Covid infection in Wales increase for third week in a row

Covid infections have risen in Wales for the third week in a row.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics weekly infection survey estimated 68,100 people tested positive for the virus in Wales in the week ending 21 February, a 23% increase from the previous weeks study.

The latest figures equating to 2.21% of the population (1.79% last week), or around 1 in 45 people.

Total Covid-19 infections in the UK have increased for the fourth week in a row, but there are signs the latest rise might be slowing down.

Although levels have continued to go up in England and Wales they have fallen in Northern Ireland and the ONS describes the trend in Scotland as uncertain.

An estimated 1.5 million people in private households in the UK were likely to have Covid-19 in the latest survey, up 6% from 1.4 million the previous week.

This is the smallest week-on-week percentage increase since the current rise in infections began at the end of January.

Surge

A surge in the virus in the run-up to Christmas saw infections peak just below three million at the end of December.

The figure then fell for much of January before rising again in recent weeks.

The latest increase is being driven by the Omicron variant BA.2.75, which now accounts for more than three quarters (79.5%) of sequenced infections in the UK.

Michelle Bowen, ONS head of health surveillance, confirmed the latest figures show levels of the virus have “continued to increase in England and Wales, though positivity has decreased in Northern Ireland and the trend in Scotland is unclear”.

Covid-19 is least prevalent in Northern Ireland, where one in 90 people is estimated to have the virus – the lowest level for the nation since autumn 2021. In Wales, England and Scotland, the estimate is one in 45 people.