Deaths rise in Scarborough and surrounding towns as coronavirus takes hold

Deaths in Scarborough, Filey and Whitby rose sharply as the coronavirus crisis took hold, new figures show.
Figures revealed for Scarborough, Filey and WhitbyFigures revealed for Scarborough, Filey and Whitby
Figures revealed for Scarborough, Filey and Whitby

Data from the Office of National Statistics show there was a 49 per cent increase in the number of deaths in the borough during April.

The average deaths for the area for April over the last five years has been 118.

But this year, that figure rose by 58 to 176.

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In the East Riding, there was a 66 per cent increase in deaths in April.

The average for that month has been 323, but this year it was 536.

The figures for deaths above what is usually expected for the time of year are referred to as the numbers of “excess deaths”.

Those figures are the difference in the number of people who have died in a given week compared with the average number of deaths that occurred in the same period in the previous five years.

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Some other parts of the country have seen staggering increases in excess deaths figures.

The highest have been in boroughs of London, where the virus is thought to have peaked earlier than the rest of the UK.

Brent recorded the highest increase in excess deaths of 279 per cent, followed by Newham which saw a 263 per cent rise.

Outside of London, Hertsmere in Hertfordshire saw the biggest increase in the country of 255 per cent.