Eight London boroughs see falls of more than 1,000 in weekly cases as tide starts to turn

LONDON is increasingly turning the tide on Covid-19 with eight boroughs seeing drops of more than 1,000 in the number of weekly confirmed cases, official figures reveal today.

Many of the areas seeing the sharpest falls in confirmed cases are in the east of the city which has been particularly hard hit by the second wave.

Havering saw the biggest drop of 38.8 per cent, or 1,223 cases, in the week to January 13, followed by Bexley down 37.2 per cent or 1,101 cases, Bromley 37 per cent or 1,175 cases, and Redbridge 36.8 per cent or 1,563 cases.

In Enfield, the decline was 34.6 per cent or 1,424 cases, Barking and Dagenham 30.2 per cent or 1,015 cases, Tower Hamlets 29.4 per cent or 1,121 cases, and Newham 26.2 per cent or 1,314 cases.

All boroughs across the city are seeing the disease on the retreat. However, the official figures also reveal the scale of the challenge facing the capital to bring the virus under control :

⬤ Two boroughs still have a seven-day rate of more than 1,000 new cases per 100,000 people, Barking and Dagenham at 1,101 and Newham at 1,045.5.

⬤ 23 boroughs still have a seven-day rate of more than 700, with the capital’s overall rate at 765.1, though, down from a second wave peak of 1,117.9 on January 4.

⬤ The seven-day rate for Londoners aged up to 59 has plunged to 774.9, but for older people more vulnerable to coronavirus it has come down more slowly and was 714.9 on January 13.

The figures show that in Havering cases were down 38.8 per cent in the week to January 13, Bexley 37.2 per cent, Bromley 37 per cent, Redbridge 36.8 per cent, Enfield 34.6 per cent, Kingston 32.1 per cent, Barking and Dagenham 30.2 per cent, Islington 29.7 per cent, Tower Hamlets 29.4 per cent, Camden 27.1 per cent, Richmond 26.9 per cent and Waltham Forest 26.9 per cent.

In Newham the fall was 26.2 per cent, Southwark 25.5 per cent, Haringey 25.5 per cent, Sutton 24.7 per cent, Greenwich 24.6 per cent, Lewisham 24 per cent, Barnet 21.7 per cent, Wandsworth 21.3 per cent, Hillingdon 20 per cent, Hackney and City 19.6 per cent and Hounslow 18.1 per cent.

In Croydon cases fell 18 per cent, with Harrow down 17.9 per cent, Merton 16.9 per cent, Hammersmith and Fulham 14.9 per cent, Lambeth 14.5 per cent, Westminster 14 per cent, Kensington and Chelsea 13.9 per cent, Ealing 10.4 per cent, and Brent 10 per cent.

Health and community leaders are appealing to the public to follow the rules as vaccines are being rolled out.