The main points from this week?s national influenza and COVID-19 surveillance report are:

Surveillance indicators suggest that, at a national level, COVID-19 activity has decreased in several indicators in week 29 of 2022.

The number of acute respiratory infection incidents (suspected outbreaks) decreased in England to 416 in week 29, compared to 528 in the previous week.

Positivity for pillar one laboratory confirmed cases for week 29 was 8.3 per 100,000 population, a slight decrease from 10.3 in the previous week.

The hospital admission rate for week 29 was 16.29 per 100,000 population, a slight decrease from 18.22 in the previous week.

Hospital admission rates for COVID-19 remain highest in the North East, with a rate of 20.19 per 100,000 population.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director of Public Health Programmes at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said:

We are now seeing decreases in COVID-19 case rates and hospitalisations. Whilst this is encouraging, COVID-19 has not gone away and we really want to see further declines in the coming weeks and months. People aged 75 and over remain at particular risk of severe disease if they are not up to date with their vaccinations.

We urge anyone who is not up to date with their jabs to come forward to give themselves the best possible protection.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, try to meet up outdoors or in well ventilated spaces and remember to keep up good hand hygiene and cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. It is also sensible to wear a face covering if you are in crowded, enclosed spaces.

If you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection, and a high temperature or feel unwell, try to stay at home or away from others ? especially elderly or vulnerable people.