Leader’s tribute as city passes ‘tragic milestone’

THE LEADER of Sheffield City Council has paid tribute to the people killed by Covid-19 and their families as the city passed 1,000 deaths, a “terrible and tragic milestone”.

Labour councillor Bob Johnson urged people to continue to follow the rules as figures showed the city was one of three areas in Yorkshire where the number of deaths has gone over 1,000.

Leeds had the highest number of registered Covid deaths at 1,303, followed by Sheffield at 1,014 and Bradford at 1,001 as of 15 January, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Coun Johnson said: “Every death associated with Covid-19 is one death too many and reaching 1,000 deaths is a terrible and tragic milestone for Sheffield. This deadly disease has brought heartbreak and pain to so many and I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one since the start of this pandemic.

“There is still a long way to go until we can safely resume normality, and with that, more people will sadly lose their lives. However, Sheffield is making exceptional headway with vaccinations, so there is hope and I believe that hope carries a lot of weight amongst all of us.

“When the time is right, we will be able to see our loved ones again and give them a hug, which I personally cannot wait for, but until that time we must continue to follow the guidance. Staying at home and playing our part to reduce the spread of this virus is in itself a great tribute to all those lives lost.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone in this city as individuals, business owners, key workers, for the sacrifices you have made and continue to make every day because each small act has an impact.”