New Covid variant sees cases rise to 1 in 50 after Christmas

One in 50 people in England — 1.1 million — are now thought to have coronavirus, the Chief Medical Officer has said.

Chris Whitty told a Downing Street press briefing on Tuesday that the case rate across the UK had increased by 70 per cent in the two weeks to December 30.

Figures released by the Office of National Statistics show that one in 30 Londoners — 3.3 per cent of the city’s population — are now believed to have the virus.

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