Hospitalisations still remain well below last winter’s peak, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

The seven-day coronavirus infection rate in Enfield has reached more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 people after a ‘major incident’ was declared in the capital.

The borough recorded 1,095 new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in the seven days to 16th December, according to data from Public Health England.

This was the seventh-lowest infection rate in London. Lambeth was the worst-affected borough, with 2,477 cases per 100,000 people during the same period. The top 18 local authorities with the highest infection rates in the UK were all London boroughs.

Despite rising case numbers, hospitalisations have so far remained well below the peak recorded in January this year. On 11th December (the most recent date for which data has been made available), the seven-day average of hospital patients with Covid-19 being treated by North Middlesex Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was 50.4, compared with 304.1 recorded on 9th January 2021.

On Saturday, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan declared a major incident in response to the rapid spread of the omicron coronavirus variant across the capital, which he described as “hugely concerning”. It means co-ordination between key public services will be ramped up, and the city could seek more government support to deal with pandemic pressures.

The mayor said: “The omicron variant has quickly become dominant with cases increasing rapidly and the number of patients in our hospitals with Covid-19 on the rise again. We are already feeling the impact across the capital, and while we are still learning about this variant, it’s right that London’s key agencies work closely together to minimise the impact on our city, including helping to protect the vital vaccination programme.

“We know that the vaccine offers our best defence against the virus. There are now more clinics in London delivering vaccines than at any point during the pandemic. I urge all Londoners to book their appointment or to go to one of the many walk-in centres across the capital as soon as you can.”

Earlier this month, the government introduced ‘plan B’ measures to curb the spread of the virus, making face masks compulsory in most public indoor venues and urging people to work from home if they can.

Ministers have so far ruled out bringing in extra restrictions before Christmas, although Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged people worried about seeing elderly or vulnerable relatives to take a lateral flow test before they visit.

Follow the latest Covid-19 data for Enfield:
Visit coronavirus.data.gov.uk

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