FOI Reference: FOI/2022/3484
You asked
Please provide the daily number of new COVID-19 "cases" recorded in England and Wales since 1 January 2020. Please specify how many of those daily "cases" were determined using the RT-PCR test which Public Health England states in its document, Understanding cycle threshold (Ct) in SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR - A guide for health protection teams, "IS NOT ABLE TO DISTINGUISH WHETHER INFECTIOUS VIRUS IS PRESENT" (their emphasis - top of page 6): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/926410/Understanding_Cycle_Threshold__Ct__in_SARS-CoV-2_RT-PCR_.pdf
We said
Thank you for your request.
The Office for National Statistics COVID-19 Infection Survey is a household survey that estimates the number of people testing positive for infection and for antibodies in the UK. Our statistics refer to the number of current COVID-19 infections within the population living in private residential households. We exclude those in hospitals, care homes and/or other communal establishments. In communal establishments, rates of COVID-19 infection are likely to be different.
The UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England) is responsible for NHS Test and Trace official daily COVID-19 cases and associated publications such as the article referenced in your request. For more information about the government testing programme, you can visit the UK Coronavirus (COVID-19) dashboard or contact the UKHSA (via email at informationrights@ukhsa.gov.uk. Therefore, we consider the information requested to be not held by the ONS.
You can find the COVID-19 Infection Survey modelled daily incidence (new cases) rate of COVID-19 on tab 1o in the dataset accompanying our latest Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey bulletin. Please note that Office for National Statistics data is based on the COVID-19 Infection Survey sample and these estimates are not the official numbers of daily new cases. You can find out more about our testing in COVID-19 Infection Survey: methods and further information.
Further information and an overview of data about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and other sources can be found in our Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights tool.