Around 4.3 million people - or one in every 16 - are thought to have the virus, compared to 3.3 million the week before.
A high number of infections means the UK can expect Covid hospitalisations to rise too, although vaccines are still helping to stop many severe cases, say experts., there were 16,975 patients in hospital with the virus on 23 March. About half will have been admitted for something else, rather than Covid, but tested positive.
People aged 75 and over and those who are immunosuppressed can book a spring booster jab to top up their protection against Covid.
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