How many people have died of Covid in YOUR local area?

THIS interactive map shows how people have tragically died of Covid in your local area since the pandemic began. The data from the Government coronavirus dashboard reveals the places that have taken the brunt of the disease. You can view the interactive map by clicking here. Castle Point, in Essex, has recorded the most fatalities […]

THIS interactive map shows how people have tragically died of Covid in your local area since the pandemic began.

The data from the Government coronavirus dashboard reveals the places that have taken the brunt of the disease.

You can view the interactive map by clicking here.

Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates…

Castle Point, in Essex, has recorded the most fatalities relative to its population size – 393.9 per 100,000 people have died of Covid within 28 days of testing positive.

Tendring, also in Essex, is second, with 382.1 per 100,000.

Folkestone and Hythe, in Kent, has the third highest death toll – 364.6 people per 100,000 were victims of Covid. 

In fourth place is Rother (342.4), East Sussex, followed by East Staffordshire (338.2). 

South East England was the epicentre of the latter part of the second wave, which peaked in January, due to the new UK variant.

It was first detected in Kent – which also suffered huge death tolls as a result of the strain silently spreading during December – before moving through Essex, London, and later the rest of Britain.

Southend-on-Sea (317.8), in Essex, Havering (317.1),  in London, and Thanet (305.8), Kent, all have above average fatalities. 

The sheer impact the new variant had on the South East can be seen by comparing the cumulative death toll before and after it emerged, in September.

Castle Point’s death rate grew by four times, from 90.7 on September 1 to the 393.9 that it is now.

Cambridge saw the smallest growth during the second wave, with it’s death rate going up from 36.1 to 68.9 per 100,000 people.

West Devon and South Hams – both with the lowest cumulative death totals in England at 57.4 and 44.8, repsecitvely – saw hardly any more deaths in the second wave.

AFP or licensors

The South East was hardest hit by the second wave. Pictured: Medics take a patient from an ambulance into the Royal London hospital in London on January 19[/caption]

Orkney Islands, in Scotland, has had the fewest deaths per 100,000 people during the course of the pandemic in the UK.

Its total today is 13.5 per 100,000 people – 30 times smaller than in Castle Point.

It also has suffered the smallest number of deaths per cumulative total, regardless of the population size, with three people dying of the disease since March 2020. 

Following is Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (26.2 per 100,000), Moray (30.3), Shetland Islands (39.3) and Highlands (40.3) – all rural areas of Scotland.

Looking at Northern Ireland, the highest death rate was recorded in Mid and East Antrim, with 147.9 per 100,000, and the lowest in Fermanagh and Omagh (70.7).

The Department of Health (DOH) provides figures for deaths within 28 days of a positive test result, a method of counting fatalities it switched to in August. 

It also provides the number of deaths where Covid was written on the death certificate – which can be deaths both confirmed and suspected to involve the disease, and not only those proven with a test.

Counting fatalities using death certificates gives a higher number because they take into consideration anyone who may not have been given a Covid test before their death, but were showing the signs of the disease.

The total death tally for the UK using this method is 140,062, compared with the 124,566 for deaths within 28 days of a positive test. 

Data for Wales is only available using the death certificate counting method.

It shows Rhondda Cynon Taf has seen the most deaths caused by confirmed and suspected Covid in Wales – at 351.1 per 100,000 – compared with Gwynedd, with 86.7.

Second highest is Bridgend (333.2) and third is Merthyr Tydfil (333.2).

The top five authorities with the highest death tallies in Wales are in the south, the corner of the nation hardest hit by the second Covid wave.

The virus ravaged the former mining communities in the Welsh valleys, which also has higher levels of deprivation and health problems.

Death are “falling rapidly”

It comes as separate data from the Office for National Statistics reveals deaths have plummeted in the elderly since vaccinations were rolled out.

Deaths caused by confirmed or suspected coronavirus in the over-80s in England and Wales have fallen 79 per cent since a peak five weeks ago.

There were 1,118 Covid-19 deaths in adults aged 80 and over which took place in the week ending February 26 compared with 5,326 in the week ending January 22, according to PA news agency analysis.

Deaths due to Covid in the over-70s also falling by more than 70 per cent.

A total of 2,914 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending February 26 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, a drop of 29 per cent on the previous week.

The figure is the lowest total since the week ending December 25.

Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics, The Open University, said the numbers of deaths “are falling, and falling pretty rapidly”.

He added: “It’s impossible to tell from these data how much of this age difference is due to vaccination, but surely it must be having a real effect.”

It comes after England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said the ratio between the number of people infected and those who go on to die would be dramatically reduced as a result of vaccines.

Scientists believe that the natural mortality rate of Covid is around 0.5 per cent.

But with vaccines preventing severe disease and death, this will be slashed.

However, Prof Whitty said there will be another wave of Covid as restrictions eased, and the public need to expect more deaths.