BARKING and Dagenham has recorded the highest coronavirus infection rate in the UK as only one borough reported a fall in cases, latest data shows.
More than 3,500 new cases were reported in the London hotspot between December 28 and January 4 – the equivalent of 1687.1 per 100,000 people.
All boroughs except Richmond upon Thames, south-west London, saw an increase in infections over the seven day period.
Redbridge has the second highest rate, up from 1,166.4 to 1,559.2, after recording 4,759 new cases.
The mutant coronavirus strain continues to rip through the East of England as both Thurrock and Harlow, Essex recorded rates of 1540.1 and 1520.1 per 100,000.
Epping Forest reported 1,995 new coronavirus cases while another 1,440 infections were reported in Broxbourne.
Boroughs in London and the South East of England make the top ten as the regions remains the hardest-hit by the strain.
But, the virus is spreading throughout the country as Halton, Cheshire reported the biggest week-on-week increase in its Covid rate, according to the latest Public Health England data.
The town now has an infection rate of 1,172, up from 279.7 after reporting 1517 new cases in the week up to January 4.
The Isle of Wight, which moved from Tier 1 restrictions into Tier 4 over the Christmas period, saw its incidence rate jump to 1132.1 per 100,000 in seven days.
Coronavirus rates have doubled in Tendring, Essex, while they have trebled in Corby, Northamptonshire as the resurgent virus rips through the country.
The incidence rate in Liverpool has quadrupled, jumping from 241.5 to almost 900 per 100,000 – just months after the city trialled mass testing in a bid to get the virus under control.
The alarming statistics come as coronavirus deaths jumped by 1,325 on the UK’s deadliest day ever as cases rose by 68,053.
The grim daily death figures have now topped 1,000 for the third day running as today’s figures bring the total for the UK to 79,833.
It is also more than double the 613 reported a week ago.
Covid cases also jumped by a further 68,053 today – the 11th day in a row infections have passed 50,000 and the highest rise yet.
The total number of cases now stands at 2,957,472.
It comes as…
- Sadiq Khan declared a ‘major incident’ in London as Covid spread is ‘out of control’
- The official R-Rate has risen again to 1.4 across the UK
- Britain has approved a third Covid vaccine which will be available in Spring
- An interactive map reveals how fast Covid cases have soared in your area
- A study found the Pfizer Covid vaccine does protect against super-contagious mutant Covid strains
The figures continue to be affected by a lag in the publication of recent data, so will contain some deaths that took place over the Christmas and New Year period that have only just been reported.
The previous highest death toll was recorded in the Government’s official figures was 1,224 on April 21.
But media outlets have reported the deadliest ever day was April 8 when 1,445 sadly died after deaths hit 1,000 for 22 days in a row.
In England today, 715 more deaths were reported in hospitals bringing the total to 54,445.
The latest victims were aged between 30 and 101 with all but 23 having known underlying health conditions.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a major incident with hospitals in the capital close to breaking point.
It’s thought that one in 30 Londoners have the disease – although in some areas of the capital it’s one in 20.
Mayor Khan also warned hospitals were at risk of running out of beds in two weeks and urged face masks to be compulsory in all public spaces.
The R-rate has now hit 1.4 across the UK with the variant up to 74 per cent more transmissible.
The crucial level must be kept below 1 to cause the outbreak to shrink. Above 1, and cases will continue to rise.
But in a positive step, Britain today approved a third Covid vaccine in a boost to efforts to beat the pandemic.
UK regulators have now recommended the use of the Moderna jab – which is 94 per cent effective in preventing coronavirus.
The jab is the third to be given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), along with the vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca.
