The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in London has jumped to more than 4,800 a week, official figures reveal today.
They show an increase of 4,824 in the week to October 1, compared to a rise of 3,363 in the previous week, and 1,875 a week earlier.
East London is the major hotspot in the capital with 249 confirmed cases in Redbridge in the week to October 1, 234 in Newham, and 207 in Tower Hamlets.
There were also 240 new cases in Barnet, 233 in Ealing and 216 in the Hackney & City area.
Some other areas are also seeing significant rises including Richmond-upon-Thames where cases jumped 142 in the week to October 1.
The figures were published after it emerged that a technical glitch meant almost 16,000 Covid-19 cases went unreported and led to delays in efforts to trace contacts of these people who tested positive for the virus.
Hundreds of cases in London are believed to be among the 15,841 between September 25 and October 2 which were not reported on the Government’s daily dashboard.
The rise in confirmed infections in the capital may also be down to extra testing since it was declared an area of Covid concern on September 25.
The Department of Health and Social Care, though, could not give up-to-date figures for testing in the capital which was cut from 90,000 in mid-August to 65,000 in September.
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey stressed that all the individuals caught up in the technical blunder had received their tests results.
But she told Times Radio: “I understand why people may wonder what is going on.”
Pressed about delays in contact tracing, she insisted that the majority of the cases affected were for people who had tested positive in the last few days.
However, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “This is shambolic and people across the country will be understandably alarmed.”
Health chiefs in London are meeting this week to discuss whether stricter restrictions are needed to combat Covid, with the Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs already urging households to limit visits to other people’s homes.
