Covid infections stop rising in England. Risk level remains High with 1 in 152 infected. PPE masks still strongly recommended indoors.

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: Week Ending 25 October 2026

Covid infections in England have stopped rising this week. The overall Covid risk level remains High, so full precautions, including a PPE mask, remain strongly recommended in ALL indoor places. As of 25 October, 1 in every 152 people in England were infected.

Influenza (flu) levels in England continue to increase as the winter flu wave continues to build, but slower than would be expected based on previous waves. This does not mean that a smaller wave is coming, just that it may take longer to reach a peak. The risk from flu is rising, and precautions should be taken accordingly.

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Three people sitting at a long desk working on laptops and desktop computers. There are papers and glasses of water also on the table.

About Reach4Work

Since 2010, BuDS has helped its volunteers towards work. Our Reach4Work project, created in 2018, codified and developed that help, creating a professional wrap-around service for our disabled volunteers who want to move into or closer to work.

BuDS is exceptionally successful at moving disabled jobseeker volunteers into or closer to work…

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A blue button marked "Sign Up" in white letters, with a stylised hand about to press it

Sign Up To Reach4Work

Signing up to Reach4Work is very easy. Just tell us that you are interested in joining Reach4Work, and we will get in touch with you. We will get back to you as quickly as we can, but it can take up to a week if we are busy.

The easiest way to sign up is to complete the form below, making it clear that your enquiry is about Reach4Work. Please tell us if you would like us to communicate with you in a particular way, e.g. no phone calls or by social media messaging.

You can also email volunteering@buds.org.uk or leave a voicemail on 01494 211179.

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Covid wave continues to grow in England. Risk level remains High with 1 in 149 infected. PPE masks strongly recommended indoors.

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: Week Ending 18 October 2026

Covid infections in England are continuing to increase, up 6% on last week. The overall Covid risk level remains High and, as of 18 October, 1 in every 149 people in England were infected. Full precautions, including a PPE mask, are strongly recommended in ALL indoor places.

Influenza (flu) levels in England are increasing rapidly as the winter flu wave continues to build, up a fifth (20%) on last week. 

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Covid wave still growing in England. Risk level remains High with 1 in 160 infected. PPE masks recommended indoors.

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: Week Ending 11 October 2026

Covid infections in England have increased again, but at a slower rate. The overall Covid risk level has remains High. As of 11 October, 1 in every 160 people were infected, up 5% on last week. We continue to recommend that Covid-Cautious people take full precautions, including a PPE mask, in ALL indoor places.

Influenza (flu) levels in England are also still increasing as the winter flu wave continues to build. 

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Covid wave rapidly growing in England. Risk level now High with 1 in 175 infected. PPE masks recommended indoors.

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: Week Ending 4 October 2026

The Covid wave in England is growing very fast, and the overall Covid risk level has been raised to High. As of 4 October, 1 in every 175 people were infected, up 34% on the previous week. We continue to recommend that Covid-Cautious people take full precautions, including a PPE mask, in ALL indoor places.

Influenza (flu) levels in England are also starting to very rapidly increase and there is no doubt that the winter flu wave is starting.

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Covid wave still rapidly rising in England. Risk level remains Moderately High at 1 in 234. Wear PPE masks indoors.

Covid-19 Risk Assessment: Week Ending 27 September 2026

The Covid wave in England continues to grow very fast. As of 27 September, 1 in every 234 people were infected, up 31% on the previous week. The BuDS overall Covid risk level was Moderately High, but is likely by today (2 October) to be already High. We are now recommending that Covid-Cautious people take full precautions, including a PPE mask, in ALL indoor places.

Influenza (flu) levels are also starting to rapidly increase, although they are still lower at present. There is every sign that England will have another very bad flu winter wave.

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Covid wave likely rapidly rising in England. Take sensible precautions in all indoor places. Update to follow when data published.

Covid-19 Risk Estimate: Week Ending 27 September 2026

The Covid wave in England is likely continuing to grow, and infection levels as of 27 September were probably between 1 in 249 and 1 in 218 people infected. This is the time to take sensible precautions against catching Covid in all indoor places.

This is a brief update based on estimated growth of Covid in England. The NHS data on which we rely has been significantly delayed, so we cannot give you a more precise figure. However, the trend over the last few weeks is clear: the risk of meeting a Covid-infected person in your everyday life is still rising, and the overall Risk now is almost certainly High. 

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A graphic with a light yellow background. On the left is a blue box with text at the top reading "Fair4All Card: What Disabled People Say". Below is an image of a woman wearing a red jacket over a white t-shirt, leaning on a walking frame and smiling. On the right are a number of blue speech bubbles with shadows behind them. Each speech bubble contains a quote about the Fair4All Card. In the bottom right corner is the blue and yellow Fair4All logo. On the right of the logo is text reading "www.fair4all.org,.uk" and "The Fair4All Card by BuDS".

Fair4All Card: What Disabled People Say

The Fair4All Card is a secure photo card only for disabled people. It has the name and photo of the cardholder to prove that it is being used by the right person. BuDS issues the Fair4All Card only to disabled people, who are legally entitled to reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.

The Fair4All Card helps disabled people communicate the reasonable adjustments and exemptions they are legally entitled to. It’s evidence-based, meaning applicants must provide evidence of their disability. The front of the Fair4All Card has a photo of the card holder, while the back contains a list of reasonable adjustments and exemptions that are specific to the cardholder.

As the card has now been in circulation for a few years, BuDS has collated the views and opinions of cardholders, and produced the following case studies. These quotes come from real disabled people using the card. Only names and images have been changed to protect their identities.

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