Yahoo News Coronavirus news - live: Covid school testing in worst hit areas, Hancock announces as Tier 3 looms for London
Health secretary Matt Hancock has announced that mass coronavirus testing will be rolled out to secondary schools in parts of London, Essex and Kent, as a response to the increasing rate of infections there.
The decision comes as tier 3 appears to be looming for London, as the capital now has the highest Covid-19 infection rate in England.
Cases are rising in three regions, according to Public Health England, with London standing at 191.8 cases per 100,000 people in the weekend to 6 December - up from 158.1 a week earlier.
In eastern England the rate has risen from 116.2 to 147.2, while in southeast England the rate has increased from 142.2 to 160.8.
All other regions of England recorded a week-on-week fall.
Experts have warned London must be placed in tier 3 as soon as possible to avoid becoming a super spreader over Christmas.
Professor John Ashton, author of Blinded by Corona and former regional director of public health for northwest England, told the BBC the city’s inhabitants could end up “sending coronavirus to other parts of the country over Christmas and making a third wave of infections like in January”.
While Dr Mike Gill, former regional director of public health for the South East, said steps should be taken now to reduce contact, which tier three restrictions would do significantly.
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