This is 24 percent higher than the average for the same period, from 2014 to 2019, with 2,346 reported cases.
Reports of cases in the week ending December 22 showed a drop compared to the previous week, but PHE said the drop in reports was most likely due to it being the holiday period.
Nick Phin, PHE’s national infection service deputy director, said: “While case numbers of norovirus have reduced in recent weeks, they are still at levels higher than we would expect to see at this time of year and it is likely there have been delays in reporting cases due to the holiday period.”
Since July there have been 138 hospital outbreaks, with 126 of these being ward or bay closures and 94 being confirmed in labs.
READ MORE: Scarlet fever outbreak: Hundreds of cases reported across England and Wales – the symptoms
