

"You could say it's bad luck we've got higher figures than the rest of the UK."

Pennington said the Omicron variant was "good at getting about", but not as effective at causing serious illness.

People wearing masks in indoor settings could also help prevent the spread of infection, he told BBC Radio Scotland.

Image source, bbc

Reacting to the jump in infection rates across the UK, one professor has called for longer term solutions to the ongoing risk of coronavirus.

Prof Christina Pagel from the University College London said it should not be about temporary restrictions, but about creating "safe environments" so people can live a normal life.

She said the biggest priority should be "cleaner air indoors" - either through ventilation systems or sterilisation.

"We know how to do it, we know it works, but it requires investment", the professor of operational research told the BBC.

It requires "government support" and businesses to do it, she explained, also highlighting that "improving vaccines" is an important solution.

Linda Bauld, Professor of Public Health at Edinburgh University, says cases are going up everywhere in the UK and people need to think about what to do to help their communities.

"Is it really asking so much to wear a mask on the bus?" Prof Bauld asks, pointing out surveys show the rate of people saying they still routinely wear masks in Scotland has fallen from about 75% to 20% in a few weeks.

The rise in cases is largely down to the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, Prof Bauld tells the BBC. She thinks it would be harsh to suggest a rise in cases could be down to complacency on the part of the public when all restrictions have been ended and people aren't being asked to take any measures.

Reinfections - people who've had the virus before getting it again - are up but the link between having Covid and being severely ill is still broken, she says. Although there has been a recent slight increase in patients in intensive care.

Prof Bauld says it looks as though we need to brave this storm and get through it, as it's unlikely any new restrictions are going to be brought in.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the advice on face masks has been continually changing.

But what do the experts think?

Prof Christina Pagel from University College London said she has never stopped wearing a face mask on public transport or in shops.

People should also try to wear high-quality face masks because they offer better protection, the professor of operational research told the BBC.

Meanwhile, Prof Sir Jonathan Van-Tam, who until recently was England's deputy chief medical officer, says he doesn't wear a face mask anymore.

However, he admitted he does think "should I or shouldn't I" in highly crowded areas or closed social spaces.

"I think people have got to learn to frame those risks for themselves", the professor who is now pro-vice-chancellor at the University of Nottingham told the BBC.

Rules requiring people to wear masks indoors in places like shops and restaurants have ended in the UK. However, guidance remains in place for some settings.

Michelle Roberts
Online health editor

A virus must replicate to survive. As it makes copies of itself, some errors, changes or mutations can creep in because the duplication process isn't perfect.

An offspring that is similar but not an exact copy of its parent is what we call a variant or a sub-variant, depending on the genetic changes it has undergone.

Variants can behave slightly differently because of these mutations, which is why experts keep a close eye on them.

Some new mutations can make it harder for the body's immune system to recognise the virus and fight it, for example.

Omicron is actually a group of closely related variants and sub-variants that came from a common ancestor.

The BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of Omicron that are spreading now can infect people even if they have had Covid in the past.

As we've been reporting, data published by the ONS suggests that infection rates in the UK during the week ending on 24 June are the highest estimate since late April.

Infection rates have risen in each of the four nations of the UK, but some regions have a higher proportion of the population testing positive than others.

In Scotland, for example, over 5% of the population is testing positive for Covid. Whereas in England and Wales, around 3.5% of the population had a positive test last week.

Image source, PA Media

As infections are rising, here is the latest advice for what you should do if you have Covid-19, depending on where you are living.

In Scotland, you are advised to stay at home while you are unwell if you have symptoms, but people are no longer being asked to take a PCR test.

You are strongly advised to self-isolate in Wales if you test positive, but it is not a legal requirement anymore. Free lateral flow tests will be available until the end of July.

In England, people with Covid-19 are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with others for five days, but it is no longer legally required.

Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, the government has encouraged people with coronavirus symptoms to get tested and self-isolate.

The NHS does offer some general advice, external for people with coronavirus symptoms such as avoiding close contact with people who are vulnerable.

Of course, if you are worried about your symptoms or they get worse you should contact your GP, or in an emergency go to A&E or call 999, the NHS says.

Read more here.

Third Omicron wave 'putting pressure on the health system'published at 13:07 British Summer Time 1 July 2022

13:07 BST 1 July 2022

As we've been reporting the latest figures from the ONS, external show further big increases in Covid infection levels across the UK.

While the rate for England of about 1 person in 30 testing positive is currently still only about half the level seen in the previous two Omicron waves, a third wave in relatively quick succession will inevitably put even more pressure on the health system, says John Roberts, of the Covid-19 Actuaries Response Group.

"We can already see that pressure with Covid admission figures, which have tripled since the start of June and are now running at over 1,200 a day in England, and can be expected to rise further," he tells the BBC.

"Fortunately, the rise in intensive care occupancy and deaths have been much less steep, and remain at low levels, although these are now starting to pick up too.

"About a fifth of the admissions are cases where the person has picked up an infection while in hospital, itself a concern, since hospitals have been relaxing restrictions including mask wearing in recent weeks, which some are now rapidly reversing."

But it's important to remember about two-thirds of patients who test positive in hospital are being treated not primarily for Covid but for another reason.

The focus should not just be on admissions, Roberts says, "with a lot yet to understand in terms of longer term health issues arising from infection".

While the government is keen not to reintroduce any formal restrictions, Roberts suggests people may consider following advice to be cautious tweeted by Meaghan Kall, the lead Covid epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency this morning, external.

Laura Foster
Health correspondent

Scotland has had the highest rates of Covid infection since the end of May and the virus has become more and more prevalent ever since.

This is partly because the infection rates here never fell as low as it did in other nations – but some have suggested colder weather and earlier school holidays could also be a factor.

An estimated 1 in 18 people had Covid in Scotland in the week ending 24 June. In England, the figure was 1 in 30.

What's interesting about the latest figures is that rates have only increased by 15% in the space of a week in Scotland. In previous weeks they jumped by 35%.

But it's far too soon to say if this is a one off or whether the beginning of a peak of a wave.

No doubt health officials will be watching closely now festival season and the summer holidays have well and truly begun here.

Infection rates across the UK have jumped more than 30% in a week, latest ONS figures show.

In England, the estimated number of people testing positive in the week up to 24 June was 1,829,100. That's around 1 in 30 people. A week earlier, the rate was 1 in 40.

Meanwhile in Scotland, the estimated number of positive tests was 288,200. This means 1 in 18 people in the population had Covid in the week ending on 24 June. During the previous week, the rate was 1 in 20.

Philippa Roxby
Health reporter

You might be finding it hard to keep track of how many Covid vaccine doses you've had.

Most adults have been offered two doses and a booster, while anyone vulnerable would have been offered an extra booster (4th) with the promise of another one to come (5th).

Some people at highest risk of getting very sick with Covid – people with impaired immune systems, for example – will already have been offered a 5th dose and can expect a 6th in the autumn.

Autumn booster shots will be offered to anyone over the age of 65, health and care staff, and adults aged 16-64 who are particularly vulnerable to severe Covid.

The jabs will top up levels of protection in the most at-risk before winter, when there's a greater chance of the virus spreading.

The 4th booster was offered in spring to more than five million vulnerable people, mostly over-75s, and you can still go and get the jab if you haven't had it yet.

There is lots of information on vaccines and how to book them on the NHS website., external

Image source, .

We've just been reporting on the latest Covid data published by the ONS.

Infection rates in the UK have increased from 1.7m to 2.3m in a week.

This is the highest estimate for total infections since late April. But it is still below the record high of 4.9m, reached at the end of March.

Today's announcement is significant because it is based on a random selection of tens of thousands of people, regardless of whether or not they had Covid symptoms.

Experts have said the recent rise in infections is being driven by Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.

We've just given you a brief run-down of the rates of people who would have tested positive for for coronavirus in each of the four nations of the UK but to look at whether cases are rising, how do those figures compare with seven days earlier?

The Office for National Statistics says in England, the estimated number of people testing positive in the week up to 24 June was 1,829,100. That's 3.35% of the population or about 1 in 30 people. A week earlier that rate was 1 in 40.

In Wales, the estimated number of positive tests was 106,000 - 3.49% of the population and also around 1 in 30 people. A week earlier that rate was 1 in 45.

In Northern Ireland the estimated number of positive tests was 71,000 - 3.87% of the population and about 1 in 25 people. A week earlier that rate was 1 in 30.

In Scotland the estimated number of positive tests was 288,200 - 5.47% of the population and about 1 in 18 people. A week earlier that rate was 1 in 20.

So you can see the rate of infection has risen in each of the four nations of the UK.

Image source, .

Michelle Roberts
Health editor

Most people in the UK will probably know of someone who has recently caught Covid, or may have even just had it themselves. Some may catch it soon.

The latest ONS estimates suggest one in 30 has the virus - around 2.3 million people in all.

Infections are rising, largely because there are two new sub-variants of Omicron circulating.

It's unclear how long it will take before cases go down again.

A figure that will be kept under close watch in the coming weeks is hospital admissions. The number in hospital with Covid has been creeping up, but vaccines appear to be doing a great job still at protecting people from severe illness.