Highest Covid hospital case numbers since FEBRUARY but new data shows outbreak IS slowing

England reports highest number of Covid hospital patients since February

The number of patients in hospital with coronavirus in England has climbed to its highest level since February, new figures show.

The latest data from NHS England shows there were 11,452 people in hospital in England with Covid-19 as of 8am on Thursday, up 61% from a week earlier and the highest number since February 26.

The London region had the highest number of beds occupied by confirmed Covid patients, at 3,477, up 66% week-on-week and the highest number since February 16.

During the second wave of coronavirus the number of Covid patients in hospital peaked in both England and London on January 18, at 34,336 and 7,917 respectively.

The data, published on Thursday, also showed there were 2,082 Covid-19 hospital admissions in England on Tuesday.

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The Welsh Government has agreed to loan four million more lateral flow tests to the NHS in England, bringing that mutual aid to a total of 10 million.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Wales has a significant stock of lateral flow tests, sufficient to meet our needs over the weeks ahead.”

By 9am on Thursday morning, home delivery slots for lateral flow tests were unavailable on the Gov.UK website.

Pharmacies have also complained about patchy supplies of lateral flow kits.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people in England heading out for New Year’s Eve festivities on Friday to get tested.

But Prof Openshaw raised concerns about the prospect of people unable to get tested attending gatherings.

“I think it’s very worrying indeed,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Shortage of Covid tests ‘very worrying’ says scientist

A leading scientist has warned it is “very worrying” that a shortage of Covid-19 tests could lead to people mixing over the New Year without being able to see whether they are infectious.

Professor Peter Openshaw, who sits on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said the conditions at a New Year’s Eve gathering were “perfect” for spreading coronavirus.

The UK Government is scrambling to secure supplies of tests from around the world to meet a surge in demand as people try to comply with guidance to limit the spread of the Omicron variant.

In a letter to MPs, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the supply of lateral flow tests (LFD) was being tripled in January and February from a pre-Omicron plan of 100 million to 300 million per month.

“To respond to anticipated demand over the coming few weeks we are buying hundreds of millions more LFD tests, bringing new products on board and accelerating their deployment to the public,” he said.

But “in light of the huge demand for LFDs seen over the last three weeks, we expect to need to constrain the system at certain points over the next two weeks to manage supply over the course of each day, with new tranches of supply released regularly throughout each day”.

Wales to reduce Covid isolation period to seven days

Wales is to reduce its mandatory isolation period for people who test positive with Covid-19 from 10 days to seven in line with England, the Welsh Government has said.

People will be able to cut short the amount of time they need to isolate if they have two negative lateral flow tests taken on days six and seven.

Initially the new rule was to be introduced on January 5, but it will now come into force several days earlier on December 31.

The change, which was announced on Thursday as part of the Welsh Government’s weekly review of coronavirus restrictions, is to alleviate the impact of self-isolation on critical jobs, it said.

Health minister Eluned Morgan has also agreed to loan a further four million lateral flow tests to the English NHS, bringing the total given to 10 million, as concerns over shortages remain.

Ms Morgan said Wales had a significant stock of lateral flow tests, sufficient to meet the country’s needs over the weeks ahead.

Has Omicron peaked in the capital?

Analysis of infections in the week before Christmas shows the rise started to flatten off.

Around 30,000 people in London tested positive on December 20, before that number started to fall.

This continued for the next two days, forcing the average infection rate to flatten, with cases now already falling in some boroughs.

The most recent case data, from December 27, showed around 5,000 Londoners had tested positive, although this set is still incomplete.

Local lockdowns WON’T return

Government insiders claim that local lockdowns will NOT be making a comeback but a decision on national restrictions could still be just DAYS away.

Downing Street has ruled out imposing loathed regional lockdowns – which saw cities’ rules change depending on their own Covid data.

But a UK-wide lockdown is still on the cards, meaning London’s rising Covid hospitalisation figures could doom the rest of the UK to a shut down.

Measures under consideration include the loathed Rule-of-Six for indoor mixing, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Boosters provide the most protection

It comes as a string of hugely positive studies show Omicron IS milder than other strains, with the first official UK report revealing the risk of hospitalisation is 50 to 70 per cent lower than with Delta.

Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.

The Sun’s Jabs Army campaign is helping get the vital extra vaccines in Brits’ arms to ward off the need for any new restrictions.

Cases rise by 19,544 

The increase in infections today brings the total to 229,666, but experts have insisted that the variant is milder than those that came before it.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that today will be the last day that Omicron cases are reported separately.

Ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations tomorrow, Brits have been urged to be sensible when attending gatherings and parties.

Earlier this week health secretary Sajid Javid had urged people to take a lateral flow test before going out.

But a shortage of both lateral flow tests and PCR kits has meant that many people currently don’t have access to tests.

Covid outbreak IS slowing

Data has revealed that coronavirus infections are slowing, amid a spread in Omicron cases in older age groups.

But experts have warned that there has been a worrying rise in cases in Brits aged 55-75, which could put pressure on the NHS.

Data from the ZOE Symptom Tracker app showed that infections are slowing in the 0-55 age groups.

Dr Claire Steves, scientist on the ZOE Covid Study app and reader at King’s College London said: “The number of daily new symptomatic Covid cases are more than double what they were this time last year and we are just a day or two away from hitting over 200,000. 

Table service and outdoor pints could return

Pubs and restaurants could once again be closed for indoor service, forcing drinkers to have their pints outside in the January chill.

Landlords will also have to ensure there’s table service to stop punters congregating at the bar.

Scores of venues last year erected temporary outdoor seating areas for people to dine al-fresco – with some hardcore customers memorably pictured tucking into a full English in the pouring rain.

But the economic impact of another shotgun lockdown could devastate Britain’s already hard-hit hospitality industry.

Desperate publicans have written to the PM and Chancellor Rishi Sunak urging against new lockdown measures.

The pair were warned a return to the Rule of Six, table service only or the closure of indoor hospitality would leave many on the brink of closure.

Millions of workers can claim £125 in new year

Now that 2021 is coming to a close, it’s worth cashing in on all those times you were stuck working in the kitchen or from the dining room table.

Millions who have been working from home could claim back cash as early as January, to help cover the extra costs of heating – especially as the cold bites.

Households could claim a payout boost just as the new year starts – and it’s welcomed by many who are pinching their pennies now that Christmas is done and dusted.

A lot of us will be starting to think about the return to work after the festive break.

But rising cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus forced workers home from offices once again this month.

That simple little factor though, could be adding on an extra £131 to energy bills nationwide, according to Energyhelpline.

Energy prices have already skyrocketed in the end part of this year, pushing up bills for hundreds of households.

Current isolation period means NHS is understaffed

Experts have cautioned that continuing with the current isolation plans will mean that the NHS is understaffed.

Professor Alison Leary, chair of health care and workforce modelling at London Southbank University said as much as 40 per cent of the workforce could be absent in the coming weeks.

Professor Sir John Bell also this week said that the biggest threat to the NHS is currently the impact isolation is having on staffing levels.

He said: “The stress on the health service at the moment, particularly in London, is the effect of the loss of staff because they’re quarantining because they’ve been in contact [with someone testing positive.

“So I think there will be a workforce issue emerging from that quite soon.”

Sign up to The Sun’s Jabs Army campaign

The Sun’s Jabs Army campaign is helping get the vital extra vaccines in Brits’ arms to ward off the need for any new restrictions.

Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.

Boris Johnson has begged millions of people to book their first, second or booster jabs in now to protect them from the virus, admitting that cases of omicron are still rising.

4 key numbers to keep an eye on

At the start of this month Boris Johnson revealed the four key numbers that he said would determine if England needed more restrictions.

1. Vaccines – In a bid to stop Omicron, millions of booster vaccines have been rolled out across the country and health officials have warned that two doses won’t protect you – which is why it’s imperative everyone gets a booster jab.

2. Omicron – Cases of the Omicron variant have surged in the last months, but data coming out of South Africa, where it was first detected, indicates that infections have started to slow.

3. Speed of spread – This is one of the most concerning numbers to look out for as more cases ultimately lead to higher rates of hospitalisations.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there had been 17,269 additional confirmed cases Omicron reported across the UK yesterday and it is now believed to be responsible for 90 per cent of cases in the UK. In total, there are 177,201 cases of the virus.

4. Hospitalisations – The number of deaths in England of people with the Omicron variant has risen to 49, according to the UKHSA.
Hospital admissions in England for people with confirmed or suspected Omicron rose to 668.

Terrified kids sob as heartless antivaxxers storm panto

Groups of tots gathered to watch Jack and the Beanstalk at the Milton Keynes Theatre looked on in horror as placard-clad activists took over the foyer during the interval.

One theatre-goer told The Sun how kids cried while “aggressive” adults shouted at them to “take off their masks”.

Footage shows protesters screaming “no vaccine passports” and blowing whistles – while clutching signs plastered with the words “don’t jab our kids”.

Alfie Drake, 19, was watching the matinee show with his younger sisters, aged 12 and 16, and his two-year-old cousin.

He watched in horror as the group stormed in while he was walking down to the bar to buy a drink.

Alfie said: “I am shocked at what we had seen. This panto was for all families to enjoy with their kids.

“It’s disgraceful that older men and women were loudly shouting and blowing whistles and making some kids cry.

“When the panto resumed, most people who had initially been watching had left.

“They came across very aggressive and were shouting at families with their kids to take off their masks.”

He added: “This is the panto, not parliament.”

ALL Southern trains into London Victoria cancelled

Southern Rail confirmed all journeys to and from the central London station have been called off until January 10 due to Covid-related staff shortages.

Trains will no longer call at London Victoria, Battersea Park, Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Common.

Routes from further afield – including from Southampton, Hove, Hastings and East Grinstead – are being diverted so passengers can reach the capital.

But Clapham Junction to Milton Keynes, East Croydon to London Bridge, and Epsom to London Bridge will not run at all.

The Gatwick Express to and from London Victoria is currently suspended until January 3 due to rail works.

It comes as millions of Londoners gear up to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the capital.

‘We want one set of rules for everyone’

A UK-wide lockdown is still on the cards and measures under consideration include the loathed Rule-of-Six for indoor mixing, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Other reinforced measures could include outdoor dining only for pubs, restaurants and cafés.

A Government insider told The Times: “There are big downsides to doing anything regionally and we saw the difficulties they posed when we did it last time.

“It is difficult for people to understand because of different sets of rules.

“We want one set of rules for everyone in the country, which is easier to understand.”

Third of Covid patients admitted for other reasons

The latest NHS figures showed the proportion of “incidental” virus admissions in England has risen to 29 per cent.

It has led to suggestions the official figures on hospitalisations were misleading.

“Incidental” Covid admissions are made up of people who go to hospital for reasons unrelated to the virus, such as a broken bone or another disease.

They then happen to be found to be Covid positive – either a mild case that wasn’t their main complaint or they catch it in hospital.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the MailOnline: “This is a nonsense. It’s almost certain that admissions for Covid are far lower than the figures suggest.

“We cannot make decisions based on hospital admissions when we don’t know how many were admitted for other reasons and subsequently tested positive.”

Can I still have the Covid booster if I have a cold?

The short answer is yes.

If you are certain it is not Covid you are suffering with and you are well enough to leave home, you can get your third shot with confidence.

It might make you feel a bit rougher than if you weren’t ill, but overall it’s perfectly safe – and you can emerge from your sickly funk safe in the knowledge you are protected against coronavirus.

A cold shouldn’t have an impact on your body’s ability to build an immune response to the flu, even though it is fighting an illness.

NHS guidance says you should still attend your appointment even if you have a mild illness, including a common cold.

If you have Covid symptoms, are self-isolating or waiting for your coronavirus test result, you should not attend your appointment.

It’s easy to rearrange your slot through the booking system.

360 hotspots where Covid cases are rising

CORONAVIRUS cases are rising in 360 places and this interactive map reveals if you local authority is one of them.

Cases of the Omicron variant have continued to rise, but experts have said that most people are suffering from cold-like symptoms.

Omicron is now responsible for 90 per cent of cases in the UK and has taken over from the Delta variant.

Data in the seven days up to December 25 shows that just 17 places have seen a fall in cases and the map above shows current infection rates.

London had been the epicentre of the Omicron outbreak and while cases still remain high in the capital, many of the most infected boroughs have seen a fall in cases.

Warm up for New Year’s Eve

Revellers were seen out in Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and London partying the night away as the Government urged Brits to party on this festive season – but with caution.

New Year party plans were thrown into chaos after health bosses teased the idea of a post-Christmas lock due to a surge in Covid cases due to the highly infectious Omicrom variant.

Symptoms not to ignore

Experts across the globe have highlighted at least eight early warning signs of Omicron you should never ignore.

If you have Covid symptoms of any kind, you should get a PCR test and self-isolate until the results come back.

The early symptoms

Going by reports from cases in the UK, South Africa and US, these are common early warning signs of Omicron:

• Scratchy throat
• Lower back pain
• Runny nose/congestion
• Headache
• Fatigue 
• Sneezing
• Night sweats
• Body aches 

Has the capital seen the Omicron peak?

Analysis of infections in the week before Christmas shows the rise started to flatten off.

Around 30,000 people in London tested positive on December 20, before that number started to fall.

This continued for the next two days, forcing the average infection rate to flatten, with cases now already falling in some boroughs.

The most recent case data, from December 27, showed around 5,000 Londoners had tested positive, although this set is still incomplete.

How will the New Year look for cases?

Professor Peter Openshaw, an immunologist at Imperial College London and SAGE scientist, told MailOnline: “There are many reasons for the apparent decline, a genuine decline being amongst them.’

“I hope this is good news, but really urge caution.”

He warned, however, data backlogs from Christmas and New Year partying could result in another wave of cases in London.

Professor Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at The Open University, added it is “difficult to say” if cases peaked in London, as testing patterns changed over Christmas

But he said: “London cases will certainly begin to fall eventually, as the virus runs out of people to infect.

“It’s reasonably clear that case numbers in London are at least rising more slowly, but we just can’t be sure when the peak is reached – not yet anyway.”

Go get boosted

A string of hugely positive studies show Omicron IS milder than other strains, with the first official UK report revealing the risk of hospitalisation is 50 to 70 per cent lower than with Delta.

Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.

The Sun’s Jabs Army campaign is helping get the vital extra vaccines in Brits’ arms to ward off the need for any new restrictions.