Cumbria’s Covid-19 death toll of 433 is more than the combined total for Australia (102), New Zealand (22), South Korea (272), Hong Kong (4) and Singapore (24).
The shocking statistic emerged to help illustrate the price that Cumbria has already paid because of coronavirus and to underline that the county still remains on alert after last weekend’s mass return of visitors to the Lake District.
Updated figures are almost certain to be even worse as Cumbria’s official total dates back to 11th May, while the combined one of 428 for the five nations is for 29th May.
“These figures say it all – we are still a Covid hotspot and we must not forget this,” said Cllr Tony Lywood, Keswick’s representative on Cumbria County Council. “Last weekend was a very difficult one. Keswick itself was quiet but the lakes of Derwentwater, Buttermere and Crummock were packed.
“I have received reports that people were picnicing in farmers’ fields containing lambs and of abuse to locals from those who wished to park in droves and a total disregard for parking restrictions,” added Cllr Lywood, who is also a member of Keswick Town Council.
He added that the problem was not helped by a lack of county council enforcement officers to ticket offenders’ cars.
“I would ask any tourists coming to the Lake District to treat our towns and surrounding countryside with respect. Please pick up your own litter and take it home, park legally, respect our farmers and land owners and realise that there is a local population that live here and maintain the Lakes as the beautiful place that it is,” he added.
The Cumbrian comparison figures were compiled by Alex Rayment, secretary of Copeland Labour Party. Cllr Lywood had stood as Labour’s candidate in the last general election in the Copeland constituency, which includes Keswick.
While Cumbria’s population is just under 500,000, the total population of the five nations being compared is more than 94 million. The UK’s total of nearly 40,000 coronavirus deaths is second only to the USA with more than 100,000.
New figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that Cumbria has some of the highest Covid-19 death rates in the country. South Lakeland, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness are among the worst-affected areas.
Dr Thomas Kane, north west regional chairman for the British Medical Association, suspects that a link with high levels of deprivation could explain why Cumbria is experiencing disproportionately high rates of death and infection from Covid-19.
He said: “The ONS has linked Covid-19 death rates to the affluence of an area. Cumbria has 29 communities that rank within the 10 per cent most deprived of areas in England.”
Colin Cox, Cumbria’s director of public health, said it was too early to give a definitive answer on exactly what was driving Cumbria’s higher than average death rate. “A substantial part of that is explained by our older population but not all of it,” he said.