About 2,100 people in the community in England had Covid-19 between August 19 and 25, which was equivalent to 2,000 people with about 2,000 new cases a day, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. (See 12.40am.)

The team behind the work – which is based on family sampling – said again that data showed that infection rates in England were still declining, with no clear signs of growth or decline since the July rate hike. .

However, the researchers behind the Covid-19 Symptoms Study app say that their data, based on investigations by people who report symptoms, tell a slightly different story, revealing a slight increase in the daily use of Covid-19.

According to the latest data, an average of 1,433 new cases were found in England every day from 16 to 29 August 2020, although 1,0733 cases were reported in the previous week between 9 August and 22 August. The figures for the UK are 1,974 and 1,292 new cases a day, respectively.

Team Specter, A professor of genetic epidemics at King’s College London and a leading researcher on the Covid-1 sy symptoms study, said the numbers were increasing as economic activity and travel increased.

Earlier this week, experts told the Guardian that the number of infections in the UK had risen since early July, according to government investigative figures, although it ended in August, even considering increasing the number of tests once.

Professor Neil FergusonAn epidemiologist at Imperial College London said at the time: “Which clearly proves that we are in a position where the number of cases is increasing. So we don’t have much of a place to exercise. ”

The latest statistical response, Professor Oliver Johnson, University of Bristol, School of Mathematics Professor of Information Theory.

Today’s ONS infection survey statistics are the same as last week. In fact the long-term trend has been flat since the beginning of July, suggesting that the value of an R is closer to 1.

This data may seem to contradict the recent increase in the UK: it may be partial in some cases discovered through targeted testing in hotspots. Further, it is important to note that this ONS survey should only include England and Wales. A significant proportion of recent events have occurred in Scotland and Northern Ireland and will not be visible here.