Covid Scotland: Infections rise in Scotland despite UK drop

Covid-19 infections have risen slightly in Scotland, despite falling in other parts of the UK, figures show.

A total of 1.1 million people in private households across the UK are estimated to have had the virus in the week to May 21, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is down from 1.3 million the previous week and is the lowest estimate for the whole country since the end of November 2021, when virus levels were just starting to rise due to the spread of the original Omicron variant.

In Scotland, prevalence of the virus has increased, with 135,400 people estimated to have Covid-19 last week, or one in 40: up from 122,200, or one in 45, a trend the ONS describes as “uncertain”.

Total infections have now fallen by 78% in the UK since the peak of the recent Omicron BA.2 wave in late March, when a record 4.9 million were estimated to have Covid-19.

However, levels differ across the nations of the UK.

In England, infections have fallen for the seventh week in a row, with 874,400 people likely to test positive for Covid-19, the equivalent of around one in 60.

This is down week-on-week from 1.0 million, or one in 55.

Covid Scotland: Covid-19 infections continue to fall in much of UK but rise in Scotland

Wales has seen infections drop for the sixth week in a row, with 52,900 people likely to have Covid-19, or one in 55, down from 80,700, or one in 40.

The virus continues to be least prevalent in Northern Ireland, where infections are now at their lowest level since mid-October 2021.