Coronavirus Kent: Death figures show Medway has the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 deaths compared to any other area in Kent
15:46, 23 April 2020
updated: 10:55, 24 April 2020
New figures reveal for the first time the areas of Kent with the highest number of people who have died from Covid-19.
The statistics show twice as many people from Medway have died compared to anywhere else in the county while one in nine deaths occurred outside of hospitals.
A report reveals 205 people had died of coronavirus in Kent on or before April 10 – 181 in hospital (88.3%), 16 in care homes (7.8%), seven at home (3.4%) and one in a hospice.
The figures show 40 people died in the Towns from confirmed coronavirus up to April 10, a rate of 14.4 deaths per 100,000 people.
The majority of those deaths were at hospital (39) with one case confirmed at home.
The next highest area is Maidstone which had 20 confirmed deaths, with 14 of those in hospital.
Tunbridge Wells and Folkestone and Hythe have the lowest confirmed deaths to date with eight each.
Relative to population size Gravesham has more deaths than anywhere else at 16.9, followed by Tonbridge and Malling (15.7), Medway and Dartford (13.8).
At the other end of the scale Tunbridge Wells had 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people, Folkestone and Hythe (7.1) and Canterbury (7.9).
The UK's figure is 28 deaths per 100,000, with the difference explained by the number of areas far worse hit than Kent.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has published the most complete set of data to date about deaths relating to the virus in Kent who died up to April 10.
The figures show all deaths in Kent registered by April 18.
The 181 confirmed ONS hospital deaths are behind the 259 deaths reported by the NHS at the county's hospitals up to the same date.
But this is because the ONS provides data based on all registered deaths where people had Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificate as a listed cause of death.
The information is published 11 days later and is behind NHS England hospital figures because it takes longer for the ONS to certify doctors reports, produce death certificates and to publish its figures.
Swale and Gravesham have 18 confirmed deaths – the next highest number of deaths behind Medway and Maidstone.
Meanwhile, 16 residents in Sevenoaks, 15 from Dartford and 14 in Thanet have died.
There have been 13 deaths in Canterbury falling to 12 in both Tonbridge and Malling and Dover and 11 in Ashford.
The ONS says the numbers are based on the local authority area where the deceased person lived so for a Canterbury resident who died at another hospital out of the area, their death would be listed under their home area rather than where the hospital is located.
While confirmed hospital deaths in Kent from ONS numbers are lower compared to NHS England figures, overall deaths provided by the ONS for England and Wales are far higher than previously reported by the NHS daily figures.
All deaths up to April 10 registered before April 18 is now 13,121 – 41.2% higher than the 9,288 reported by the Department of Health and Social Care for deaths in hospitals up to April 10.
The ONS also says "suspected Covid-19" cases mentioned on a death certificate are included and although it may not be the main cause of death, it may be a contributory factor.
