New cases of Covid-19 are rising sharply in Reading according to the most recent data released by Public Health England.

There were 66 per cent more infections on October 11 (136) than there were on October 10 (82).

The rate of infection is highest among 10 – 14 year olds, with one in 64 testing positive for the virus in the week ending October 12.

Comparatively, people aged 20 – 24 years old were catching the virus at a rate of one in every 826 people.

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Covid-related admissions to Berkshire NHS Trust hospitals also rose from a seven-day average of 0 on October 1, to 2.3 on October 7, the latest data available.

Reading Chronicle:

Across the UK, close to 50,000 cases were recorded on October 11 but data is incomplete.

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The news comes as take-up of a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine among young teenagers remains below 10 per cent in just over a third of the main local authorities in England.

Reading Chronicle:

In some areas the rate is as low as 5 per cent, while only 15 authorities have managed to give a first jab to at least a quarter of 12 to 15-year-olds.

The picture is very different in Scotland, where take-up is already over 50 per cent in half of local authority areas.

First doses of Covid-19 vaccine began to be rolled out to all the UK’s 3.2 million 12 to 15-year-olds nearly a month ago.