England’s COVID cases have reached their highest level since mid-January with approximately one in fifty infected with the virus last week, official data has revealed amid mounting concerns that the imminent fourth wave and slow booster vaccine roll out will force ministers into adopting its winter Plan B.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show about 977,900 were infected in England on any given day in the week up to October 16.
Infections haven’t been as high since the country started to recover from the gloomiest days of the second wave at the start of the year.
Cases increased 9.88 per cent on last week’s figure of 890,000, the fourth week in a row infections have increased.
Meanwhile, separate data from the UK Health Security Agency, which took over from the now-defunct PHE, today revealed the R rate has risen on last week and was about 1.0 to 1.2, up from 0.9 to 1.1, and it’s the first time the R rate has been above 1 since August.
Figures from the Department of Health, based on the Government’s official testing programme as opposed to the random swabbing of thousands of Brits, confirmed cases breached 50,000 for the first time in three months.
The Department of Health bosses recorded another 52,009 infections, a 15 per cent increase a week ago and the highest number since July 17 at the peak of the summer spike. The daily average is now nearing peak second wave levels.
Medics have warned that cases will continue to spike unless Britain doubles the rate of its vaccine booster rollout. Only 4 million out of the 8.7 million patients in England who are suitable for a booster now have had one, including just a third of care home residents and half of the over 80s.
Doctors warned that it’s being held up by the NHS sending texts to elderly Britains who don’t know how to use their phones.
Boris Johnson issued an urgent plea for more Britons to come forward for their boosters to strengthen people’s defences against the virus, amid concerns increasing cases could lead to a last-minute curb ahead of Christmas once again.
The Government has so far resisted increasing pressure to return to its winter Plan B to bring back masks and WFH guidance despite mounting case numbers and in the face of doctors accusing them of being willfully negligent.
We really do like talking ourselves into a crisis in this country, and the academics are especially good at doing that, and once again only time will prove how over the top and exaggerated most of them are.
Pandemics always end after a while as immunity is built up within the population, and perhaps the Government is right in letting it rip, otherwise we could be restricted for years.
Sadly vaccinations don’t prevent you from getting the virus and passing it on. However, if you’re vaccinated with the COVID 19 vaccine, you’re less inclined to catch it, and less likely to become ill if you do get it, and less likely to spread it to other people, but it’s still possible for this to happen, well this is what they’re telling us, and try telling that to people who I know have all been jabbed and still got COVID and were extremely unwell – somethings not adding up.
And I don’t mean to sound flippant here but I’m starting to believe it’s all the luck of the draw, depending on your immune system, your genes, and your vulnerability.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 