Rates of coronavirus infection have risen in three out of four south east London boroughs over the last recorded week, as Government paused the easing of lockdown.  

On Friday Prime Minister Johnson announced the final stage of unlocking would be delayed for a fortnight due to rising national levels, meaning large gatherings and close contact beauty treatments remain banned. 

The concern is reflected in figures locally, as Bromley, Lewisham and Greenwich all saw a rise in the seven days to July 30. 

The figures are based on tests that have been carried out both in laboratories (pillar one of the Government's testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as number of new cases per 100,000 population, based on the latest Public Health England figures updated last night. 

Data for the most recent three days (July 31-August 2) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

Public Health England have also disclosed the number of individual new cases discovered over the period. 

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Lewisham, the worst hit borough currently, saw a rise from 4 cases per 100,000 the previous week to 6.3. This amounted to 19 individual cases in total across the borough. 

Close behind was Greenwich, which saw a rise from 4.2 cases per 100,000 to 5.6 per 100,000, a total of 16 individual cases.

Bromley saw a marginal increase, from 1.5 per 100,000 to 2.1, seven individual cases. 

The only borough to show an improvement was Bexley, which went from being the worst hit borough with 8.1 cases the previous week to 5.3, reflected in 13 additional cases.

Nearby Dartford showed encouraging signs, falling to 11.8 having reached 14.6 per 100,000 a week before. 

Across the UK, there have now been 304,695 confirmed coronavirus cases and 46,201 deaths. 

In Blackburn with Darwen, the rate has risen slightly from 77.2 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to July 23 to 79.9 in the seven days to July 30. A total of 119 new cases have been recorded.

Oldham is in second place, where the seven-day rate has jumped from 41.6 to 62.8, with 148 new cases.

Bradford is third, where the rate has risen from 46.9 to 53.4, with 287 new cases.

The rate in Leicester continues to fall, down from 66.2 to 52.6, with 187 new cases.