Double-vaccinated husband, 73, and wife, 71, who had been married for 50 years die of Covid within 12 hours of each other - after they spent 18 months shielding through pandemic because they both had underlying health conditions

A double-vaccinated husband and wife who had been married for 50 years have died of Covid-19 within 12 hours of each other after spending 18 months shielding throughout the pandemic because they both had underlying health conditions.

May Cropley, 71, had been diagnosed with cervical cancer and an autoimmune condition called Good's syndrome, while her 73-year-old husband John suffered from vasculitis - inflammation of the blood vessels - affecting his lungs.  

The couple from Auchtermuchty in Fife, Scotland, ran a business together and were committed Christians who served in ministry together.

They contracted coronavirus around the same time last month, staying in a shared room at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. 

When John died in front of May, she made the decision to refuse her treatment. 

Singing Amazing Grace 12 hours after her husband passed away, May also died. They were laid to rest together on Thursday last week.

May Cropley, 71, refused further treatment after she watched her 73-year-old husband John (both pictured above) lose his battle against the virus

May was the daughter of Tommy Townsend and his wife Cathy, from Glasgow.

With one older brother, Gordon, she moved to Portsmouth as a teenager where her father served as a chaplain in the Royal Navy.

Introduced by her father, May met John - who had joined the Navy as a telegraphist aged 15 - when he was invited to live with her family.

May's cousin, Janet McKay, said: 'Uncle Tommy was well known for always bringing back people to the house who needed help. 

'John was one of them. A lost soul at the time.'

Originally from Lincolnshire, John once wrote: 'I sailed around the world and spent most of my time drunk and doing the things sailors do. 

'However, throughout this I had a deep sense of wrong - a sense of judgment.'

He went on to say that, one night in HMS Mercury's Signal School, a man spoke to him about God.

Little did he know that man would be his future father-in-law and that a life in ministry beckoned for him too.

In Spring 1971 John and May were married. Now a devout Christian himself, John tied the knot with May quicker than expected.

On her website, May wrote: 'I met John and we fell in love. I was so thrilled that I had met someone who loved the Lord as much as I did.

'We arranged our wedding for May 1971 but, at the end of March that year, our GP told us that my mum would not make it to then. 

The couple, from Auchtermuchty in Fife, Scotland, ran a business together and were committed Christians who served in ministry together

'So after a call to my pastor and lots of phone calls to family and friends, we arranged our wedding on 3rd of April 1971. She lasted three weeks after that.'

Dealing with health issues would repeatedly be part of the Cropleys' story,  but at this point in their lives their focus was on training for ministry.

The pair began work as missionaries with the Royal Sailors' Rest for 10 years, two of those in Singapore.

They also studied at Trinity College in Bristol before John was ordained as pastor at Calvary Evangelical Church in Brighton.

In later years they would take on a church in Sunderland before returning home to work for the Scottish Christian Alliance.

John was also chaplain for Rosyth naval base for a time.

While the pair's ministry would take them all over the world, on returning to Fife they bought a house in Auchtermuchty and began working to help homeless people in Glenrothes.

May managed the Gilven House Project, which is now under the management of Fife Council, and John became assistant director at the Alliance.

John Mills, head of housing services with Fife Council, said: 'I had the pleasure of working with May when she was the manager for the supported accommodation for young homeless women for many years.

Introduced by her father, May met John (both pictured in their youth) - who had joined the Navy as a telegraphist aged 15 - when he was invited to live with her family

'She was committed and passionate in her support for the young residents and to ensure that they could always move on to their own tenancy and to take advantage of education and training opportunities.

'She, with John's strong support, went the extra mile to make a big difference to young people using Gilven House.'

In 2008, May started becoming unwell. It took 18 months of tests to reveal she had a rare form of cervical cancer - the treatment of which also took its toll on her body.

She also had an autoimmune condition called Good's syndrome, making her more susceptible to illness.

May wrote: 'This may not have been what I would have chosen for my life but wherever the will of God leads me, the grace of God will keep me.'

The pair moved into a lodge in Largo, where John discovered he had a form of vasculitis affecting his lungs.

Janet said: 'They both had these underlying health conditions but they remained so faithful. 

'They never doubted and just kept going. John was still preaching until a few weeks ago.'

On his website, Fife Pulpit by the Sea, recordings of John's sermons can be heard up until July. At that point their health problems, combined with Covid, took hold.

After shielding for more than a year, May went out for lunch to celebrate the 60th birthdays of two of her cousins while John was in need of oxygen delivered to their home.

Janet said: 'They don't know how they caught it, but from getting it to becoming really ill it was only a matter of days.

'I had just seen May, and we had talked on the phone. I knew they were feeling ill with it, but I was shocked to get the message to say they had gone into hospital.

May (pictured above) managed the Gilven House Project, which is now under the management of Fife Council, and John became assistant director at the Alliance

'May was fine when I had spoken to her last but then in the early hours of Tuesday July 13 I got a text that said they had been taken to Ninewells.'

They were in a room together and, on Wednesday, Janet received an update that John's condition had deteriorated.

A good friend who was part of the same Christian community as the Cropleys, Emma McHale, visited the couple.

Janet said: 'Just two years ago John gave me away at my wedding, and because my husband recently died, May was worried their situation would be too much of a burden, so she asked Emma to be their person to contact.

'By Wednesday evening John had passed. I couldn't believe it.'

On Thursday morning Emma got a call to say they wanted to move May to the high dependency unit.

Janet said: 'As I understand it, May refused the treatment. They called for the hospital chaplain, who knew them both, and as they sang Amazing Grace, she slipped away.

'I really can't believe it. Covid took John and 12 hours later she went with him.'

John and May, who celebrated their golden wedding anniversary earlier this year, were laid to rest at Upper Largo Cemetery in a plot beside May's older brother.

Committed to his faith until the end, John wrote in one of his final website posts: 'He is God and can do what He wants, when He wants and where He wants. 

'If He couldn't then He would not be God. I am deeply grateful to Him for changing my life.' 

Janet said: 'I will miss them both terribly. May was older than me and so I've known them both my whole life. 

'John was so funny. He had a wicked sense of humour. And May was so kind.' 

By James Robinson for MailOnline

A heartbroken son from a family of anti-vaxxers has revealed how his mother, father and brother all died of Covid within the space of a week, after refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine.

Francis Goncalves suffered the devastating triple loss of his brother Shaul, 40, father, Basil, 73, and mother, Charmagne, 65, last month.

The 43-year-old, who lives Cardiff, says his three relatives, who were based in Portugal, refused the Covid jab after falling victim to 'anti-vaccination propaganda'.

Now Francis, who believes the virus spread through his family during a meal, is pleading with others to avoid 'falling into the trap' of Covid conspiracies.

He said: 'They (my family) got caught up in a lot of the anti-vaccination propaganda that's going around. It preys on people who are afraid and they fall into the trap. 

'The message I want to get out is why would the government want to hurt you by giving you a vaccine? What is the purpose behind it? I've spoken to so many people who are terrified of the vaccine and it costs lives.' 

Francis said that, while his mother had underlying health issues and his father had recently been in hospital with kidney stones, he was particularly shocked by the death of his brother - who he described as the 'healthiest person' he knew.

He said he believes the vaccine would have saved his brother's life, adding: 'If he wasn't working out in the gym or running, he was going on walks.  He hadn't drunk in 15 years and ate a whole foods plant-based diet.'

He also paid tribute to his family, describing his mother as the 'mother hen' who would 'do anything for us', and his father as a man 'who gave everything'.

And speaking about his brother, he said: '  He always looked out for the best interests of people around him and he wanted to teach people. He spend time helping people and wouldn't ask for anything in return.

'That was the same with my father, he would go to people's places and help fixed things for them. I was and am still proud of my family,' he added.

Francis' tragedy is the latest in a line of anti-vaxxer deaths, including the likes of super-fit rock climbing and bodybuilding enthusiast John Eyers, 42, who died of Covid after refusing the jab due to his belief he would be fine without it.

Cambridge University graduate Leslie Lawrenson, 58, also passed away at his home in Bournemouth on July 2, just nine days after releasing footage to Facebook explaining why Covid was 'nothing to be afraid of'.  

Two doses of AstraZeneca's Covid vaccine - the jab most commonly used in the UK - slash the risk of death from the disease by 94 per cent among the over-65s, real world data shows. 

Francis Goncalves (pictured with his family) suffered the devastating triple loss of his brother Shaul, 40, father, Basil, 73, and mother, Charmagne, 65, last month

The 43-year-old , who lives in Cardiff, says his family members refused the Covid jab after falling victim to 'anti-vaccination propaganda' and 'misinformation' 

Francis said that, while his mother had underlying health issues and his father had been in hospital with kidney stones, he was particularly shocked by the death of his brother, who he described as the 'healthiest person' he knew. He said he believes the vaccine would have saved his brother's life, adding: 'If he wasn't working out in the gym or running, he was going on walks. He hadn't drunk in 15 years and ate a whole foods plant-based diet'

Francis' family (pictured: His mother Charmagne and father Basil) were all in Portugal at the time of their deaths. He said they all began to feel unwell on the weekend of July 10, a few days after having a meal together

SAGE estimates the R rate — which shows how quickly the virus is spreading — is between 0.8 and 1.1. It means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 8 and 11 other people

Harehills South in Leeds has reached the fewest over-50s, with just 813 of the 1,562 living in the area receiving their second dose — 52 per cent of the population. Map shows: The proportion of adults who have had both Covid vaccine doses

Overall, 2.5million over-50s (11 per cent) have not yet got their second jab and 2million haven't had their first (nine per cent)

Imperial College London figures also show a double dose of the jab is 55 per cent effective at blocking symptoms of the Indian 'Delta' variant, while he efficacy figure for two doses of either Pfizer or Moderna is thought to be in the region of 85 per cent.  

The tragic Covid deaths come as the Government continues to ramp up pressure on young people to get the Covid jab, amid fears uptake could slow - despite more than two-thirds of those aged 18 to 29 already having had a first dose.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation last week recommended the 1.4million youngsters aged 16-17 should be offered Pfizer jabs.

Officials are keen to push the immunisation drive on to more youngsters in order to prevent an autumn surge in Covid infections when they return to schools in September.  

Meanwhile, official figures show Covid cases are continuing to rise in the UK with a further 27,429 infections reported yesterday, an increase of 12 per cent on last Sunday's figure of 24,470. A total of 39 people were recorded as dying in the UK from Covid yesterday.

Francis' tragedy began last month after his family, who were all in Portugal at the time of their deaths, after they enjoyed a meal together. They began feeling sick a few days later, on July 10.

He said he believed his father picked up Covid while in hospital receiving treatment for kidney stones days before and may have spread it at the meal.

Francis said: 'On Thursday, July 8, my parents had dinner at my brother's apartment he shares with his girlfriend and they started to feel very ill that weekend.

'On the Monday, my brother's girlfriend said Shaul could feel something was wrong.

'He said he'd never felt anything like it, that he felt like he was filled with weight and that he was tired. He decided to get a test for Covid and they tested positive.

'My parents were really ill at the time as well. They went through to the hospital and I had a text from my father that afternoon saying they've been admitted into the hospital because they have both tested positive. That was on July 12.'

With Francis being so far away in Cardiff, he said it became difficult to get hold of his parents.

But on Wednesday, July 14 he discovered his father - who has underlying health issues - had been moved to the intensive care unit . 

From that point on each family member started to deteriorate, so Francis made plans to fly over to be with them in Portugal.

He said: 'I spoke to my brother every day and we couldn't get hold of my father. He had a little bit of battery life available on his phone on the Tuesday morning and I managed to ask him how he was doing, but then he didn't have a charger. 

'It was very difficult for me to get hold of him in a country I couldn't speak the language. 

Francis (pictured with his family) said he believed his father picked up Covid while in hospital receiving treatment for kidney stones days before

With Francis being so far away in Cardiff, he said it became difficult to get hold of his parents (pictured left: His mother Charmagne). But on Wednesday, July 14 he discovered his father (pictured right) - who has underlying health issues - had been moved to the intensive care unit . From that point on each family member started to deteriorate, so Francis made plans to fly over to be with them in Portugal.

Covid cases are rising among adults in their early twenties and the oldest teenagers in England, and are static among adults in their late twenties. Experts said this could be due to Freedom Day easings and the long daylight hours encouraging more socialising. Younger age groups tend to do more socialising than older age groups

 

The rate is lowest in the North East and Yorkshire, as well as the North West, with both areas having a rate of around 0.7 to 1

'My brother was finding it frustrating to get in touch with my parents as well, but he managed to get through to my mother on the Wednesday, which was when my father was put into an induced coma and moved to ICU.

'Meanwhile my brother' mucus had changed from green to brown and I told him to be very careful because that could be a sign of pneumonia. 

'From then, he deteriorated and when I managed to speak to him, I could tell there was definitely something wrong with him. I started pushing my plans to get up there faster.'

But heartbreakingly, as Francis waited for the Covid test results he needed to be able to fly out to Portugal, he received a text saying his brother had been rushed to hospital.

'On the Saturday (July 17) I had a message at 8.08pm to say Shaul had been rushed off to hospital in an ambulance,' he said. 'I spoke to his girlfriend and she was really worried. Then, at about 1am I received a call from her saying she had been told he had passed away that evening.' 

With his brother being Francis' only means of contacting his parents, he had to get hold of a law firm in Portugal to help him out. The firm contacted the hospital on his behalf and passed on his contact details.

Devastatingly, on Tuesday, July 20 the hospital called Francis to say his father had also died.

The next day, Francis finally managed to get a flight up to Portugal to see his mother and to make arrangements for his dad and brother. 

When he arrived, he discovered his mother - who had a number of underlying health issues, including an autoimmune disease - was struggling to cope with the virus.

Francis said: 'On the Wednesday, I travelled through to Portugal after getting my PCR test results and I managed to find out more about my mother. She was also in an induced coma.   

Francis, who returned home from Portugal on Friday, said his experience had been incredibly painful. He said his family (pictured: Francis with his brother and father) was 'small and close' but that his mum, dad and brother had all positively impacted the lives of many others around them

Francis described his brother (pictured left with his mother) as his 'best friend' and said he ran a YouTube channel called Animation Deconstructed. He said his mother Charmagne (pictured right) was a 'mother hen' who would 'do anything for us'

Young people are warned they could be banned from clubs and 'miss out' on travelling if they avoid getting Covid jab in new Government campaign 

ByHarriet Line Chief Political Correspondent For The Daily Mail 

Young people will ‘miss out’ on clubbing and travelling if they do not get the coronavirus vaccine, the Government will warn in a campaign launching today.

Social media channels will be used to plug the ‘Don’t Miss Out’ and ‘Get Your Shot’ message, while Heaven nightclub in London will host a pop-up vaccine centre this Sunday.

Ministers are increasing pressure on young adults to have the jab amid fears uptake could slow, despite more than two-thirds of those aged 18 to 29 already having had a first dose.

The campaign will encourage clubgoers, university students and all young adults to get both doses so they can return to the things they enjoy doing. A Q&A film has also been released featuring Bodalia – a doctor who live streams his own NHSessions DJ sets – talking about the importance of taking the jab.

He has gained a massive following by performing from his kitchen in his scrubs on social media after finishing his hospital shifts.

Last month Boris Johnson made the controversial announcement that proof of double vaccination would be a ‘condition of entry’ to nightclubs and other busy venues from September.

Cabinet ministers have privately questioned whether the policy is only being floated to drive vaccine take-up, but Transport Secretary Grant Shapps insisted yesterday it was ‘not a bluff’.

More than 40 Tory MPs have vowed to oppose a change in the law to bring in vaccine passports – and nightclub owners have hammered the plan.

But Lohan Presencer, of the Ministry of Sound nightclub, said yesterday: ‘People just need to get both their vaccines so we can all keep dancing together safely.’ 

Bodalia said: ‘I want everyone to enjoy themselves as safely as possible now that clubs and music events are back.

‘If you haven’t got round to getting the vaccine yet, now really is the time to come forward and book in for your first and second dose. If you’ve questions or concerns, seek answers from the NHS or your GP.’

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: ‘Vaccines are saving lives, protecting people, and allowing us to regain some of the freedoms we’ve missed over the last 18 months.

‘It’s remarkable to see different sectors step up to help get the country vaccinated, and my thanks go to the Ministry of Sound, Heaven, and Bodalia, among many others. Having a vaccine is one of the most important things you will ever be asked to do.’

Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi added: ‘Getting both doses of a vaccine will be vital come September for students and people wanting to enjoy the country’s nightlife.’

'They allowed me to go and see her which was already a sign that things weren't going well and I had to dress up in full PPE.

'Then on the Saturday, JuIy 24, I received a phone call from the doctor saying they were in a situation where they had tried everything and the next couple of hours would be critical. Later that evening, I received a call to say she had passed away.'

A week later, on Sunday, August 1, all three members of the family were buried next to each other at a cemetery in Lisbon called Sao Joao, where a section is dedicated to Covid-related deaths.

Francis said: 'They were where all the Covid bodies are buried. It's allocated and marked off. They said the entire time during Covid they'd never had three bodies brought in together from the same family.

'I asked about exhuming the bodies at a later date and moving them somewhere outside a dedicated Covid zone, as it didn't represent my family. 

'But they said that unfortunately not knowing enough about Covid there is no intention of moving them ever. It was really terrible.'

Francis, who returned home from Portugal on Friday, said his experience had been incredibly painful. He said his family was 'small and close' but that his mum, dad and brother had all positively impacted the lives of many others around them.

Francis said he grew up in South Africa and that his brother helped the family to move to Cardiff in 2015 to escape violence in the region. 

A year later, his parents and brother moved to Portugal, where his father was originally from. Describing his family, he said: 'My father gave everything. He would wear broken shoes so we could have the best they could get.  

'I found a bible he carried around with him when I was in Lisbon and I opened it up and saw a bookmark and it was a picture of my mum when she was in her 20s.

'I could see that he loved her and she loved him. He never knew his father, but he always tried to be something more. 

'My mother was a mother hen and she'd do anything for us. I remember my brother started a little printing company and couldn't get much work so my mother started selling things of hers so she could help him out.

'My brother was my best friend. He started a YouTube channel called Animation Deconstructed where he would talk people through animation and it was picking up slowly, but the greatest and worst part about it is it's now gone crazy. 

'This was his thing and the career he wanted and he never got to see it.

'He always looked out for the best interests of people around him and he wanted to teach people. He spend time helping people and wouldn't ask for anything in return.

'That was the same with my father, he would go to people's places and help fixed things for them. I was and am still proud of my family.'

Francis said as he has grieved for his three closest family members over the last few weeks, his time has been spent dealing with attorneys, funeral homes and hospitals.

He said it had been been a 'rollercoaster' going from one thing to the next.

He said: 'I went over to Portugal with the intention of looking after our parents after hearing my brother was ill. It's literally been a push from one day to the next to get things done, but you just have to sort it out and get it done.

'You're just gritting your teeth and pushing through and if you manage to get a pause, it becomes a flood of emotion. 

'I'm very lucky that my friends have offered their time to chat, the support has definitely helped me. My wife and my extended family on both sides also supported me.

'I'm at home now and I know everything is going to sink in a lot faster because I don't need to rush through things so much.  I'm going to have time to focus on what's happened so I expect to be quite overwhelmed.' 

By Stephen Matthews Health Editor and Emily Craig Health Reporter for the MailOnline

Britain's Covid outbreak may be speeding up once more, according to official data that suggests the worst of the third wave may not be over. 

Department of Health bosses posted 25,161 positive tests — up 14.6 per cent on last Monday's figure. The week-on-week percentage growth has now risen for four days in a row. 

Daily cases had fallen consistently towards the end of July, sparking hopes that the UK's summer resurgence was already fizzling out. But the trend started to reverse last week. 

No hospitalisation figures were published for the UK as a whole today — but separate England-only statistics have suggested admissions may also be on the rise. Figures are still down week-on-week, however.

Scientists say both measures may be a sign of last month's so-called 'Freedom Day', which saw people allowed to pack into restaurants and bars without masks and mix freely indoors. Others, however, warned it was too early to hit the panic button and that it may just be a blip in the data.

Meanwhile, health officials recorded a slight uptick in deaths. Another 37 victims were registered today, up 54.2 per cent on the figure last week. It takes even longer for cases to translate into deaths.

It comes as a top scientist today claimed Britain needs to stop counting daily Covid infections as the country's pandemic phase slowly fizzles out.

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, warned the numbers — which reflect the number of people testing positive every day — will 'remain high for our lifetimes'.

He said the coronavirus will never be eradicated. Instead, it will become endemic and circulate throughout the country for generations.

But that doesn't mean Britain will necessarily have to resort to lockdowns in future. Scientists believe the virus – called SARS-CoV-2 – will eventually morph into one that causes a common cold as immunity builds up over time.

The seven-day rolling average of people being admitted to hospital each day in England (orange line) had been dropping steadily since July 27. But figures from last Wednesday show a further 747 people went into hospital with Covid (blue bars), a rise from 680 people one day earlier - a 2.5 per cent increase

In other developments today:

Almost 23,000 first vaccine doses were dished out on Sunday, the Government data also revealed today.

It means 89 per cent of adults have now had their initial jab.

Meanwhile, another 122,000 top-ups were dished out — taking the proportion of fully-vaccinated over-18s to 74.8 per cent. 

Covid hospitalisations in England may already be on the rise again, official data also suggested today.  

NHS England statistics show there were 747 admissions on Wednesday, August 4, the most recent day figures are available for.

This corresponded to a rolling seven-day average of 679.9, which was the first time it had ticked upwards since July 27.

But the figure was still 15.5 per cent below the previous Wednesday, when the average stood at 785.1.  

Britain needs to STOP counting Covid infections as pandemic phase slowly fizzles out or numbers will remain 'high for our lifetimes', expert warns

Britain needs to stop counting daily Covid infections as the country's pandemic phase slowly fizzles out, a scientist claimed today.

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, warned the numbers — which reflect the number of people testing positive every day — will 'remain high for our lifetimes'.

He suggested the UK should start to care only about hospitalisation figures, which will peter out to 'very low numbers' in the next stage of the epidemic.

He said the coronavirus will never be eradicated. Instead, it will become endemic and circulate throughout the country for generations.

But that doesn't mean Britain will necessarily have to resort to lockdowns to control the virus again in future.

Scientists believe the virus – called SARS-CoV-2 – will eventually morph into one that causes a common cold as immunity builds up over time.

Hospitalisation figures lag behind trends in infection rates due to the time it takes for someone to catch the virus and become ill enough to need NHS care.

Day-to-day counts can fluctuate heavily, meaning the seven-day average paints a much clearer picture about the true state of play in NHS hospitals. 

Vaccines have changed the game in the fight against Covid, with ministers last month feeling confident enough to drop the remaining legal restrictions in England. 

But the jabs are not perfect, and have only slashed the risk of infected people becoming seriously ill and needing medical treatment — not removed it completelyThe effects of the vaccines can be clearly seen in the data for the third wave, which saw hospital admissions peak at around 790 on July 27. 

For comparison, the figure breached 4,000 during the darkest days of the second wave in January and stood at more than 3,000 in England's first battle with the disease.

This is despite the number of people testing positive for the disease being largely similar, especially in the second and third wave.

People seeking hospital care dropped consistently at the end of July and beginning of August, falling to a seven-day average of 677 people being admitted on Tuesday, August 3.

The daily NHS England figures — which do not break down admissions by age or vaccination status — show that rates now appear to be on the rise again.

Around a quarter of patients being admitted aren't actually being treated primarily for Covid because the figures include everyone who tests positive. 

And many of those who do end up becoming ill actually catch the virus after attending NHS facilities for another reason.   

It coincides with the rise in the number of positive tests which began filtering through into the daily data towards the end of July, which experts partly blamed on July 19's easing of restrictions. 

Dr David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer in medicine for older adults at the University of Exeter, told MailOnline the numbers follow on from rules being relaxed three weeks ago.

He said: 'This is the rise in numbers we would’ve expected to start to see after the July 19 easing of restrictions. 

'The biggest concern is the number of younger patients that are in hospital and potentially needing intensive care.

Covid cases are still dropping week-on-week in all age groups, but the rate of decrease has slowed considerably among adults in their early twenties. It could switch to a rise in cases in the coming days 

The Covid Symptom Study estimated cases fell by almost a quarter last week, after saying they had plateaued. It estimated 46,905 people are now catching Covid every day, down from almost 60,000 previously

'This highlights how effective the vaccine has been at reducing hospitalisations and death in the elderly, but also the need to get young adults vaccinated as soon as possible, before universities and colleges restart, and more normal mixing resumes.'

Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham, claimed low hospitalisation rates will lead to fluctuations in daily figures.

He said: 'We know that hospital figures tend to lag behind case numbers. 

'When you have relatively low numbers of hospitalisations as we have now, small fluctuations in numbers are more noticeable. It will be important to understand the longer-term trend. 

'We are seeing relatively more younger people admitted to hospital as these were the last group to be vaccinated, but on the whole these people will be less likely to suffer severe disease and their stay in hospital should be short. 

'The rapid turnover in admissions will also lead to lumpy data.'

Regarding Covid infection numbers, he added: 'As we came out of lockdown and as people start to mix more, we may well see increases in infection rate.

'But the main thing is that vaccines are breaking the link between infection and serious disease for most people. 

'We will see fluctuations in numbers and we are likely to see outbreaks in future. But hopefully vaccines will continue to protect the vast majority.'

But Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, warned a single day figure may not mean a lot because they can vary quite a lot day to day.

Figures released later today will give a much cleared picture on the trend in admissions, he told MailOnline. 

Professor Kevin McConway, an expert in applied statistics at the Open University, told MailOnline it's 'really much too early to say whether this is an indication that numbers are going up'.

And he said he is 'not hugely concerned yet' on the rise in Covid cases.

Professor McConway said: 'First, it’s not yet clear that the rates are rising. There’s a great deal of day-to-day variation, and if that is smoothed out by looking at seven-day averages, they are still going down (though not very fast). 

'I think it’s fairer to say that the decline has flattened off and that the level of new cases is very roughly static. 

'And though I’d rather that wasn’t the case, it doesn’t really surprise me. There’s been enough time now for the lifting of restrictions in England on July 19 to feed through into new cases. 

'But really it’s too early to be sure of the trends, and the daily case counts can anyway be affected by biases because of how many people are being tested and why they come forward for test.'