UK COVID cases have jumped up by a further 215,001 in the past three days, taking the total to 20.9 million.

The Government also reported 217 more deaths from the disease.

The figures include data for Saturday, Sunday and Monday, as weekend reporting has been scrapped.

The 215,001 is five per cent lower than the 226,524 reported last Monday, suggesting a stabilising.

A technical fault meant that hospital data was not updated on the dashboard today.

But figures suggest admissions are continuing to increase.

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There were a total of 17,685 people were in hospital with Covid – the highest since January 21, but nowhere near peak levels in the first and second waves.

And more than half of hospital patients are in there “with” Covid, as opposed to “for” Covid, suggesting many caught it while in hospital for another reason.

Omicron is a milder strain of the virus, with studies showing it is less deadly than the Delta and Alpha strains that have come before it.

Vaccines are still the best way to protect yourself from severe complications and millions of Brits are now able to get their spring booster shot from today.

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Data from elsewhere suggests the Covid outbreak is reaching new record highs.

Around one in 16 people in private households in England are likely to have had Covid in the week to March 19, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is up from one in 20 in the previous week and is the third week in a row that infections are estimated to have risen.

Cases among over-70s remain at their highest since estimates began in England in May 2020.

Around one in 20 were likely to have the virus in the week to March 19.

However, Covid remains most prevalent among young children, ONS said, with around one in 12 of those aged between two and school year 6 infected last week. 

In Scotland, one in 11 had Covid, and in Wales one in 16 – both record highs.

Northern Ireland is the only nation where infections are believed to be falling, with levels standing at one in 17, having dropped for two weeks in a row.

Data today revealed that the number of coronavirus patients in Scotland’s hospitals has reached a new record, with 2,360 people.

The BA.2 variant, a “sister” of the original Omicron that caused chaos at Christmas, is currently dominant in the UK.

It is not thought to cause more severe disease, although it spreads faster, and booster jabs are the most effective way of avoiding illness.

It comes as invites to more than 600,000 people in England are sent out this week, offering a second booster jab.

Since rolling out spring boosters on March 21, more than 470,000 people have come forward, NHS England said.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommends that those in eligible groups get their vaccine six months after their initial booster for maximum effectiveness.

Around 5.5 million people in England aged over 75 or immunosuppressed will be eligible for a spring booster over the coming weeks and months.

Dr Nikki Kanani, deputy lead for the NHS Vaccination Programme, said: “Over the course of the pandemic vaccinations have been key to helping society get back to normal and allowing us to enjoy time with friends, family and loved ones.

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“They continue to play a crucial role in protecting us all against Covid, so please do book in when invited.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “With hundreds of thousands more invites being sent to eligible people this week, it’s vital to come forward as soon as you can.”

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