Coronavirus cases in the UK have rocketed by around a million in a week, official data by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.

The number of infections soared to 4,261,100 in the seven days to 19 March, according to the data – up 29.7% on the week before.

Infections rose by just over a quarter in Scotland, by nearly a third in England and by nearly more than half in Wales.

Northern Ireland was the only nation to see falls.

In England, around one in 16 people in private households are estimated to have had the virus in the week to 19 March, or 3.5 million people – up from one in 20, or 2.7 million people, in the week to 12 March.

In Wales, the estimate is up from 125,400 people, or one in 25, to 192,900 people, or one in 16.

Scotland has seen infection levels rise for eight weeks in a row and they have now reached a new record high, with nearly half a million people (473,800) estimated to have had COVID-19 last week, or around one in 11.

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This is up from 376,300 people, or one in 14, the previous week.

In Northern Ireland 108,700 people were likely to have had COVID-19 last week, or one in 17 people – down from 130,600 people, or one in 14.

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