COVID-19 A Year On: Which of our neighbourhoods have had most deaths?

The ONS data, from March 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021, reveals which neighbourhood has been worst impacted by COVID-19 over the past year.

In Welwyn Hatfield that area was Panshanger with 32 coronavirus related deaths, the area with the fewest was Hollybush with 8.

However, the data also provides the total number of deaths not just COVID-19 deaths, which allows us to see which areas' fatalities showed the highest proportion of coronavirus-related deaths.

Cuffley & Northaw and Woolmer Green, Oaklands & Digswell both had 25 per cent of all deaths attributed to COVID-19 over the year long period, the lowest was Hollybush with only 7 per cent.

Hertsmere's area with the highest number of coronavirus related deaths was Bushey Heath, and the area with the highest rate of coronavirus related deaths was Shenley & South Mimms with 33.7 per cent of all deaths being caused by COVID-19.

Looking at the newest data only, from February 2021, Shenley & South Mimms was the joint tenth worst area in England - with 85.7 per cent of deaths in the month being attributed to COVID.

In February 2021, there were 55,489 deaths registered in England, 11,421 deaths (25.9 per cent) more than the five-year average (2015 to 2019) for February.

COVID was the leading cause of death in February 2021 for the fourth consecutive month in England, accounting for 30.1 per cent of all deaths registered in February.

The East of England was the region with the highest mortality rate for deaths due to COVID in February 2021, 477.1 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by London 465.5 deaths per 100,000; the South West continued to have the lowest COVID mortality rate, at 258.5 deaths per 100,000 people.

The mortality rate for deaths due to COVID in February 2021 in the most deprived areas was 585.4 deaths per 100,000 people; this was twice the mortality rate in the least deprived areas, 282.0 deaths per 100,000 people.