More than 200 people died in South-east London care homes with coronavirus between March and June

By Lachlan Leeming, Local Democracy Reporter

More than 200 people died with coronavirus in South-east London care homes between March and June.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed 215 Covid-19 deaths in homes during the period.

And at the peak of the outbreak – from April 10 to 23 – care homes in Bromley had 36 coronavirus-related deaths, out of 108 total care home deaths across the borough in the same time.

Greenwich had 28 Covid-related care home deaths during that period (out of 68 total care home deaths in the borough), while Bexley had 27-coronavirus related deaths from April 10 to 23 (of 74 total care home deaths in the borough).

The new statistics show a marked decline in the rate of deaths since that peak.

Between June 5 and June 20, no deaths attributed to the virus were recorded in Bromley and Greenwich care homes, while Bexley had three.

The new data, which runs from March 6 to June 20, shows a total of 103 care home deaths in Bromley attributed to Covid-19 during that time.

Greenwich has seen 45 coronavirus-related deaths over that period, while Bexley had 67, making a total of 215 care home deaths for the trio of South-east London boroughs.

Councils across the area have now talked up their testing capabilities, with rolling testing implemented in care homes now to prevent any more outbreaks.

Greenwich council last month confirmed eight of the borough’s 11 care homes recorded outbreaks of Covid-19 as the local authority scrambled to source PPE after supply lines broke down.

A meeting of Bexley council last week also saw senior staff say the authority was as “prepared as they can be” for a potential second wave of the deadly virus.

As of July 3, Bexley had 1,042 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Public Health England.

Bromley had reached 1,512, while Greenwich had 942.