Coronavirus infections on the rise across the UK, says last digit Capture the festive Jubilee Weekend.

An estimated 1.4 million people, or 1 in 45, have contracted the virus, up from 65 the previous week. This is a 43% increase.

Experts say two new, fast-spreading Omicron sub-variants — called BA.4 and BA.5 — are behind some of the new infections.

People can catch them even if they have recently contracted another type of coronavirus.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which compiles the data, said it was too early to say whether this was the start of another wave.

Millions of people gather across the UK to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee between June 2 and June 5, which will provide plenty of opportunity for Covid to spread.

It usually takes a few days for people to start showing symptoms or test positive after they get infected, meaning the latest figures cover some Jubilee combinations.

Data from the previous week suggested a likely start to rise.

The data was collected by testing thousands of people from UK households, whether they had symptoms or not, to estimate how much virus was around.

For the week ending June 11, Covid rates are:

After a period of low case rates, the UK is now seeing an increase in coronavirus outbreaks among people aged 80 and over in care homes and hospitals.

But BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron are not considered more deadly than other types of Covid. Vaccines can still save lives.

Dr Mary Ramsay, from Health Security UK, said: “It is encouraging that we have not seen an increase in ICU admissions but we are closely monitoring the data and assessing the possible impact. BA.4 and BA. 5 sub-variants.

“As we head into summer, it’s always important to remember that Covid-19 is not gone, and to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. »

BA.4 and BA.5 were first detected in South Africa earlier this year and could soon become the dominant strains in Europe and the United States, according to health experts.

Since its emergence, Covid has mutated or changed form, creating new variants and sub-variants.

Many people have developed some immunity to past infections and vaccinations, which helps reduce the overall risk of Covid.

But the newer subvariants seem to spread more easily. This is partly caused by decreased immunity, but it can also be explained by genetic mutations that occur in the virus.

Many countries have also lifted coronavirus restrictions, meaning people are mixing more together, giving the virus a better chance of spreading.