LONDON (AP) — In parts of east London, the pandemic has hit much harder than most places in the U.K. The borough of Redbridge in the outer reaches of the capital had the nation’s second-worst infection rate in January. While case rates have come down, leaders say the borough is still “in the eye of the storm.” Officials say the area’s dense housing, high levels of poverty and large number of workers in public-facing jobs combine to make it more vulnerable. Many of the lower-income essential workers are ethnic minorities, who are among the most at-risk but also hardest to persuade to take up the vaccine. Local health officials say they are racing against time to inoculate the poorest and hardest to reach communities.
