Covid in Leeds: How many cases in city right now as new Government data released

A total of 2.45 per cent of residents in the city were estimated to have tested positive for coronavirus in the week to October 3.

The new data, from the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Infection Survey, offers a snapshot into current rates of the virus in Leeds.

The estimated number of people testing positive for coronavirus was 1,513,700, representing 2.8 per cent of the population, or around 1 in 35 people, according to the weekly infection survey.

The positivity rate in England has been gradually increasing since September 5, when 1.3 per cent of the population was testing positive nationally.

The survey is based on PCR samples taken from random households, regardless if they showed symptoms, in the week ending October 3.

Leeds ranked 12th among all areas in Yorkshire for Covid positivity rates, according to the data.

It was ranked 103rd in the national list.

It comes after figures released earlier this month by the NHS showed that the number of patients with Covid in Leeds hospitals has nearly quadrupled in one month amid warnings of “outbreaks on the rise”.

Nearly 200 patients with confirmed coronavirus diagnoses were recorded at Leeds Teaching Hospitals as of 8am on October 12.

The figure of 197 is nearly four times the number of Covid patients recorded four weeks ago on September 14, when 53 beds were being occupied by patients who tested positive for the virus.

Covid rates in hospitals have been steadily rising over the last month in Leeds and across the UK, according to the NHS data.

Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said last week that Covid-19 cases and hospitalisation rates were “at their highest level in months”.

She said: “Outbreaks in hospitals and care homes are also on the rise.

“Make sure you have any Covid-19 vaccinations you are eligible for and avoid contact with others if you feel unwell or have symptoms of a respiratory infection."

She added: “If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, wearing a face covering will also help stop infections spreading.”

The Omicron subvariant BA.5 is still the dominant variant of Covid in the UK, UKHSA data shows.