COVID in UK at record levels with almost 5 mn infected

London: The prevalence of COVID-19 in the UK has reached record levels, with about 1 in 13 people estimated to be infected with the virus in the past week, latest figures from Britain's official statistics agency showed.

Some 4.9 million people were estimated to have the coronavirus in the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million recorded in the previous week, the Office for National Statistics said Friday.

The latest surge is driven by the more transmissible omicron variant BA.2, which is the dominant variant across the UK.

Hospitalisations and death rates are again rising, although the number of people dying with COVID-19 is still relatively low compared with earlier this year.