Bexley reported over 1,000 new coronavirus cases in the seven days up to December 11, according to the latest Public Health England (PHE) data.

Over that week, 1,009 cases in total were reported in the borough.

That was among the highest number of new cases confirmed over the period for any borough in London over the time period, and represented a 55 per cent increase on the previous seven-day figure, with new reported cases increasing by 359 since the previous week's figure.

Bexley's rolling rate of Covid-19 infections per 100,000 people up to December 11 stood at an alarming 406.4, far higher than the UK-wide average of 197.5.

Other boroughs in South East London reported similarly sharp increases in the number of new confirmed cases.

Lewisham, for example, saw an even sharper percentage increase of new coronavirus cases up to December 11 (742), a jump of 358 or 93.2 per cent on the previous week's data.

Like Bexley, new cases in neighbouring Bromley over the time period topped four figures, with 1,064 new infections confirmed, 458 (75.6 per cent) more than the week before.

And in Greenwich, the epicentre of a fierce debate between central and local government over the continued opening of schools amid the surge in new infections, cases also rose by more than 50 per cent on the previous week.

Up to December 11, 839 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed, up by 280 or 50.1 per cent.

The latest data arrived as the government confirmed they would not change course on a planned easing of coronavirus-related restrictions between December 23-27, despite warnings from notable health journals that the move would "cost many lives".