More than 700 people in Richmond have caught Covid-19, official figures show.

The number of people testing positive for the virus has accelerated in recent days.

There were 52 new cases in the 10 days up to Saturday, September 12 (see image of covid case tracker below).

It has pushed Richmond's rate of infection up considerably to 364.6 cases per 100,000 people in the population.

The figure was 278.8 cases on July 31.

London's and the wider UK average rate of infection has risen in this period too.

More coverage:

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Covid-19 in Richmond: Update as autumn arrives

Despite the spike in cases, the number of deaths due to the virus has tailed off enormously, from more than 1,000 people on a few grim days in April to low single digit figures throughout much of September.

Hospital admissions including the number of patients on ventilator beds has dropped considerably.

This has led to speculation that the virus has mutated and weakened, or a degree of immunity has developed among the UK population.

This week all indoor and outdoor gatherings were limietd to just six people under the new 'Rule of Six'.

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