Covid cases hit a three-month high today and hospital admissions jumped again — but deaths fell.
The Department of Health’s daily update showed there were 42,776 positive tests across the country in the last 24 hours, up by seven per cent on the previous week.
The figure is the highest recorded since July 21, when 44,104 infections were posted and marks the eighth day in a row of rising cases.
Meanwhile, hospital admissions rose by 10.4 per cent week-on-week to 754, while deaths dropped by five per cent to 136.
Both measures lag behind case numbers by a few weeks, due to the time it takes for someone to become seriously unwell after catching the virus.
It comes amid growing fears the fourth wave is just around the corner, with infections now ticking up every age group.
In other developments today:
- The NHS Covid vaccine pass app crashed for four hours – leaving Brits stranded abroad and unable to fly;
- Britain was told to brace for an early flu season by top expert, as fears grow that 60,000 could die from influenza this winter.
England recorded 36,458 new infections, 2,581 cases were confirmed in Scotland, while 2,266 were spotted in Wales and 1,471 in Northern Ireland.
Infections south of the border are fuelling the UK-wide rise, with cases in England reaching their highest level since July 21, when 39,504 cases were recorded.
The latest wave in the country peaked at around 50,000 in mid-July, before flattening out. But infection rates appear to be on the rise again.
Meanwhile, the number of positive tests recorded in Scotland and Wales appears to be flat. Rates are rising in Northern Ireland.
And week-on-week infection rates were rising in every age group on October 8 – the latest date the figures are available for.
Some 8.2million positive tests have been registered across the UK since the pandemic began.
But the real infection number is many millions higher, due to the limited testing capacity at the start of the crisis and not everyone who catches the virus coming forward for a test.
Sir Patrick Vallance, No10’s Chief Scientific Officer, said earlier this week that cases in the UK are ‘basically flat’, which shows there is an ‘equilibrium’ between immunity and the number of contacts people have.
But he warned figures can move ‘in one direction or another’, so if everyone starts making twice as many contacts, infections will ‘go up quite quickly’.
So it is a ‘balancing act’ with people’s behaviours and keeping immunity high, he said. The UK is ‘not out of the woods’, Sir Patrick added.
Some 49.2million first doses of the vaccine have been dished out and 45.2million second doses have been administered.
The figures equate to 85.6 per cent of over-12s having at least one jab and 78.7 per cent being fully immunised.
But the Department of Health is not yet publishing daily figures for the number of Britons coming forward for booster jabs.
ENGLAND: recorded daily 36,458 positive tests – the highest number since July 21, when 39,504 cases were registered
SCOTLAND: spotted 2,581 infections in the last day, as infections appear to be evening out. Scotland had a month-long drop in rates following a spike that was fuelled by pupils returning to classrooms
WALES: registered 2,266 new infections and infections appear to be relatively flat in the country
NORTHERN IRELAND: posted another 1,471 cases in the last 24-hours. Infections have been flat in the country throughout the summer
Third doses for over-50s, healthcare workers and those with underlying health conditions are a key part of the Government’s strategy to keep a lid on the pandemic this winter.
Some 754 Covid-infected Britons sought NHS care, while 7,011 patients are hospitalised in total, the latest daily figure show.
Meanwhile, 136 fatalities within 28 days of a positive test were recorded across the four nations, bringing the total to 138,080.
Ministers are closely watching both figures, which are two of the measurements used to determine whether restrictions are required in the coming months to suppress a fourth wave.
If Covid begins to overwhelm the NHS, No10 would implement ‘Plan B’ measures that could include compulsory face coverings in certain settings, work from home guidance and vaccine passports.
It comes as the NHS app did not allow anyone to view their Covid vaccine passes for more than four hours today, leaving holidaymakers unable to board flights.
The controversial software — which allows people to prove their vaccination status — was not displaying QR code passes because of ‘high traffic volumes’.
Users of the app started suffering issues before 12pm, and the health service said was ‘investigating the issue’. The app started working again shortly after 4.10pm.
Desperate people travelling abroad claim they have been forced to miss their flights.
Meanwhile, one of the world’s most eminent flu scientists told MailOnline to brace for an early flu season.
Cases are already high in other countries including Croatia, India and China, which could trigger an early outbreak in the UK and other countries.
Dr John McCauley, who is based at the Francis Crick Institute in London, told MailOnline: ‘It’s over the next few weeks that we will be able to tell if what we are seeing now is sustained. If it is, we might expect an early flu season.’