The agency’s head of vaccines, Marco Cavalleri, said “the increase in transmission in older age groups is starting to translate into serious disease.” The increase in the number of positive individuals is due to the BA.4 and BA.5 mutations of the Omicron variant. In April, the EMA advised people over the age of 80 to get a second vaccine booster. Now, they recommend people aged 60-79 and medically vulnerable people of any age get the reminder. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 7:12 Sky’s Kay Burley asks the WHO’s Dr David Nabarro about the rising number of COVID cases in the UK – how worried should we be? Mr Cavalleri said: “As this new wave unfolds over the EU, it is essential to maintain the protection of vulnerable groups and avoid any postponement of vaccination.” Most coronavirus restrictions have been lifted across Europe and many people are using the summer to go on holiday for the first time since the pandemic began. On June 30, the World Health Organization said the number of new cases worldwide had increased by 18% in the previous week, with more than 4.1 million cases reported. The latest statistics from the ONS show that one in 30 people in the UK had the virus in the week to June 24, which is a 32% increase on the previous week. The UN health agency said in its latest weekly report on the pandemic that the global death toll remained relatively similar to the previous week, at about 8,500. Deaths due to COVID increased in three regions: the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Americas.
