COVID cases are heading back to record highs, experts warn.
The Zoe Covid app estimates there are now 285,507 new cases per day, up by 27 per cent in a week and approaching April’s peak of 350,000.
Professor Tim Spector, of King’s College London, said summer festivals will drive infection rates higher.
He said: “The UK is in a new Covid wave that could soon exceed 300,000 daily cases, bringing us to levels seen during the height of the pandemic for the UK.
“It has already overtaken previous records in Scotland.
“The good news is that the symptoms are still mild with fewer deaths than in other earlier waves.”
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The figures tally with the Office for National Statistics which says infections have been rising for a month.
Scientists have also been alarmed by a sharp rise in the number of hospital patients with the virus.
The number of Covid-positive patients on wards in England hit 8,120 on Tuesday after spiking from 6,752 last Friday.
Average new admissions have risen to 1,185 per day compared to 445 per day a month ago.
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Only four in 10 are admitted specifically for Covid but everyone who tests positive must be put on a special ward, adding to pressure on hospitals.
Scientists and ministers are not worried about a huge new wave of deaths but say a large number of cases will slow down the NHS backlog recovery.
Increases are being driven by new strains of the Omicron variant which spread faster but are still mild.
Vaccine protection is also wearing off for many people, raising their risk of getting sick. The next round of boosters for over-50s is set for September.
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Prof Spector added: “This Omicron BA.5 variant is particularly good at immune escape, causing an increase in reinfections in people in spite of vaccines and natural immunity.
“With the large numbers of festivals happening, I predict rates will continue to rise for the next week or so.”
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