England Covid cases at record high with 1 in 13 people infected

Boris Johnson says it would be 'irresponsible' to rule out further lockdowns if more deadly coronavirus variants emerge

The UK has mostly relaxed its Covid restrictions. Getty Images

Covid-19 infections levels are at record highs in England and Wales, with 4.88 million people in private households in the UK estimated to have had the virus last week.

In England, about one in 13, or 4.1 million people, were likely to have tested positive for Covid-19 in the week to April 2 — unchanged from the week to March 26, data from the Office for National Statistics show.

In Wales, the estimate is also one in 13 people, up from one in 14 people from the previous period.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it would be “irresponsible” to rule out further lockdowns if more deadly coronavirus variants were to emerge.

“I think it would be irresponsible of any leader in any democracy to say that they're going to rule out something that can save lives,” he said.

“I believe the things we did saved lives. I've got to be absolutely frank — there could be a new variant more deadly, there could be a variant that affects children that we really need to contain, [so] I'm not going to take any options off the table. But I don't think it will happen.

“We're now in the phase where the virus is losing its potency overall and we've got a massively vaccinated UK population.”

While England and Wales are reporting record infection levels, Scotland is recording fewer cases and in Northern Ireland, the trend was “uncertain”, official data show.

Sarah Crofts, head of analytical outputs for the Office for National Statistics Covid survey, said: “While infections remain high, there are early signs in our latest data that they may no longer be increasing in some parts of the UK.

A family member pays their respects to those who lost their lives to Covid-19, as the one year anniversary of the National Covid Memorial Wall is marked in London. PA

A woman holds a photograph of a family member who died as she takes part in a march from the National Covid Memorial wall to Downing Street in London. AP Photo

Bereaved families travelled to the wall from across the country to mark the day, with a petition to make the wall a permanent memorial. AP Photo

Bereaved families march alongside the wall. PA

Families with MPs Sir Peter Bottomley, right, and Afzal Khan, left, deliver a petition to 10 Downing Street. PA

Family members write a message to two sisters who died of Covid-19 on the National Covid Memorial wall. AP Photo

Becca Slater, centre, receives a hug as she remembers her father Anthony Elward, who died in 2020. AP Photo

A woman writes a message in a red heart on the wall. AP Photo

Families marching through central London. PA

“Across English regions, there is a mixed picture in trends and we have seen a welcome decrease in Scotland. However, rates in Wales continue to rise and the trend in Northern Ireland is uncertain.

“It is too early to say if infections have peaked in England and Scotland. We will continue to monitor the data closely.”

The statistics office said the percentage of people testing positive in England has increased among those from school year 12 to age 34, and for people aged 70 and over.