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An estimated 1 in 130 people in England had coronavirus last week, official figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there were around 35,200 new cases a day between October 10 and 16, and that 433,300 people in England were infected.
Last week, 1 in 160 people were believed to be infected, with around 27,900 cases daily.
The figures record cases in private homes and exclude hospitals and residences.
The ONS said: “There has been an increase in COVID-19 infection rates in all age groups over the past two weeks, including those over 70, with the current highest rates in older adolescents and young adults.
“The highest rates of COVID-19 infection continue to be seen in the Northwest, Yorkshire and The Humber, and the Northeast.”
One in 59 people in the North West was estimated to have had the virus in the past week, but researchers say the gap between northern England and other regions “appears to be narrowing.”
The ONS Infection Survey assesses tens of thousands of people each week and is independent of the figures published each day by the UK health authorities.
It comes when four regions of England – Lancashire, South Yorkshire, Liverpool, Greater Manchester – are now on “very high” alert and under the most stringent restrictions.
Warrington council leaders told Sky News they have agreed to a deal to move to Level 3 as discussions continue on whether Nottinghamshire will follow suit.
In Wales, a full national lockdown takes effect at 6pm tonight, and in Scotland, restrictions on pubs, bars and restaurants have been extended until November 2, when a new tiered approach is expected to begin.
‘No ray of hope yet’ – analysis by Thomas Moore, Sky News medical and science correspondent
We are bombarded with statistics about what is happening these days, but the ONS figures released every Friday are what give us the most reliable picture of the epidemic.
They include tens of thousands of randomly selected people who are tested for symptoms or not.
And the latest figures, covering the week through Friday, October 16, show that the virus is still spreading rapidly.
More than 35,000 people a day were becoming infected, an increase of 26% from the previous week.
Statistics also show that the epidemic is getting worse in all regions of England. One in 59 people in the Northwest had the virus last week.
That is despite the progressive tightening of measures to control the virus.
The prime minister introduced the Rule of Six from September 14. And the areas with the highest rates have been living with even tighter restrictions for many weeks.
By now, the epidemic should be subsiding, but there aren’t many signs of that yet.
The ever-changing rules, the unwillingness to abide by them, and the hopeless test-and-trace system all play a role in that.
The other big concern of the numbers is that infections in those over 70, who are more likely to need hospital care and die, continue to rise. Trouble ahead for the NHS.
There really isn’t a glimmer of hope in another set of grim stats.
