COVID-19 in Lewisham - 8 January update

Highest ever COVID-19 infection rate

Lewisham’s COVID-19 infection rate is the highest we’ve seen at any point during the pandemic. Today, Lewisham’s seven-day infection rate passed the grim milestone of over 1,000 per 100,000.

Hospitals across London are coming under significant pressure and today, the Mayor of London confirmed that the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 is 35% higher than during the April peak. It is critical that we all do everything we can to protect the NHS by following the national stay at home restrictions.

1 in 3 people with COVID-19 don’t have any symptoms and will be spreading the virus to those around them – their friends, family members and the most vulnerable in the community. Please follow the guidance, stay home and protect the NHS. It’s a small sacrifice that really will save lives.

Community testing

This week, the Civic Suite, Catford has been transformed into a Community Testing Centre offering rapid tests to critical workers without symptoms across Lewisham, giving you a result in less than an hour. If you are currently working in a critical role and unable to work from home, you can now book an appointment for a rapid, lateral flow test here.

You can book a rapid test below if you are in one of the following categories:

• Critical workers who are unable to work from home and must travel to their place of work.
• Those in the same household or support bubble of a critical worker who is currently unable to work from home.
• Whilst schools are setting up their own rapid testing, tests will be available for children of critical workers and vulnerable children who are currently in school, as well as young people and children currently attending alternative provisions and special schools. Rapid tests are only open to children over the age of 11.
• We are also offering rapid tests for our Community Champions, those caring for friends and family and the voluntary networks who are, once again, working so hard to look after the most vulnerable in the community.

Whilst most of us are doing the right thing and staying at home during the national restrictions, many critical workers are out and about in the community or in shared workplaces helping and supporting those most in need. For these individuals, rapid testing is a really valuable tool to help pinpoint the virus.

During national stay at home restrictions, we will be prioritising rapid tests for those who are unable to work at home and those living, or in a support bubble with, critical workers. As these people are out in the community, they are thought to be most at risk of spreading the virus.

If you have coronavirus symptoms, the most important thing you can do is stay at home (self-isolate) and book a test on the NHS website or by calling 119.

Rolling out the vaccine in Lewisham

The vaccination programme is off to a strong start in south east London. Thanks to the collective efforts of NHS staff, thousands of people have already received the first vaccination dose in Lewisham.

With the welcome news that the Oxford University / Astra-Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine has now been approved for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), GP surgeries across Lewisham are booking in appointments for vulnerable groups.

More people will be invited to be vaccinated in the coming days but for most of us, it will be some months before we are contacted by the NHS and asked to go and get a jab, so please be patient. When you are contacted, please make sure you attend your booked appointments.

Please be aware of scams, suspicious calls and text messages offering the COVID-19 vaccination. Remember:

• The vaccine is only available on the NHS for free to people in priority groups and the NHS will contact you when it is your turn. Anyone offering a paid-for vaccine is committing a crime.
• The NHS will never ask you to press a button on your keypad or send a text to confirm you want the vaccine, and never ask for payment or for your bank details.
• At the moment, the NHS is not making house calls to deliver or discuss the vaccine. Anyone offering this now is committing a crime. 

If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up. You can contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. If the victim is vulnerable, and particularly if you are worried that someone has or might come to your house, report it to the Police online or by calling 101.

The vaccine is such an important breakthrough that offers much-needed light at the end of the tunnel as we continue to struggle through national stay at home restrictions.

Each day as more people are vaccinated in Lewisham, we reduce the risk the virus poses to ourselves, our loved ones and the most vulnerable in our community.

Get regular updates on the vaccination programme in Lewisham here.