infections are finally starting to drop in the young but rates are still surging

Covid infections are finally starting to drop in the young but rates are still surging in over 55s.

The REACT study of 100,000 random swab test results showed rates overall are still highest in unvaccinated five to 11 year olds with one in every 11 testing positive between March 8 and 31.

Scientists warned the BA.2 subvariant - known as Stealth Omicron - is reinfecting some people who had been infected with the original BA.1 Omicron variant.

They estimated that one in every 12 over 55 year olds had the virus as of March 31 and this was still rising.

It comes as Covid-19 hospitalisations topped 20,000 and reached their highest level since January 2021.