Hospitals in east London confirmed more than 70 Covid deaths last week as the NHS faces a difficult winter.
King George Hospital in Ilford and Queen’s Hospital in Romford, both run by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), recorded 44 deaths.
A total of 18 Covid patients died during the week (November 30 to December 6) itself, while 26 deaths from previous weeks were retrospectively confirmed.
Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs five east London hospitals including Whipps Cross, confirmed 15 deaths during the week and 13 from previous weeks.
Read more: Covid cases falling in all London boroughs except Waltham Forest
Redbridge and Havering, where the two BHRUT hospitals are located, have the highest rates of new Covid infections in the capital.
The most recent confirmed data for Redbridge shows the infection rate is perilously close to 300 cases per 100,000 residents. In Havering it is now higher than 300.
Covid infections in Havering fell during the second lockdown but began to rise again before it had ended, meaning the exact reason for the decrease is unclear.
In Redbridge, rates have risen consistently, other than a slight decrease in recent days.
Waltham Forest, which has lower rates of infection than both boroughs, saw a marked increase in recent days. The infection rate rose from close to 200 to 250 in just five days.
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