ALT COVID-19 activity 19 activity increased across most indicators. Respiratory DataMart positivity increased to 7.1% compared with 4.6% in the previous week. COVID-19 Pillar 1 case rates are 6.2% this week, compared to 5.3% in the previous week. COVID-19 hospitalisations increased slightly to hospitalisations increased to 2.56 per 100,000 compared with 1.97 per 100,000 in the previous week. COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions remained low and stable at 0.07 per 100,000 in week 17. The highest hospital admission rate regionally is currently in the North East at 3.90 per 100,000. Those aged 85 years and over had the highest hospital admission rate, which remained stable at 25.93 per 100,000, with small increases across the remaining age groups.