Latest school, work and isolation rules amid surge in ‘summer covid’.

As thousands of new covid cases suggest a ‘summer wave’, experts believe a new variant of the disease is behind the spike.

According to the latest figures, cases have risen by more than a third in the space of a week, with 2,815 people reporting contracting the virus in the seven days to June 19. This was up from 2,108 the previous week.

The new wave is believed to be linked to the new FliRT variants, which have quickly become the dominant strains in the UK. Experts said there was no evidence that the variant causes more severe disease than previous strains, but also warned that contracting covid, driven by FliRT. , is not “risk-free”.

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Previously, people who tested positive were forced to self-isolate, parents and caregivers were told to keep children from school, and employees had to call in sick. However, there are currently no Covid-19 restrictions in the UK.

Government guidance states: “If you have Covid-19, you should try to stay at home. Most people cannot get free tests for Covid-19. You can buy tests in shops but you can’t report the result to the NHS’.

The NHS advice adds: “Try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you or your child have symptoms and either:

• have a high temperature
• you don’t feel well enough to go to work, school, childcare or your normal activities

“You can go back to your normal activities when you feel better or don’t have a high temperature. If your child has mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat or mild cough and feels well enough, they can go to school or childcare.’

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