THERE has been a spike in the number of new coronavirus infections in the city according to new data from a study.

As many as 6,988 people could currently have Covid-19 in Worcester based on data provided by the ZOE Covid Study app.

Data shows the number of infections has risen from an estimated 5,976 cases last week.

The app, which allows people to self-report whether they have Covid-19 symptoms, is part of a study developed by scientists at King’s College London and launched at the start of the pandemic.

The data is used to establish what the symptoms of Covid-19 are and if they are changing as well as predict who has the virus and help track coronavirus infections across the UK.

Latest figures from Public Health England, which only show infections in the week up to February 4, show a total of 1,182 cases were recorded in Worcester during the seven days.

The latest official figures for Worcester show a drop of 27 per cent compared to the week before.

As many as 402 new coronavirus cases have been reported in Worcester since February 4, according to Public Health England, including 114 on February 6 and 148 on February 7.

Figures provided by the ZOE Covid Study app show an estimated 4,168 cases in Wychavon, which includes Evesham, Pershore and Droitwich, and an estimated 3,142 current cases in Malvern Hills.