London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 27, 2025

UK reports over 50,000 daily Covid cases for first time since January

UK reports over 50,000 daily Covid cases for first time since January

Delta variant spreading rapidly, with one in 95 people in England testing positive for the virus last week
More than 50,000 daily cases of coronavirus have been reported in the UK for the first time since January, with an estimated one in 95 people testing positive for the virus in England last week.

The daily tally of cases has reached 51,870, the highest figure since 15 January, and 277,995 people tested positive over the past week, a rise of more than a third on the previous week.

The number of hospital admissions and deaths is gradually climbing. There were 717 admissions on Friday and 4,141 over the week, an increase of 43% on the week before. There were 49 deaths within 28 days of a positive test on Friday, and 277 over the course of the week, a rise of 57% on the week before.

Figures released on Friday by the Office for National Statistics showed that 577,700 people in England were estimated to be unwell with the virus in the week ending 10 July. A week earlier, the data revealed that one in 160 people in England were Covid-positive.

The report showed that the Delta variant was spreading rapidly, and has been the most common source of infection in England since the end of May. The figures are comparable to those last seen at the beginning of February, in the middle of the third lockdown, after case rates peaked at one in 50 in early January.

Case rates were even higher in Scotland, with 60,000 people (one in 90) testing positive, but they were much lower in Wales (8,400, or one in 360) and Northern Ireland (6,300, or one in 290), where rates are increasing more slowly.

Cases are rising across all regions in England, though they are increasing fastest in the north-east and north-west after a rise in those regions in the first week of July, the report states.

Rates are also rising fastest among people under 40, especially among 16- to 24-year-olds. Those aged 18-24 were the last in line for vaccination, while under-18s are not yet eligible.

The figures come as the NHS test-and-trace app asked 1.6 million people to self-isolate after coming into close contact with someone infected with the virus, prompting concerns of summer chaos for businesses and households amid soaring case numbers.

Schools are reporting widespread absences due to bubbles self-isolating and parents withdrawing their children over fears that they would be asked to isolate and have to cancel plans or lose money on summer holidays.

On Monday, the government will remove all mandatory social distancing and mask-wearing rules in England as part of the final stage of Covid unlocking. Ministers have warned the public to expect 50,000 daily cases by this point, rising to 100,000 over the summer, but have said that the success of the vaccine rollout means that hospitalisation rates will be lower.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
×