Heartbreaking toll of coronavirus on Peterborough revealed in number of ‘excess deaths’

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that Peterborough has seen a 75.9 per cent rise in the number of deaths in April compared to the average over the previous five years.

The average number of deaths in April in the city was 123, but it has risen to 217 this year - meaning there were 94 ‘excess deaths’ last month.

The number of excess deaths is seen as a good indicator of how an area has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic as it includes people who died after not testing positive for the virus.

The ONS figures show a real mix across the country, with some places seeing a rise of more than 200 per cent in the number of deaths they would typically expect in April, while others have been far less affected.

Locally, Peterborough appears to have suffered worse than its neighbours.

Cambridgeshire has seen a 62.5 per cent rise in deaths (285) compared to the April average over the past five years, while Fenland has seen a rise of 51.6 per cent (52).

The figures for Huntingdonshire are 53.5 per cent (69); for South Kesteven they are 57.8 per cent (67), and for South Holland they are 53.7 per cent (47).

So far, at least 123 patients with Covid-19 at Peterborough City Hospital have died.

The number of deaths in Peterborough’s care homes attributed to the virus is 19.