‘Area of concern’
CORONAVIRUS RATES ALMOST DOUBLE IN HOUNSLOW, KEEPING IT ON THE GOVERNMENT’S WATCHLIST
HILLINGDON, Hounslow and Ealing remain “areas of concern” on the government’s national watchlist for a second week, new data shows.
Hillingdon has now surpassed Hounslow in the government’s league table of tracking boroughs’ coronavirus severity, revealing a weekly rate of 47.6 per 100,000 people from September 18 to 24.
This is more than double the weekly rate Hillingdon Council reported of 22 per 100,000 between September 11 and 17. All three boroughs recorded increased rates from the previous week.
Within the same time period, Hounslow’s coronavirus rate stands at 42.8 per 100,000. The government’s previous record between
September 11 to 17 showed the weekly rate at 25.5 per 100,000.
Ealing stands at 40.1 per 100,000, which has doubled since the previous week’s recorded rate of 20.5 per 100,000.
Ealing’s public health director Anna Bryden told members of the council’s Health and Wellbeing Board on September 24 that she was expecting the numbers of infections to increase in the coming weeks.
She said: “In the last two weeks we are seeing the rate is similar to north-west London, London and England as a whole. I think we mentioned before about the testing issues. There have been issues with that nationally and we are seeing that impact on us locally.
“People in London are starting to think the testing capacity is affecting some of these numbers so we do think this is a bit of an underestimate if anything, so we are expecting the numbers to increase.”
Hounslow’s public health director Kelly O’Neill told the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Wednesday September 30, that testing capacity has improved and that Hounslow has seen a “significant increase” in coronavirus.
She added: “While the demand for testing is still an issue, this is an improvement. We have been able to test more people and are getting a better picture of the real level of infection in Hounslow, which has led to a rise in reported numbers of people with Covid in the borough.
“Despite this increase in cases, the number of people who have been admitted to hospital with Covid has remained low and steady.”
All three west London boroughs have been classified as “areas of concern” by the government.
This means areas with the highest case rate where local areas are taking targeted action to reduce rates, for example additional testing in care homes and community engagement with high-risk groups.
In Hounslow there is a drive for more eligible residents to get their flu jabs, as the risk of serious illness or death more than doubles for people who test positive for coronavirus and flu together.
The council is driving targeted messages in the community, arranging outreach flu clinics for health and social care workers, while GPs are sending invitations out to residents to get the jab.
In Ealing, a spokesperson said a new walk-in test centre has been opened at Michael Flanders Centre in Acton, alongside Southall’s Featherstone Terrace Car Park centre and a mobile testing site at Gurnell Leisure Centre.
They added data suggests coronavirus is spreading among working age and younger people, so council messaging is targeting these groups to get tested.
On Thursday October 1, Public Health England’s regional director for London, Professor Kevin Fenton, said Londoners “hold the key” to reducing infection rates and buffering a second wave through their behaviour.
He said: “Cases of coronavirus in London have been steadily increasing in recent weeks and we are now at a tipping point in our efforts to limit the spread of the virus in the city. Londoners have done it before and now is the time to do it again.”