Kingston-upon-Thames was one of four London boroughs to experience an increase in the number of new cases of Covid-19 in the seven days up to March 8.
There were 95 new cases in Kingston during this period, according to the latest data by Public Health England (PHE).
This is a 30 per cent rise to a rate of 50.7 per 100,000 people, slightly higher than the UK average of 48.
Southwark had the largest increase of 56 per cent to 31.1 cases per 100,000, followed by Kingston. The rate in Tower Hamlets rose by 12.5 per cent to 37 per 100,000 and in Harrow by 0.6 per cent to 63.3.
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty told MPs, on March 9, the UK could expect a third wave of the pandemic as restrictions are eased.
He said: “As things are opening up… at some point, we will get a surge in [the] virus.
“We hope it doesn’t happen soon, but it might happen, for example, later in the summer if we open up gradually.”
Phase one of easing the national lockdown occurred on March 8 with the reopening of schools, care home visits and socially-distanced recreation with one other outside your household.
Boris Johnson stressed the importance of looking at “data, not dates” when considering the easing of restrictions.
Overall decline
Kingston’s cases have been on a steady decline falling from 192.1 cases per 100,000 on February 7 to 38.9 on February 28.
Since the start of March there has been a slight increase in cases making Kingston one of 18 areas to have experienced a surge.
Overall, London’s Covid-19 cases continue to fall, and seven London boroughs now have a case rate below 30 per 100,000 people: Kensington and Chelsea (22), Lewisham (23), Islington (23), Southwark (26), Bromley (27), Hackney and City of London (28) and Bexley (29).
Ealing has the highest rate of Covid cases with 73 per 100,000 and the borough of Kingston-upon-Thames ranks seventh.
The office of London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a statement: “The drop in cases in London is testament to the heroic efforts Londoners have made staying at home and continuing to follow the rules.
“However, the Mayor believes it is vital we all keep up these efforts and continue to act with real caution.”
