The latest Public Health England figures show that Covid-19 infection rates have declined in south east London.

Friday's PHE update shows that a majority of areas in England have seen a fall in case rates, with 281 out of 315 seeing a decline.

The figures, for the seven days to January 18, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government's testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

They show the coronavirus infection rate, expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people:

Bexley has recorded the highest number of weekly Covid-19 cases in south London for over two months, consistently leading in case rates and even peaking into the top 10 in the country.

But this week, for the first time since early December, the numbers in the borough are declining rapidly. It has seen its Covid-19 rate drop from 928.4 to 578.8 after recording 1437 cases in the past week.

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Lewisham recorded its coronavirus rate drop from 915.5 to 609.5 in the past week. 

Croydon also saw a decline in cases with its Covid-19 rate recording a fall from 965.6 to 702.1 in the past week.

Greenwich recorded a drop in cases with its Covid-19 rate recording a fall from 932.5 to 672.7 in the past week. 

The London Borough of Lambeth recorded a smaller decline with its Covid-19 rate falling from 880.6 to 646.6 in the past week. 

Bromley recorded a decline with its Covid-19 rate decreasing from 717.6 to 495.9 in the past week.

Dartford saw a slight drop in cases, decreasing from 921.8 to 646.5. Gravesham dropped from 958.5 to 692.0 in the past week. 

Meanwhile...

Knowsley in Merseyside continues to have the highest rate in England, with 1,531 new cases recorded in the seven days to January 18, the equivalent of 1,014.8 cases per 100,000 people.

Slough in Berkshire has the second highest rate, down from 1,061.9 to 936.9, with 1,401 new cases.

Sandwell in the West Midlands is in third place, down from 923.7 to 898.5, with 2,951 new cases.