FIGURES show that three south east London boroughs are in the top five UK areas with the highest week-on-week rise in Covid cases.

Southwark is the first, Lambeth is the second and Lewisham is the fifth highest borough for increasing infections.

These areas are among Hackney and City of London and Islington to have had the biggest rise in cases in the seven days up to December 4 compared with the seven days up to December 11.

Here is the list of the five UK areas with the highest week-on-week rises:

Southwark: from 463.1 (1482 cases) to 818.4 (2619 cases).

Lambeth: from 495.0 (1593 cases) to 828.7 (2667 cases)

Hackney & City of London: from 405.0 (1182 cases) to 733.5 (2141 cases)

Islington: from 405.0 (1006 cases) to 720.6 (1788 cases)

Lewisham: from 497.2 (1518 cases) to 767.7 (2344 cases).

The highest Covid rate in south east London is recorded in Lambeth with a total of 2,667 new cases.

A further 78,610 Covid cases were recorded in the UK on December 15.

The data shows Covid cases between December 6 and December 11.

The data is based on the number of people who have tested positive for Covid in either a lab-reported or rapid lateral flow test, by specimen date.

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Bromley

In Bromley, the Covid case rates have risen from 558.1 (1957 cases) to 715.5 (2381 cases).

Dartford

The case rates in Dartford also show a rise from 586.6 (669 cases) to 825.9, (942 cases).

Bexley

The cases in Bexley indicate an increase from 521.1 (1299 cases) to 672.3 (1676 cases).

Greenwich

The case rates in Greenwich also show an increase from 535.6 (1548 cases) to 755.6 (2184 cases).

Southwark

The cases in Southwark show a major increase from 463.1 (1482 cases) to 818.4 (2619 cases).

Lewisham

In Lewisham, the cases show a major increase from 497.2, (1518 cases) to 767.7 (2344 cases).

Across the UK

South Northamptonshire has the highest rate in the UK, with 876 new cases in the seven days to December 11 – the equivalent of 917.4 per 100,000 people.

This is up from 889.1 in the seven days to December 4.

Reigate and Banstead in Surrey has the second highest rate, up slightly from 880.4 to 890.5, with 1,329 new cases.

Plymouth has the third highest rate, up from 810.4 to 857.6, with 2,254 new cases.

Newry, Mourne & Down has the highest rate in Northern Ireland (820.2, down from 835.6), the Isle of Anglesey has the highest rate in Wales (694.2, down from 834.8) and Falkirk has the highest rate in Scotland (654.0, up from 591.7).

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