Covid news – live: ‘New wave is now starting’ Sage expert warns as UK infections rise

Professor Christina Pagel reporting on the Independent Sage live Covid-19 broadcast has said “the new wave is now starting”.

The professor added that while people seem to think the pandemic is over, the virus has not gone anywhere.

Six deaths linked to Covid-19 have been recorded in Northern Ireland in the latest weekly update.

The deaths, in the week ending June 3, take the total number of coronavirus-linked deaths recorded by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) to 4,637.

The figure is drawn from different data sources and is always higher than the Department of Health’s total as it provides a broader picture of the impact of Covid-19.

The department’s statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and include only people who have tested positive for the virus.

The Nisra figure includes 3,225 deaths in hospital, 983 in care homes, and 429 at residential addresses, hospices or other locations.

Nisra reported that up to June 3, the deaths of 1,287 care home residents were linked to Covid-19, 27.8 per cent of all coronavirus-related deaths.

Covid-19 was also mentioned on the death certificate of five of the 220 deaths registered in the week to June 3.

Some of the deaths registered in the week ending June 3 could have taken place before that week as they can take days to register.

Those aged 75 and over account for 73.9 per cent of the Covid-related deaths registered between March 19 2020 and June 3 2022.

Covid infections have begun to increase in the UK following two months of decline, new data shows.

The Office for National Statistics, has said there are “early signs” of a possible increase in the percentage of people testing positive for Covid in England and Northern Ireland.

Our health correspondent Rebecca Thomas has more:

Covid-19 infections in the UK have risen for the first time in two months, with the jump likely caused by increases in cases compatible with the original Omicron variant BA.1 and the newer variants BA.4 and BA.5, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

A total of 989,800 people in private households are estimated to have had the virus last week, up from 953,900 the previous week.

All four nations have seen a rise in infections, though the ONS describes the trend in Scotland and Wales as “uncertain”.

That’s it for today’s coverage of Covid news. Thanks for following.

Three people have been fined for breaching coronavirus laws after attending a vigil for murdered Sarah Everard.

Hundreds spontaneously gathered on Clapham Common in south London after a planned socially distanced event proposed by Reclaim These Streets (RTS) was cancelled when organisers were threatened with £10,000 fines by the Metropolitan Police.

The Met's policing of the vigil - following the kidnap, rape and murder of marketing executive Ms Everard, 33, by serving Pc Wayne Couzens - was heavily criticised after women were handcuffed on the ground and led away by officers.

How accurate are lateral flow tests?

My colleague Laura Hampson reports:

Prime minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that Britain was out of sync with the other OECD countries' growth cycles because the country emerged out of the pandemic first and had a faster recovery.

Asked why the OECD on Wednesday predicted Britain would have the lowest 2023 growth in the G20 apart from Russia, Johnson said: "Because we came out first, because of the steps that we took, we were slightly out of sync with much of the rest of the OECD."

The number of deaths involving coronavirus registered each week in England and Wales has dropped to its lowest level for 10 months.

A total of 410 deaths registered in the seven days to May 27 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Ian Jones reports:

A COVID-19 vaccine that could soon win federal approval may offer a boost for the U.S. military: an opportunity to get shots into some of the thousands of service members who have refused other coronavirus vaccines for religious reasons.

At least 175 active duty and reserve service members have already received the Novavax vaccine, some even traveling overseas at their own expense to get it. The vaccine meets Defense Department requirements because it has the World Health Organization's emergency use approval and is used in Europe and other regions. The Food and Drug Administration is considering giving it emergency use authorization in the U.S.

The Novavax vaccine may be an acceptable option for some of the 27,000 service members who have sought religious exemptions from the mandatory vaccine. Military officials say many troops who refuse the shots cite certain COVID-19 vaccines' remote connection to abortions.