Acton Infection Rate Remains High as Deaths Start to Rise


Local cases well above the London average

The latest official figures show that Acton continues to have stubbornly high Covid-19 infection rates which remain well above the London average.

The death toll in the area has started to rise again with three people reported to have died from the virus in December bringing the total for the Acton area to 59. A high proportion of these are believed to have died in local care homes near the beginning of the pandemic.

When asked to comment on the figures a local GP said, “Acton is getting off lightly so far but I know the number of deaths will rise significantly in January. These infection rates are still too high and people must remember that vaccination does not confer instant immunity. I’m concerned that some people are reducing the rigour with which they have previously been adhering to the regulations once an elderly relative has received their first dose. This could literally be a fatal mistake.”

Infection rates across Acton are roughly similar with South Acton seeing 50 new cases in the week to 22 January resulting in a level of 637.3 cases per 100,000. Unlike much of the rest of the country some areas of W3 are not yet seeing significant falls in the number of positive tests with cases rising marginally in Acton Central as well as South Acton. Cases fell sharply in North Acton.

Ealing borough as a whole now has the highest Covid-19 infection rate in London. In the week to 22 January the area had seen 705 new cases per 100,000 population against an average for the capital of 495. The worse affected areas are Southall and Northolt which have infection rates over 1,000 per 100,000 population.

At the same time the latest official data for deaths shows that fatalities in the borough from the disease during December numbered forty bringing the total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic to 459.

On 27 January 2021 the daily number of new people tested positive for Covid-19 in London was reported as 4,076 bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to over 640,000. This compares to a figure of 3,248,215 cases for England as a whole

Data for recent days are constantly being revised as more information becomes available.

The data from Public Health England is for areas known as Middle Layer Super Output Areas.

Covid-19 Infections in Acton to 22 January
Area Rolling coronavirus rate Rolling number of cases Percentage increase Deaths to December Deaths in December
South Acton
637.3
50
6.4
10
0
Acton Central
613.8
54
1.9
28
0
East Acton
611.6
74
-32.7
6
1
Acton Noel Road & Lunton Road
597.4
42
-10.6
6
1
Ealing Common & Twyford Ave
591.6
50
-7.4
9
1
North Acton
574.3
67
-46.8
0
0
Source: ONS

Ealing Council leader Julian Bell said, "With admissions to local hospitals still high and Covid-19 related deaths continuing to rise in Ealing we all need to follow the advice to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

"This week I’ve had a number of conversations with people I know that have been suffering from this terrible disease. One friend had been in hospital for five days on oxygen due to Covid-19 and felt lucky to be alive having just been discharged. He pleaded with me to tell people to follow the rules – to wash their hands thoroughly, wear face coverings and keep the two metres from people not from your household."

Tier four restrictions now apply to the area. These are similar to those imposed during the first national lockdown with people being told to stay at home - although travel for work is still permitted.

Social mixing is restricted to meeting one other person from outside your household in an open public space. All non-essential retail will have to close, along with hairdressers, nail bars and indoor entertainment venues.

Support bubbles remain unaffected, as do the exemptions for separated parents and their children.

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January 28, 2021