Covid cases plummet by 27% in London as infection rates by borough revealed
London Covid cases plummeted 27.7% in just a week at the end of February as new figures reveal infections by borough.
Some areas are reporting infection rates of less than 40 per 100,000 people, as nearly 21 million people across the UK have the first dose of a vaccine.
While the seven-day rate for the city as a whole stands at 61, this fell to 39.8 in Westminster and 37 in Southwark in the week to February 26.
Lewisham and Islington also saw low rates of 37.6 and 39.2, as the UK’s medicine regulator says booster vaccines could be approved in just weeks to tackle new variants.
Daily case numbers continue to fluctuate in the capital, with zero cases reported in Kensington and Chelsea on Tuesday, but 11 recorded the next day.
The rest of the city saw some positive figures on Wednesday, as infections dropped as low as four in Richmond, six in Islington and Haringey, and eight in Kingston and in Lewisham.
Kingston saw the biggest fall of 55.6% in the week to February 26, followed by Newham at 44.6%, Lambeth at 40.3% and Southwark at 40.1%.
Ealing reported the highest rate of coronavirus at 111.2, while Hounslow was the only other borough above 100 at 106.1.
Covid infection rates in London
Kingston saw 72 in the week to February 26, down 90 (55.6%) with a seven-day rate of 40.6
Newham 199 cases, down 160 (44.6%) rate 56.4
Lambeth 154 cases, down 104 (40.3%) rate 47.2
Southwark 118 cases, down 79 (40.1%) rate 37
Kensington and Chelsea 68 cases, down 38 (35.8%) rate 43.6
Barking and Dagenham 165 cases, down 89 (35%) rate 77.5
Merton 147 cases, down 77 (34.4%) rate 71.2
Bexley 139 cases, down 72 (34.1%) rate 56
Waltham Forest 152 cases, down 76 (33.3%) rate 54.9
Hillingdon 281 cases, down 137 (32.8%) rate 91.6
Croydon 248 cases, down 114 (31.5%) rate 64.1
Havering 158 cases, down 70 (30.7%) rate 60.9
Lewisham 115 cases, down 50 (30.3%) rate 37.6
Hounslow 288 cases, down 122 (29.8%) rate 106.1
Richmond 97 cases, down 40 (29.2%) rate 49
Camden 105 cases, down 41 (28.1%) rate 38.9
Hammersmith and Fulham 138 cases, down 52 (27.4%) rate 74.5
Redbridge 219 cases, down 79 (26.5%) rate 71.8
Hackney and City of London 141 cases, down 49 (25.8%) rate 48.5
Greenwich 148 cases, down 51 (25.6%) rate 51.4
Enfield 165 cases, down 54 (24.7%) rate 49.4
Westminster 104 cases, down 34 (24.6%) rate 39.8
Haringey 142 cases, down 43 (23.2%) rate 52.9
Brent 284 cases, down 84 (22.8%) rate 86.1
Bromley 145 cases, down 38 (20.8%) rate 43.6
Harrow 220 cases, down 54 (19.7%) rate 87.6
Barnet 275 cases, down 60 (17.9%) rate 69.5
Ealing 380 cases, down 80 (17.4%) rate 111.2
Tower Hamlets 147 cases, down 29 (16.5%) rate 45.3
Sutton 156 cases, down 21 (11.9%) rate 75.6
Wandsworth 205 cases, down eight (3.8%) rate 62.2
Islington 95 cases, up two (2.2%) rate 39.2
Only Islington saw cases increase in a sign that Londoners are continuing to make sacrifices to drive Covid away.
However, the numbers come as Rishi Sunak admits he’s extended the furlough scheme to September because ‘things might change’ in terms of easing England’s lockdown.
Asked on ITV’s Good Morning Britain why it was necessary to maintain the furlough scheme beyond June, the Chancellor said: ‘We did that for a couple of reasons. I wanted people to have the reassurance that we were “going long”, beyond the end of the road map, because of course things might change.
‘We wanted to accommodate even the most cautious view of exiting from the restrictions – hopefully that won’t happen, we are making great progress, and thanks to everyone involved in the vaccination drive for making that possible.
‘But it is also important to remember that, just because the restrictions end, businesses will still need to take time to recover, things will take a bit of time to get back to the way they were, so I think it is important to provide that extra cushion.’
The Office for National Statistics revealed today that four in 10 over-80s are flouting coronavirus lockdown rules within three weeks of receiving their first vaccine.
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