Covid hotspots in UK confirmed after rise in JN.1 variant - 10 areas with most
Two regions of the UK have seen cases of Covid shoot up over the past week, making them the leading hotspots for the virus.
The South East topped the table with 1,237 new cases over the past seven days, which equates to 13.4 people per 100,000 of the population. London trailed a close second with 1,032 new infections. The region to have avoided the worst of the cases is the North East, which only registered 194 over the past week.
Earlier this month, it emerged that the new JN.1 variant had become the most dominant strain of Covid-19 on the planet after more than 10,000 people died from the virus last month. The strain is a mutant form of Omicron, which first hit UK shores in Christmas 2021.
Experts fear that JN.1, which is thought to have rocketed in numbers due to festive socialising, could reach record levels in the UK in a matter of weeks if cases continue to rise.
The variant is such a cause for concern that the World Health Organisation held a press conference yesterday, saying the agency was worried about the recent surge in the strain. The authority said the variant is highly volatile and unpredictable, and could become a real risk if not managed properly.
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At a press conference, WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge explained that though it's not thought to be any more severe than recent strains, JN.1 should not be ignored.
He told reporters: "A new SARS-CoV-2 variant of interest – known as JN.1 – is fast replacing other known variants. It’s now the most common variant being reported globally and is the dominant variant circulating in our region, accounting for 79 per cent of sequenced variants. Though there’s no current evidence to suggest the JN.1 variant is more severe, the unpredictable nature of this virus shows how vital it is that countries continue to monitor for any new variants. Many countries have reduced or stopped reporting on COVID-19 to WHO. I cannot stress enough how important continued COVID-19 surveillance is, alongside other circulating respiratory viruses."
You can see the 10 regions listed below...
Yorkshire and The Humber - 371 cases, 6.7 per 100,000
West Midlands - 582 cases, 9.8 per 100,000
South West - 589 cases, 10.4 per 100,000
South East - 1,237 cases, 13.4 per 100,000
North West - 578 cases, 7.8 per 100,000
North East - 194 cases, 7.2 per 100,000
London - 1,032 cases, 11.5 per 100,000
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East of England - 725 cases, 11.6 per 100,000
East Midlands - 529 cases, 10.9 per 100,000
Wales - 203 cases, 6.4 per 100,000
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