Macclesfield Express

Figures reveal the grim death toll of Covid-19

- ALEX SCAPENS

NEARLY 100 people have died from coronaviru­s in Macclesfie­ld with another 36 fatalities in Covid hotspot Poynton according to official figures.

Latest data from the Office for National Statistics show the number of deaths from Covid-19 between March 1 and May 31 and registered by June 6.

Broken down by neighbourh­ood it shows that 91 people died in areas of Macclesfie­ld, including Bollington, Prestbury and Adlington.

The figures also showed Poynton East has been particular­ly hit by the pandemic, which has claimed 30 lives there - the second most of any area in Cheshire.

A total of 131 deaths were registered for what was once the Maccles

field Borough Council area, with four in Disley included in the grim total.

Councillor Jos Saunders, of Poynton East and Pott Shrigley ward, said: “I am so saddened to hear this, you feel for their family and friends. “Especially when it is so difficult to come together and mourn, it is absolutely heartbreak­ing.

”Without seeing a breakdown it is difficult to speak in depth, however what I would say is

we have a lot of care homes in Poynton East.

”We also have a large percentage of elderly people who can be most affected by coronaviru­s.”

Other areas that recorded a high number were Macclesfie­ld Bollinbroo­k, 21, and Prestbury and Adlington, 19.

Cheshire East as a whole recorded 454 deaths, the highest number out of all the authoritie­s in the county.

Cheshire West and Chester totalled 341 and altogether the figure for Cheshire stood at 1,158. Of those deaths most (661) took place in a hospital, and 453 in care homes.

Given the county’s population is just more than 1 million, these figures show it is likely that Macclesfie­ld and its surroundin­g areas together have had a higher mortality rate than Cheshire as a whole.

The same is true of Cheshire East, which has a population of around 380,000.

Councillor Nick Mannion, from Macclesfie­ld West and Ivy ward, said: “There are lots of factors that go into these statistics, including the number of nursing homes in an area and its age profile.

” There are very personal circumstan­ces behind every death and each one is a tragedy for the family involved.

”We must also remember that for every one of these deaths there have been many stories people recovering.”

The area of Cheshire with the highest number was Fairfield and Howley with 32. Figures for neighbouri­ng areas included Handforth and Dean Row, nine, Lacey Green and Wilmslow Park, seven, Mobberley Plumley and High Legh, 24, and Alderley Edge and Chelford, 15.

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Coun Jos Saunders

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