Chiswick Covid Infection Rates Among Highest in London

But local hospitals still not reporting significant surge in admissions

Hounslow's NHS Covid App community team spreading the message. Picture: Hounslow Council

Parts of Chiswick currently have some of the highest Covid-19 infection rates in London.

The area designated by the Office of National Statistics as Chiswick South West, which covers Strand on the Green and parts of Grove Park, had a case rate of 434.4 per 100,000 population in the week to 13 September a rise of a third on the previous week. There were only a handful of areas across the capital with an infection rate of above 400.

Bedford Park had the second highest rate in the W4 area with positive tests increasing by 90.9% to 21.

A local GP said, “A few clusters of infection can have a significant impact on the rates in such a small area so this may be what we are seeing at the moment. However, given the demographics of the area, with an not unusually high proportion of younger people, it is surprising to see W4 consistently with such relatively high rates compared to adjacent areas. My best guess is that there has been more social mixing here because of the high level of community activity or put another way, we get on with our neighbours better.”

Local boroughs have the highest rates in London at the moment led by Ealing which has a weekly case rate of 277 per 100,000 population. Hounslow is not far behind on 266.

However, the number of positive tests is falling in both Ealing and Hounslow with the former seeing a decline of 18.6% in the week to 12 September and the latter down by 5.5%

There is no evidence as yet that the level of hospital admissions is accelerating. The Imperial College Healthcare Trust which runs a number of local hospitals including Charing Cross and Hammersmith is currently treating 100 people for Covid-19 with 27 of those on ventilators. Daily admissions for the disease at the Trust’s hospitals have generally been in single figures each day since mid-July compared to over 50 on some days in January.

Chiswick South West has unusually high rate. Picture: ONS

The booster jab programme has now started and the extra vaccine will be given out with priority given to the same groups of people as before.

In Hounslow borough more efforts are being made to limit the spread of the virus with the local NHS Covid-19 App community team out and about explaining to people why they should us it.

Map showing the Middle Super Output Areas from the table above. Source: ONS

Up to and including 15 September 5,838,305 people in London had received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 5,232,885 had received two doses.

In the most recent week of complete data (5 September - 11 September), 20,230 cases were identified in London, a rate of 225 cases per 100,000 population. This compares with 22,215 cases and a rate of 247 for the previous week.

In the same week, 168,049 cases were identified in England as a whole, a rate of 297 cases per 100,000 population. This compares with 187,599 cases and a rate of 332 for the previous week.

The total number of Covid-19 cases identified in London is 1,042,430 as at 15 September, this compares to 6,281,236 cases for England as a whole.

September 19, 2021