More people have died from COVID-19 in Southwark in January so far than in the previous eight and a half months.
After a huge surge in cases and hospital admissions, the latest data from the government shows the virus was listed as a cause on certificates for 27 deaths in the seven days up to January 5.
Separate figures showed five people died on Tuesday – from any cause – within 28 days of a confirmed positive COVID-19 test. By January 19 this figure was averaging six per day in the borough.
In total, 310 people have had COVID-19 listed on their death certificate in the borough since the beginning of the pandemic.
The number of deaths has risen sharply since December. Throughout the whole of October and September, no deaths were recorded and, in late autumn and early winter, were hovering at around one or two a week – if any.
However, deaths have yet to surpass the peak in mid-April 2020 when 54 certificates mentioned COVID-19.
This week the UK hit the grim milestone of 100,000 COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
Fortunately, the number of new cases in Southwark dropped by more than a third (-33.4 per cent) in the week up to January 20.
Daily infections have plunged from a high of 698 on December 29, to 120 reported on Tuesday.
Although the number of people going into intensive care is still rising, both hospital admissions and the number of patients in hospital has dropped.
The seven-day average number of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in London has fallen from 864 on January 4 to 544 reported on Sunday, January 24. Even if there are lags in reporting, this is a significant decline.