Mayor John Biggs has issued an open letter asking residents to not visit each others households to reduce the transmission of Covid-19, saying this “is a matter of life and death and we need to act urgently”.

This is not a formal notice of lockdown for Tower Hamlets.

Third highest rate of Covid-19 cases

As the second wave of Covid-19 begins to impact Tower Hamlets the borough has a weekly incidence rate of 46.3 per 100,000, the third highest rate in London.

According to the LBTH website Covid-19 page there have been 149 new cases of Covid-19 in the past seven days (20 September to 26 September), a total of 235 cases in the past 14 days (13 August to 26 September)

Overall, there have now been 1,438 cases of Covid-19 recorded in Tower Hamlets (4 March to 26 September).

A message from the Mayor of Tower Hamlets

“I’d like to start by thanking all of you who continue to follow government guidelines. It’s been a difficult six months which have had a huge impact on everyone, whether financially, emotionally or physically.

Despite a fall over the summer, we are seeing cases of Covid-19 rise and we need to accept that the situation is once again worsening. Tower Hamlets now has one of the highest levels of Covid-19 in London. As a second rise in infections hits us, we must take all steps necessary to limit the spread of the virus and protect those most at risk.

Last week, the government announced new measures in an effort to control the virus. I can’t stress enough the importance of following these rules.

While the virus is a threat to everyone, we know it has a higher impact on older and medically vulnerable residents, as well as on some Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. We also know that young people are catching and spreading the virus in growing numbers.

The diverse communities in Tower Hamlets are what make our borough great, but it also means Tower Hamlets is at greater risk. Every single one of us must play our part to protect our communities and stop the virus spreading.

With this in mind, now is the time we must take further action. I am clear that the current national rules are a minimum and my advice to you all is to do everything in your power to protect each other. Our individual actions have consequences for us all.

In addition to the national measures, we’re asking residents to help reduce the spread of Covid-19 locally.

Many cases of Covid-19 in Tower Hamlets are as a result of people visiting other households, so we are asking residents to avoid this unless absolutely necessary.

This really is a matter of life and death and we need to act urgently.

The next few months will be very challenging. Without a vaccine or more effective treatment, our primary weapon against the virus is responsible behaviour. Measures to curb the spread of the virus will only work if people follow them.

If you haven’t already, please download the NHS Covid-19 app now. The more of us who use the app, the more power we’ll have to contain the virus locally and nationally.

Please do your bit to keep Tower Hamlets safe.

Mayor Biggs”

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