The UK's Chief Medical Adviser has issued a "stay at home" plea as hospital admissions for covid have risen again.
The most recent figures show the number of patients admitted to hospitals with coronavirus was 544 on September 11 - up from 453 the previous day. While covid rates are still low, Dr Susan Hopkins, of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning as we approach winter.
Dr Hopkins said: "The latest data for the last 7 days indicate a rise in hospitalisations and a rise in positive tests reported from the community.
READ MORE: Covid expert issues stark 'back to school' warning
"For those eligible, the time to get your autumn booster is now. Getting a booster will give your immune system time to build up your protection against being severely ill from Covid-19 as we move into winter.
"All of the available boosters provide good protection against severe illness from Covid-19 and getting your booster sooner rather than later is crucial. As it gets colder and we head towards winter, we will start to see respiratory infections pick up – please try to stay at home if you are unwell and avoid contact with vulnerable people".
Figures show 28,167 people in the UK had tested positive for covid on September 17. This was up 12.7%, or 3,176 people, from the previous week.
To put this into context, this means around 49.8 people in every 100,000 had tested positive. Two months earlier, on July 17, this figure stood at 245 people for every 100,000.
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