COVID-19 infections in the UK have jumped by nearly 800,000 in a week, with some parts of the country nearing the record levels seen during the spring.
The rate in Wales has also increased with nfections jumping to 183,500, or one in 17 people, up from 149,700, or one in 20 last week.
Wales has extended free testing for anyone with symptoms of coronavirus to the end of this month and earlier this week the nation's top doctor, Frank Atherton, urged people to take precautions and for those eligible for vaccination boosters to accept them.
He said: “Maintaining social distancing, wearing face coverings when we’re in crowded public places and certainly wearing face coverings in health and social care settings, remain very, very important.”
Across the UK hospital numbers are also continuing to increase, driven by the spread of the latest coronavirus subvariants Omicron BA.4 and BA.5.
A total of 3.5 million people in private households are estimated to have had Covid-19 last week, up 29 per cent from 2.7 million the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is the highest estimate for total infections since mid-April, but is still below the record of 4.9 million seen at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave at the end of March.
READ MORE: Wales hit by 'surge' in Covid infections, minister warns
Sarah Crofts, ONS head of analytical outputs for the Covid-19 infection survey, said: “Infections are showing no signs of decreasing, with rates approaching levels last seen in March at the peak of the BA.2 wave.
“Rates have continued to increase across the UK and among all age groups. We will continue to closely monitor the data.”
The virus remains most prevalent in Scotland, where 334,000 people were estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to July 7, or around one in 16.
This is up from 312,800, or one in 17, and is the highest estimate for Scotland since the start of April.
READ MORE: Public Health Wales confirm another monkeypox case in Wales – 20 in total
In England, 2.9 million people were likely to have had Covid-19 last week, the equivalent of around one in 19.
This is up from 2.2 million, or one in 25, the previous week.
In Northern Ireland, infections have increased to an estimated 107,600 people, or one in 17 – the highest level since the beginning of April, and up from 98,400, or one in 19.
If you value The National's journalism, help grow our team of reporters by becoming a subscriber.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here