London's COVID-19 death rate almost double other UK regions as impact on rich, poor differs

The devastating impact of the novel coronavirus on London was laid bare Friday in an analysis published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showing that death rate in the capital per 100,000 people is almost double any other region across the country.

"By mid-April, the region with the highest proportion of deaths involving COVID-19 was London, with the virus being involved in more than four in 10 deaths since the start of March," said Nick Stripe, head of health analysis and life events at the ONS.

According to the analysis, the 11 hardest-hit areas in the country were all in the capital. Among them, Newham, a borough 8 km east of the City of London, had the highest age-standardized mortality rate with 144.3 deaths per 100,000 population, followed by Brent 141.5 deaths and Hackney 127.4.

"The 11 local authorities with the highest mortality rates were all London boroughs, with Newham, Brent and Hackney suffering the highest rates of COVID-19-related deaths," said Stripe.

Having analysed nearly 20,300 coronavirus-related deaths in England and Wales between March 1 and April 17, the national statistical institute revealed huge differences between some of London's poorest and more ethnically diverse areas and those that are more prosperous, heightening concerns about the different impact of the outbreak on the rich and the poor.

Poorer and more ethnically diverse areas including Newham, Brent, Hackney, Haringey and Tower Hamlets all had age-standardized fatality rates above 100 per 100,000 residents.

By contrast, the death rate in more prosperous areas like Kingston upon Thames was 42.9, while in Richmond the death rate stood at 47, a similar rate to Bromley.

The figures are age-standardized, which are used to make fair comparisons between boroughs, regardless of the actual age of their residents.

The way London's most diverse boroughs have been hit by COVID-19 is also illustrated by the deaths at each hospital trust.

The British capital saw the number of cases soar far quicker than other regions and more than 5,000 people have now died with coronavirus in London's hospitals, with hundreds more in care homes.

"Coronavirus is not the great-leveller. It is hitting people from minority ethnicities and more deprived communities more than anywhere else," said London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The figures were published as the British government is facing growing criticisms that it was too slow in ordering the lockdown, despite warnings from Italy about the threat of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is preparing an exit plan from lockdown after declaring that the country is "past the peak" of its coronavirus outbreak.

On Friday, the public waits to find out if the government has reached its 100,000-a-day testing target, with sources telling the BBC they are "fairly confident" they will.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus deaths in the country has increased by 674 as of Wednesday afternoon, bringing the national total to 26,771, the third worse death toll in the world after the United States and Italy.