Covid cases double in December as 2.5 million people infected

Over 65s have been encouraged by the Government to come forward for their Covid booster vaccine (Photo: Getty)

Covid cases are shooting up with more than one in 24 people in England and Scotland now infected with the virus, new figures show.

An estimated 2.5 million people had the virus on 13 December – more than double the level seen at the start of the month, according to the latest official winter infection survey by the ONS and UK Health Security Agency.

That number is expected to have risen further since then, experts say.

Professor Steven Riley, Director General for Data and Surveillance, UKHSA said: “At this time of year, the cold weather, shorter days and increased socialising mean that the potential for transmission of respiratory viruses like COVID-19 is particularly high. This, as well as the possible impact of new variants, means it’s not unexpected to see cases increasing.

“If you are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses, you should try to limit your contact with other people as much as possible, especially those who are older or more vulnerable,” he said.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.