Almost two thirds of Kingston's adult population have had at least one covid jab, statistics published on the government's Covid-19 dashboard show.

1. 9% of over-18s in the borough have had their first dose and well over a third (38.9%) have received both, showing that the area's vaccination effort is moving at pace.

Across the UK, the number of adults vaccinated is about 10% higher than Kingston's rate, with 76.6% of over-18s having had their first dose and 52.5% recieving both.

This disparity can be attributed to Kingston having a younger population than the UK as a whole - statistics from 2018 show Kingston's median age as 36.2, compared to 40.2 for the UK.

In addition, more than three quarters of over-45s in the borough have had their first jab, with this percentage reaching 90% in the over-70s age groups.

The Council has said , the vaccine is currently being rolled out to people in Kingston who are:

- aged 30 or over, or you will turn 30 before 1 July 2021

- clinically vulnerable

- a main carer for somebody at higher risk of coronavirus

The Council has also released an update on its website following news last week that coronavirus cases in the borough are rising at an alarming rate.

The Council said: "Cases of coronavirus in Kingston are rising.

"This is linked to national rise seen in the Delta variant (formerly widely referred to as the 'Indian variant').

"We need to act now to stop the spread, and keep our borough safe.

"To help do this, we are increasing our testing programme, and are looking at ways to further increase our vaccination rollout - as well as supporting those who test positive with practical and financial help to self-isolate.

"It's through our combined and continued commitment that we will overcome the burden of Coronavirus we have all lived with for so long - and return to a more settled way of life again."

The Council will continue to provide updates on the local outbreak in Kingston here .

Nub News will also keep our readers updated on this important story.

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