All of London’s boroughs have been made areas of ‘concern’ for coronavirus, PHE says

All of London’s boroughs have been made areas of “concern”, Public Health England’s latest coronavirus weekly surveillance report said.

The report shows the seven-day rolling average of case rates in the capital, with the rate in the City of London estimated at 185.4 per 100,000 people, while in Havering it stands at 139.2.

No additional measures will be taken in the city, but testing capacity will be boosted to closely monitor the growth of the virus, as earlier reported by The Evening Standard .

London Councils urged residents to follow the new Government restrictions introduced on Thursday.

It said rising cases were a “stark reminder that now is time for all Londoners to pull together and take action to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe, and to ensure that London’s economy is protected”.

Professor Kevin Fenton, London regional director for Public Health England, said Londoners can do their bit by downloading the NHS Test & Trace App.

“The placement of London on the watchlist as an area of concern is a reflection of the rising number of cases of Covid-19 being shown by a range of indicators”, he said.

“We are currently seeing much more widespread transmission in the city and being recognised as an area of concern is an important step in our efforts to control the virus. We are continuing to keep a watching brief on the situation and this new status will enable us to respond more rapidly and with additional measures should cases rise further and faster.

“As we continue our efforts, Londoners can do their bit to help by downloading the NHS Test & Trace App, adhering to government guidelines around the rule of six and remembering hands, face, space: wash your hands, wear a face covering and keep your distance.”

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