The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has updated its figures on the number of deaths involving COVID-19 broken down to local area and it shows that between 1st March and 31st May 2020 there were three deaths in Purbeck.
Previously there were two deaths but now including the figures for May, it has risen to three.
There were no deaths in Swanage and the three recorded deaths in Purbeck, were people from the Corfe Castle and Langton Matravers area.
Four deaths in the Wareham, Sandford and Holton Heath area
There were four deaths in the Wareham, Sandford and Holton Heath area, with three in April and one in May. In the Bere Regis and Lytchett Matravers area there were three recorded deaths, with one in April and two in May. There was one death in the Wool, Bovington and Lulworth area in May.
This compares to 38 deaths involving COVID-19 in Dorchester and its outskirts. There were 23 in Dorchester West and Poundbury, one in Dorchester East and 14 in the Charlton Down, Cerne Abbas and Puddletown area.
Poole and Bournemouth
Poole and Bournemouth are not categorised by the ONS by administrative areas but instead they are defined to cover the built-up area of each of the towns. However between 1st March and 31st May 2020, the area generally described as Poole registered 81 deaths, while Bournemouth saw 75 deaths.
England and Wales
Between 1st March and 31st May 2020, there were 180,586 deaths in England and Wales that were registered by 6 June and of these, 46,687 deaths involved COVID-19.
ONS regional analysis
Sarah Caul, Head of mortality analysis for the Office for National Statistics in the report said:
“Although London had some of the highest COVID-19 mortality rates in the country during March and April, it is now experiencing lower mortality rates compared with most areas. During May, the region with the highest age-adjusted COVID-19 mortality rate was the North East, where the rate was double that of London. The South West region continued to have the lowest mortality rate overall and during each of the last three months.
“Meanwhile, people living in more deprived areas have continued to experience COVID-19 mortality rates more than double those living in less deprived areas. General mortality rates are normally higher in more deprived areas, but COVID-19 appears to be increasing this effect.”
Extract from the report on the accuracy of the statistics
“This bulletin contains analysis of all deaths that occurred in England and Wales between 1st March and 31st May 2020, registered up to 6th June 2020, where the coronavirus (COVID-19) was involved, focusing on differences between local areas. For this analysis, we use the term “involving COVID-19” when referring to deaths that had COVID-19 mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, whether an underlying cause or not.
“The information used to produce these statistics is based on details collected when certified deaths are registered with the local registration office. In England and Wales, deaths should be registered within five days of the death occurring, but there are some situations (such as referral to a coroner) that result in later registration. Therefore, there are likely to be some deaths involving COVID-19 that occurred in the period 1st March to 31st May 2020 that are yet to be registered, meaning they will not be included in this analysis.”
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For more information
Read the full ONS report released Friday 12th June 2020.
