Rates of coronavirus infection in south east London have risen in all but one borough over the last recorded week.

The new number of cases per 100,000 people has increased in Bexley, Bromley and Lewisham compared to the previous week, although the rate across the region compares favorably to the country as a whole. 

The figures are based on tests that have been carried out both in laboratories (pillar one of the Government's testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the new number of new cases per 100,000 population, based on the latest Public Health England figures updated on August 9. 

Data for the most recent three days (August 10-12) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

The list shows the rate of new cases in the seven days to August 9, followed by the equivalent figure for the previous seven days to August 2.

News Shopper:

Showing the number of new cases per 100,000 population, Lewisham has the highest in south east London with 5.6, an increase from 5.2 the previous week. 

Bromley has also seen an uptick in infection, recording 4.8 per 100,000, compared to 3 a week before.  

Bexley followed this trend, showing a moderate increase, with 3.6 compared to 3.2. 

Only Greenwich showed a decrease in cases, recording 4.2 compared to 4.5 the week before. 

The new figures are a change in direction from last week, where three out of four boroughs showed decreases in infection levels. 

A new study has suggested 3.4 million people in England have already been infected with Covid-19, a figure far higher than previous estimates.

The results come from the world's largest home testing programme to find antibodies for the coronavirus, a study involving more than 100,000 volunteers and carried out by Imperial College London.

News Shopper:

Conducted with the use of a simple finger-prick home test said to be easy and accurate enough for mass surveillance studies, the programme suggested 6% of England's population had already been infected with Covid-19 by July 13.

The number of new UK positive cases confirmed yesterday was above 1,000 for the second time in a week. 

In total, there have been 36,538 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in London, with 270,971 across the whole of England.

Bromley has recorded 1,561 total cases, Lewisham 1,269, Bexley 1,119 and Greenwich 1,012.

There were 77 deaths related to coronavirus recorded across the UK yesterday.