One in 18 people in Wales had Covid-19 over Christmas

The first weekly Covid infection survey published by the Office for National Statistics this year has recorded a 200% jump in the number of people with the virus in Wales.

In the seven days up to 28 December the estimated number of people testing positive for Covid-19 was 173,200, equating to 5.70% of the population or around 1 in 18 people.

The ONS study published in the run up to Christmas and covering the week ending 8 December had calculated 57,600 people, equating to 1.89% of the population or around 1 in 55 people had the virus.

Wales currently has the second highest proportion of infections of the UK nations as the overall infection rate has risen to the highest level since the summer, with nearly three million people likely to have had the virus at Christmas.

Flu season

The figures come as the UK is also experiencing its worst flu season for a decade.

A total of 2.97 million people in private households in the UK were likely to test positive for coronavirus in the week to December 28, according to the ONS.

This is more than double the number at the start of the month and is the highest total since mid-July.

Around 2,463,000 people or one in 20 in England are likely to have had Covid-19 over the festive period, along with 118,100 or one in 16 in Northern Ireland.

Prevalence of the virus is slightly lower in Scotland, at one in 25 of the population or  213,100 people.

Michelle Bowen, ONS head of health surveillance, said that infections have risen across the whole of the UK, with levels in Northern Ireland now at their highest since March 2022.

She added: “Across English regions, infections have increased in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the East of England, the South East and the South West.

“Cases have also increased in those aged two to school Year 6, and those aged 50 years and over.”