Redbridge now has the third highest coronavirus rate of infection in the whole of England.

The London borough has experienced a surge in new cases recently and only lags behind neighbouring borough Barking and Dagenham and Essex district Thurrock.

Between December 24 – 31 there were 4,218 lab-confirmed new infections in Redbridge, a rate of infection of 1,381.9 cases per 100,000 residents.

The week prior the rate of infection was 1,177.5 which equates to 3,594 new cases.

Waltham Forest has the twentieth worst rate of infection in the country.

In the seven days to December 31 the rate of infection was recorded at 1057.5 – 2,929 new cases.

The week before there were 2,731 new cases confirmed a rate of infection of 986.

The news comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a third national lockdown last night.

In his statement on Monday evening, the Prime Minister announced stringent new measures for England.

He said schools must close to help stop the spread of Covid-19 and to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed by surging infections.

Mr Johnson warned the coming weeks will be the “hardest yet” but said that “with a fair wind in our sails” it should be possible to vaccinate 13 million of the most vulnerable people by mid-February, paving the way for controls to be eased.