An average of 351,000 people contract the virus every day, according to the latest incidence figures from the ZOE Covid study – a 13 per cent increase since the start of the month. The previous record of 350,000 daily infections was set at the end of March 2022. Professor Tim Spector, the lead scientist behind the research, said 1 in 15 people in the UK currently have the virus. He added that cases were still rising across England, but were leveling off in Scotland and Wales. Infection rates also continue to rise across all age groups, but are beginning to decline in children, the research shows. The recent increase in cases is largely due to the Omicron BA.5 subvariant, which is better at spreading than earlier strains of the Covid virus. “This variant is particularly good at immune evasion, causing an increase in reinfections in humans despite vaccines and natural immunity, particularly in recent weeks,” Professor Spector said earlier this month. The record figures come as headteachers have been warned of rising student absenteeism rates. The latest government figures, released on Tuesday, showed that overall enrollment in state schools, adjusted to exclude Year 11 and 13 students from exams, fell to 86.9 per cent on July 7, from 89, 4 percent on June 23. A general view of the broken land with the Houses of Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower, better known as Big Ben, visible behind as the warm weather continues Reuters A man swims in the Sky Pool, a transparent pool suspended 35 meters above the ground between two blocks of flats, during a heat wave in Nine Elms, central London PA Winner Novak Djokovic and runner-up Nick Kyrgios after the men’s singles final at Wimbledon 2022 Getty People enjoy the warm weather at Southsea Beach in Hampshire PA Alfie Hewett celebrates winning his match against Gustavo Fernandez in the Gentlemen’s Wheelchair Singles semi-final at Wimbledon PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the nation as he announces his resignation outside 10 Downing Street Getty England players celebrate after winning their Women’s Euro opener against Austria Reuters UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, UK Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, UK Attorney General Suella Braverman and UK Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris attend the weekly Cabinet meeting at Downing Street in London. Getty Nick Kyrgios of Australia celebrates victory against Brandon Nakashima of the USA at the end of the men’s round of 16 tennis match on day eight of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club, Wimbledon. AFP/Getty Fields of borage flowers turn the landscape purple near Feering in Essex PA Pride parade in London Getty Supporters of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange demonstrated outside the Home Office in London to mark his birthday. PA The Prince of Wales, known as the Duke of Rothesay while in Scotland, and The Princess Royal after attending the Order of the Thistle Service for the installation of The Right Honorable Dame Elish Angiolini and The Right Honorable Sir George Reid, at the Cathedral of St Giles, Edinburgh PA Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the Labor Party, speaks during PMQs British Parliament/AFP/Getty Rafael Nadal attempts to reach the ball during the first round of the Wimbledon match against Francisco Cerundolo Reuters Clean up begins after Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm EPA Paul McCartney, from left, Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen perform at the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP The crowd watch Wet Leg perform on the Park Stage during Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset PA Aerial view of the Glastonbury Festival grounds James Dadzitis/SWNS Festival goers on the first day of Glastonbury Festival EPA A general view of an empty platform at Paddington station in London as members of the Rail, Shipping and Transport union begin their nationwide strike in a bitter dispute over pay, working conditions and conditions PA Photograph of a leaflet issued by the Duke of Cambridge’s Big Issue selling the Big Issue in London PA Visitors explore the Arboria II light fixture, created by Architects of Air, during the Meliora Festival at the Beacon Arts Center in Inverclyde. Arboria II is inspired by the geometry of nature and also Islamic architecture and features winding passages of small domes with light and colors created purely by daylight shining through the colored plastic structure PA Protesters demonstrated in an organized trade union protest against British government policies in Parliament Square in London, Britain Reuters Crowds on Bournemouth beach during a heat wave Getty Paige Dawson, 28, takes a selfie with her baby in a huge field of blooming poppies in Bramford, Suffolk PA The royal procession arrives at the parade ring before the race on the second day of Royal Ascot PA Flowers and tributes outside Grenfell Tower on fifth anniversary of fire that killed 72 people AP Demonstrators demonstrate outside the Ministry of Interior building against government plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda Reuters Members of the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards march through the streets of Blackpool, Lancashire to mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War PA Members of the public attend the Royal Windsor Flower Show at the York Club in Windsor Great Park PA Pupils with Petty Officer Tommy O’Toole from the Royal Navy with the world’s first mobile luge ramp, designed and built by engineering students at Glasgow Caledonian University with the help of pupils from six Renfrewshire primary schools PA A traveler rides a horse on the River Eden at the Appleby Horse Fair, the annual gathering of gypsies and travelers in Appleby, Cumbria PA An activist from Extinction Rebellion holds a dog wearing a construction helmet as they attend a protest during a biodiversity conference being held at Dublin Castle, calling for legal protection for Ireland’s wildlife Reuters Downing Street staff take down the Jubilee bunting outside 10 Downing Street in London. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a “vote of no confidence” in his leadership, but lost more than forty percent of the support of his MPs after the parliamentary vote EPA Gannets gathered at Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire as over 250,000 seabirds flock to the chalk cliffs to find a mate and raise their young. From April to August the rocks come alive with nesting adults and young chicks PA Artists take part in the Platinum Jubilee Competition Reuters Past and present jockeys who have ridden Queen Elizabeth II’s horses line up dressed in her colors on Derby Day Reuters Prince Harry makes a face as he awaits the start of the National Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign at St Paul’s Cathedral AFP/Getty Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II stands on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as soldiers march past during the Queen’s birthday parade, Trooping the Color AFP/Getty Gardeners David Kaye and Lou Singfield tend to the wildflower meadow in bloom at King’s College, Cambridge PA Sir Sean Connery’s Aston Martin DB5, which is expected to fetch £1.4m at auction. The family of actor James Bond, who died in October 2020 aged 90, is selling the classic 1964 car to raise money for a charity set up in his name PA Corgi Charles and his friends enjoy a tea during The Jubilee Tea Pawty at award-winning dog daycare, Bruce’s Ben Stevens/PinPep Nottingham Forest’s Cafu celebrates after winning the Championship Play-Off Final against Huddersfield Town at Wembley Action images via Reuters Balloons light up as they are tied to the ground during the night glow at the Isle of Wight Balloon Festival at Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight PA A crow chases an urban fox, which has dug up a bird carcass, outside the Old Bailey, central London PA Pedestrians walk past a ‘Living Wall’ artwork, created in collaboration with The National Portrait Gallery and Earls Court Development Company, in west London AFP/Getty Guests during a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London PA People walk past the Liverpool Street station sign along the Elizabeth line on the first day of service as it joins the London Underground network in London, Britain EPA A young child among a group of people believed to be migrants is carried by a member of the army as he is transported to Dover, Kent PA Secondary school attendance was just 81.2 percent, down from 86.9 percent on June 23, equivalent to nearly one in five students out of school. The data represents the lowest level of attendance since Jan. 28, when 85.3 percent of students were in school during the wave of Omicron infections. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, described the data as “extremely worrying”. “It is impossible to know how many of these absences are directly due to Covid as the government has taken the decision to no longer collect this information,” he said.
