'Marked increase' in rates of people testing positive for coronavirus, according to latest ONS figures

Ross Lydall @RossLydall11 September 2020

A big increase in the number of coronavirus cases in England was revealed today.

An estimated 39,700 people had Covid-19 in the most recent week, up 12,600 from the 27,100 total a week earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS estimates there were 3,200 new cases a day, up from 2,000 a day, as it warned that infections were on the rise again after several weeks of stability.

The ONS weekly infection study is based on nose and throat swab tests undertaken in private homes rather than hospitals or care homes.

It is different to the daily figures published on the Government “coronavirus dashboard”, which counts people who test positive, most of them after displaying symptoms.

The ONS daily total for England is about 700 cases higher than the most recent figures on the coronavirus dashboard, though both counts are showing marked increases.

The latest data, for the period August 30 to September 5, allowed the ONS to estimate that one person in 1,400 had Covid – up from one in 2,000 a week earlier.

Coronavirus: Areas in England with most new cases per 100,000 people

It said there had been a “marked increase in rates of positivity”, in particular in people aged 17 to 34.

In contrast, the number of people aged 50 and over who are testing positive “appears to be stable or declining in recent weeks”.

Katherine Kent, co-head of analysis for the Covid-19 Infection Survey, said: “Our results this week suggest that there has been an increase in Covid-19 infections in England during recent weeks with higher infection rates among 17-34 year olds.

“These findings highlight how important it is that we continue to monitor Covid-19 Infections in the country. We are grateful to our many participants who are continuing to make this survey possible.

“We are currently sending new invitations to people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to take part in the survey with work underway in Scotland. If you receive a letter from us, please do your bit and take part to help us get new information to help control the spread of this virus.”

The estimates for England during the latest six-week period are based on 183,994 swab tests, from which 89 people from 84 households tested positive.

Such small numbers of positive cases means that there could be a sizeable degree of error in the estimates for the entire population.

The ONS said there was some evidence that infection rates in London, the North West, and the South East may have increased in recent weeks.