Revealed: the Mansfield areas worst and least affected by Covid-19 pandemic

Nurses oversee the Covid-19 vaccination centre at the former Wickes store in Mansfield during January when the town was worst hit by excess deaths during the pandemic.

Data published by the Office for National Statistics reveals the number of deaths registered during the pandemic, compared to those expected, based on pre-Covid years between 2014 and 2019.

In the 14 months to the end of April, there were 1,646 deaths registered in Mansfield, which represented 292, or 21.6 per cent, more than expected or predicted.

Of the deaths, 295 had Covid-19 listed as the main cause, although many more coronavirus-related deaths, at the start of the pandemic, may have gone undiagnosed.

More than one-third of under-30s in Mansfield yet to get first Covid jab

A further breakdown of the statistics, released for the first time, shows which of Mansfield’s 13 neighbourhoods had the highest and lowest excess death rates. The three worst affected were:

YEOMAN HILL AND MAUN VALLEY – 89 deaths, which was 25 (39.1 per cent) more than expected and included 22 with Covid-19 listed as the main cause. WOODHOUSE – 130 deaths, which was 35 (36.8 per cent) more than expected and included 19 due to Covid-19. GRANGE FARM AND LADYBROOK – 182 deaths, which was 43 (30.9 per cent) more than expected and included 37 due to Covid-19.

The three Mansfield neighbourhoods with the lowest excess death rates were:

OAK TREE AND RANSOM WOOD – 77 deaths, which was two (2.5 per cent) fewer than expected and included 13 due to Covid-19. FOREST TOWN AND NEWLANDS – 138 deaths, which was the same number as expected, including 45 due to Covid-19. MARKET WARSOP – 115 deaths, which was 11 (10.6 per cent) more than expected and included 16 due to Covid-19.

The data has been described by Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical officer, as the key metric for measuring the impact of the pandemic.

In Mansfield, the highest number of excess deaths came in January this year when there were 66.

The Health Foundation, an independent charity, said people aged under 65 living in the most deprived areas were almost four times more likely to die from the virus.

Those at most risk were people in poor health, living in cramped housing or having to endure poor working environments.

Deep-rooted issues such as financial problems or strained public services also played their part in leaving the less well-off more vulnerable to Covid-19.

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