Covid rates rising in all areas going into Tier 3, data shows

The rate of new coronavirus cases has increased across every area of London as well as the parts of Essex and Hertfordshire being raised to the highest level of restrictions, the data shows.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that Greater London as well as parts of Essex and Hertfordshire will face Tier 3 restrictions from Wednesday following “very sharp, exponential rises” in cases.

Data also shows that the number of Covid-19 hospital admissions in the capital has risen to the highest level since April.

The latest data, published on Sunday, shows that coronavirus rates rose across every local authority area in London in the seven days to December 9 compared with the previous week.

It also rose across Basildon, Brentwood, Harlow, Epping Forest, Castle Point, Rochford, Maldon, Braintree, Chelmsford, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea in Essex and Broxbourne, Hertsmere, Watford and Three Rivers in Hertfordshire – all of which will go into Tier 3.

Basildon has the highest rate across these areas with 1,149 new cases recorded in the seven days to December 9 – the equivalent of 613.8 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 372.9 in the seven days to December 2.

Havering is in second place and has the highest rate in Greater London, which has risen from 321.3 to 506.3, with 1,314 new cases.

Brentwood is in third place where the rate has risen from 225.9 to 402.5, with 310 new cases.

The figures, for the seven days to December 9, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Data for the most recent four days (December 10-13) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

Meanwhile, the most recent data also shows that there were 248 people admitted to hospital with Covid-19 in London on December 9, the highest number since April 28 when there were also 248 Covid admissions.

The data, updated on Sunday, includes people admitted to hospital who tested positive for Covid-19 in the 14 days prior to admission, and those who tested positive in hospital after admission.

Inpatients diagnosed with Covid-19 after admission are reported as being admitted on the day prior to their diagnosis.

The data also shows that there were 2,092 confirmed Covid-19 patients in hospitals in London as of Saturday (December 12), the highest number since May 6 when there were 2,154.

There were also 256 Covid-19 patients in mechanical ventilation beds in London on Saturday, down from 261 the previous day.

The list below has been calculated by the PA news agency, based on Public Health England data published on December 13 on the Government’s coronavirus dashboard.

Here is the list in full. From left to right, it reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to December 9; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to December 9; rate of new cases in the seven days to December 2; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to December 2.

Basildon, 613.8, (1149), 372.9, (698)
Havering, 506.3, (1314), 321.3, (834)
Brentwood, 402.5, (310), 225.9, (174)
Redbridge, 398.1, (1215), 296.5, (905)
Broxbourne, 390.6, (380), 219.0, (213)
Waltham Forest, 385.2, (1067), 258.9, (717)
Thurrock, 384.3, (670), 212.8, (371)
Barking and Dagenham, 383.7, (817), 300.6, (640)
Epping Forest, 375.9, (495), 217.9, (287)
Enfield, 337.0, (1125), 199.5, (666)
Newham, 331.3, (1170), 244.9, (865)
Southend-on-Sea, 315.6, (578), 160.5, (294)
Bexley, 311.3, (773), 251.3, (624)
Tower Hamlets, 302.4, (982), 209.1, (679)
Castle Point, 287.7, (260), 183.7, (166)
Chelmsford, 274.7, (490), 106.5, (190)
Watford, 272.3, (263), 182.2, (176)
Braintree, 268.0, (409), 97.6, (149)
Merton, 265.8, (549), 189.3, (391)
Harlow, 265.3, (231), 228.6, (199)
Rochford, 264.4, (231), 158.0, (138)
Bromley, 261.8, (870), 172.4, (573)
Harrow, 252.8, (635), 179.6, (451)
Kingston upon Thames, 249.6, (443), 211.8, (376)
Greenwich, 248.3, (715), 158.0, (455)
Haringey, 244.9, (658), 175.0, (470)
Hertsmere, 237.3, (249), 147.7, (155)
Hackney and City of London, 236.6, (688), 170.2, (495)
Sutton, 227.8, (470), 157.0, (324)
Croydon, 211.8, (819), 151.8, (587)
Hillingdon, 204.3, (627), 167.8, (515)
Brent, 199.2, (657), 147.1, (485)
Hounslow, 198.5, (539), 155.4, (422)
Barnet, 194.0, (768), 165.2, (654)
Southwark, 185.1, (590), 108.5, (346)
Maldon, 184.8, (120), 95.5, (62)
Ealing, 184.0, (629), 162.4, (555)
Lewisham, 183.8, (562), 113.8, (348)
Lambeth, 174.5, (569), 118.4, (386)
Wandsworth, 172.9, (570), 120.7, (398)
Islington, 161.3, (391), 120.4, (292)
Three Rivers, 159.7, (149), 128.6, (120)
Hammersmith and Fulham, 148.5, (275), 99.4, (184)
Richmond upon Thames, 137.4, (272), 82.3, (163)
Kensington and Chelsea, 137.1, (214), 103.1, (161)
Camden, 131.5, (355), 88.9, (240)
Westminster, 119.0, (311), 92.6, (242)