Data from the Zoe Covid Symptom Study UK Infection Survey run by King’s College London suggests there are 69,958 daily new symptomatic cases of coronavirus in the UK on average, a 27% rise on a week ago.
The study also put the current UK R value – which represents how many people an infected person will pass the virus on to on average – at 1.2.
Regional R values are 1.1 in England, 1 in Wales and 1.3 in Scotland.
“In England, daily new cases continue to rise slowly but the numbers are being driven by recent big increases in London, South East and East of England,” according to the study authors.
Tim Spector, lead scientist on the study, said: “The UK is now worryingly at 70,000 new daily cases and around 800,000 infected individuals, and the worst-hit areas continue to be Wales, London and the South East.
“One in 42 people in London has symptomatic Covid now, so those living in the capital must take care.
“The good news is that we are now seeing new cases in London coming down slightly.”
