Thousands of new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in south London in recent days according to Public Health England (PHE) data as infection rates across the capital continue to rise.
The spread of the highly infectious Delta variant of coronavirus combined with easing restrictions is leading to sharp rises in new infections across the UK, including in south London.
The Delta variant, which was first identified in India, is much more easily transmitted than other Covid strains with research suggesting that only “fleeting” contact with a positive case lasting even a matter of seconds could be needed to catch the virus.
Its symptoms also differ from that of the original strain of the Covid-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, that often manifested as a continuous cough.
Among the most common symptoms for the Delta variant, which now makes up around 99 per cent of new cases in the UK, are a headache, sore throat and a runny nose.
ICYMI: We’ve published our weekly #COVID19 surveillance report.
Read it here: https://t.co/nLv8KZbFQF pic.twitter.com/jEuqNDSXuE
— Public Health England (@PHE_uk) July 2, 2021
Speaking on the Delta variant previously, Professor Neil Ferguson said : “It’s well within possibility that we could see another third wave at least comparable in terms of hospitalisations.
“I think deaths probably would be lower, the vaccines are having a highly protective effect… still it could be quite worrying. But there is a lot of uncertainty.”
Below is a complete list of the number of Covid-19 cases, percentage change and infection rate per 100,000 people for every London borough over the seven days to June 28 according to PHE data.