■ BAME PEOPLE 50% MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF COVID

BLACK and Asian people in England are up to 50 per cent more likely to die from coronavirus than white people, a Public Health England study found.

Backing previous reports that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups are more at risk, PHE said there was a significant disproportionate effect on ethnic minorities.

It said age was the biggest risk factor, with those aged 80 or over, 70 times more likely to die than those aged under 40. Men were more likely to die than women, with death rates also higher in deprived areas.

The report said people of Bangladeshi ethnicity had twice the risk of death as white British people. Those of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani or other Asian ethnicity, as well as those who are Caribbean or other black ethnicity, had a ten to 50 per cent higher risk.

The study said the ‘relationship between ethnicity and health is complex and likely to be the result of a combination of factors’. BAME people are more likely to live in urban areas, in overcrowded households, in deprived areas, and have jobs that expose them to higher risk, PHE said. It also cited underlying health issues as a factor.

Announcing the study, health secretary Matt Hancock told the Commons it showed coronavirus targets people in an ‘unequal and disproportionate way’. He said: ‘Black lives matter, as do those of the poorest areas of our country. I feel a deep responsibility because this pandemic has exposed huge disparities in the health of our nation.’

But shadow women and equalities minister Marsha de Cordova was frustrated the report contained no recommendations. She said: ‘When it comes to the question of how we reduce these disparities, it is notably silent.’