West London borough named as hotspot in ‘watch list’ of areas where covid is increasing

west London borough was revealed on Wednesday afternoon to have the sixth highest rate in England of new covid infections.

Public Health England’s weekly covid “watchlist” said there had been 57 cases per 100,000 population in Hounslow in the most recent seven-day period.

The next highest London borough was neighbouring Hillingdon, with 40 cases per 100,000, followed by Ealing on 37 and Brent, Croydon and Harrow all on 28.

Hounslow was not one of five boroughs that Mayor Sadiq Khan referred to – without naming them directly – earlier this week when he said vaccines should be offered to younger Londoners in a bid to dampen the spread of the Indian variant of covid.

Today’s figures, based on cases diagnosed across the country from specimens taken between May 6 and 12, and collated on Monday, are likely to be the latest indication of the threat posed by the Indian variant.

They do not separate out the number of cases of that strain, known as B.1.617.2, as opposed to the Kent or South African strains that are also circulating.

But they show rates have increased week-on-week in 24 of London’s 33 boroughs.

Separate research from PHE last week showed 400 cases of the Indian strain had been detected in London among about 1,500 cases nationally.

Hounslow, Ealing and Brent are all known to have large South Asian populations and the vast majority of the 400 cases of the Indian strain in London are understood to be in people who have travelled internationally or their family or close contacts.

On Monday Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the number of cases of the Indian variant had increased to 2,323 across the UK, including 483 in Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen, where it has become the dominant strain.