Huge variation in Covid-19 cases and deaths across the Anglia region

  • Anglia

There are stark differences in the way the coronavirus pandemic is affecting local communities in the Anglia region depending on where you live.

The death rate varies widely from place to place and the rate of infection is growing in some area compared with others.

Analysis by ITV News Anglia of Office of National Statistics figures for the number of deaths related to coronavirus in the Anglia region suggests 46 people per 100,000 have died in the Anglia region.

However in parts of Essex and Hertfordshire, the death rate is much higher at 74 per 100,000 people in Brentwood, at 70 in Harlow and 65 in Basildon.

The death rate is much lower in some parts of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. In Norwich, only four coronavirus deaths per 100,000 population were recorded in the most recent statistics. The figure was 16 per 100,000 in West Suffolk and in South Norfolk and was 19 in Peterborough.

The Anglia region has seen 186 confirmed coronavirus cases per 100,000 population while the number is 243 across the rest of England. Credit: PA Images

The number of confirmed cases also varies widely from area to area across the country and across the Anglia region.

The Anglia region has seen 192 confirmed coronavirus cases per 100,000 population while the number is 243 across the rest of England.

Compared with other English regions, the East of England has among the lowest infection rate from Covid-19 along with regions like the East Midlands and the South West.

In the Anglia region, the King's Lynn & West Norfolk area has the highest rate of positive tests per head of population at 415 cases per 100,000 people. In neighbouring North Norfolk the figure is significantly lower at 124 cases per 100,000.

The lowest rates of infection have been seen in South Cambridgeshire with 119 per 100,000, in East Cambridgeshire with 100, in West Suffolk with 105 and 63 in Rutland.

These numbers only include people who have had a positive test for Covid-19 and it is thought many thousands more people will have had the illness but not been tested or didn't show any symptoms.

  • How coronavirus is affecting the counties in the Anglia region

Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes have among the highest death rates from coronavirus in the Anglia region.

The number of deaths per 100,000 of the population in Milton Keynes is 56 while it is 51 in Bedfordshire as a whole.

Luton has seen the highest rate of infection in the country with 311 confirmed cases per 100,000 people in the town.

Bedfordshire has seen 51 deaths per 100,000 in the population and 256 cases per 100,000. Credit: Data from the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England

The county of Cambridgeshire including Peterborough has seen the lowest rate of confirmed coronavirus cases for any part of the Anglia region with 142 people infected per 100,000 head of population.

The death rate is also low compared with the rest of the region with 26 deaths per 100,000 population.

The highest death rate in the county is in Cambridge and East Cambridgeshire with the lowest death rate in Peterborough.

Cambridgeshire has seen 26 deaths per 100,000 in the population and 142 confirmed cases per 100,000. Credit: Data from the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England

The county of Essex including the unitary authority areas of Southend and Thurrock has a higher death rate than most of the rest of the Anglia region.

There have been 56 deaths per 100,000 people living in Essex with the death rate in the Epping Forest district among the highest in the region with 108 deaths per 100,000 population.

In contrast, the death rate is lowest in Colchester at 32 per 100,000 population.

The Covid-19 infection rate as measured by positive tests in Essex is 191 cases per 100,000 of the population.

Essex is the most populous county in the East of England with 1.8 million people living there. More than 1,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the county.

Essex has seen 56 deaths per 100,000 in the population and 191 confirmed cases per 100,000. Credit: Data from the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England

Hertfordshire is one of the counties in the Anglia region hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

The death rate in the county is 61 people dying per 100,000 people in the population. The infection rate in terms of confirmed cases is 219 people per 100,000.

The Hertsmere area in south Hertfordshire, which straddles the M25 around London, has the highest rate of deaths in the East of England with 131 per 100,000.

The Watford area has the highest infection rate with 373 positive Covid-19 tests in every 100,000 people. In contrast, in Welwyn Hatfield and the more rural area of North Hertfordshire, the infection rate is 151 cases per 100,000 population.

Hertfordshire has seen 61 deaths per 100,000 in the population and 219 confirmed cases per 100,000. Credit: Data from the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England

Norfolk has a higher than average number of coronavirus cases compared with the Anglia region as a whole but the death rate in the county is the lowest in the region.

The number of deaths per 100,000 people in Norfolk is 24 and the number of confirmed cases is 210 per 100,000.

The death rate in Norwich is the lowest in England with four people dying per 100,000 according to Office of National Statistics figures dating to 24th April.

The ONS has also released figures adjusted for the age-profile of an area and in Norwich the death rate is even lower at 2.5 deaths for Covid-19 per 100,000 population.

In sharp contrast, the King's Lynn and West Norfolk area has the highest infection rate in the whole of the Anglia region with 415 confirmed cases per 100,000 people. The death rate in that district is also the highest in the county with 47 deaths for every 100,000 people.

Norfolk has seen 24 deaths per 100,000 in the population and 210 confirmed cases per 100,000. Credit: Data from the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England

More than 300 people have died in Northamptonshire after testing positive for coronavirus. The death rate is 42 people per 100,000 population.

Corby is among the places in the Anglia region with the lowest death rate at 25 people per 100,000.

Outside of Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire has seen the lowest infection rate in terms of positive tests. The number of confirmed cases is 163 per 100,000 in the population.

The highest infection rate in the county in is rural East Northamptonshire with 253 cases per 100,000 people.

Northamptonshire has seen 42 deaths per 100,000 in the population and 163 confirmed cases per 100,000. Credit: Data from the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England

Rutland is the smallest county in England with a population just under 40,000.

There have been only 25 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Rutland which equates to 63 cases per 100,000 population.

Up to the 24th April, six people had died in the county with Covid-19.

Rutland has seen 15 deaths per 100,000 in the population and 63 confirmed cases per 100,000. Credit: Data from the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England

According to the Office of National Statistics, 269 people in Suffolk have died with coronavirus since the start of the outbreak until 24th April and 68 of them died in care homes.

The death rate in the county is 35 people per 100,000 of the population and it has a relatively low infection rate with 169 people per 100,000 testing positive for Covid-19.

The highest death rate and the greatest concentration of cases is in Ipswich. The lowest death rate and the fewest cases is in West Suffolk.

West Suffolk is a newly-formed local authority area made up of the former St Edmundsbury and Forest Health council areas. East Suffolk was created at the same time from Waveney and Suffolk Coastal councils.

Suffolk has seen 35 deaths per 100,000 in the population and 169 confirmed cases per 100,000. Credit: Data from the Office of National Statistics and Public Health England

  • The most recently released data from the Office of National Statistics records deaths up to the 24th April and updated figures for the Anglia region will be released on Tuesday.

  • In this article, no adjustment in the death rate has been made for the age profile of the population in each area, unless stated.

  • The figures for confirmed cases of coronavirus are announced every day by Public Health England and the figures used in this article relate to confirmed cases to 9am on Sunday 10th May

Mobile testing centres have been set up across the region to track cases of coronavirus. Credit: Joe Giddens/PA Wire/PA Images

Coronavirus: everything you need to know