Wigan reaches grim milestone of 1000 deaths with Covid-19

The sad milestone was revealed in figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which run up to April 9.

ONS data covering death registrations runs a couple of weeks behind as death certificates have to be issued and their contents recorded.

Health bosses said their thoughts were with all those who have been bereaved and those who have died.

They said it also underlines the importance of continuing to follow the health regulations set down to slow the spread of Covid-19 and told residents that compliance was having an effect.

Prof Kate Ardern, director of public health at Wigan Council, said: “Our thoughts and condolences are with all of those who have lost loved ones as a result of this cruel virus.

“The pandemic has affected every single person in our borough in some way and I know how difficult this time has been.

“I would like to thank residents for their cooperation and support in helping us to tackle the virus because it is as a result of this hard work that we are now sitting at 35 new cases per 100,000 population – the lowest our rates have been since September 2020.

“In addition, around half of our population has now received the vaccine, which should prevent those most vulnerable from falling seriously unwell if they contract the virus.

“However, we cannot be complacent, I urge everybody to continue wearing a face covering, washing their hands and watching their distance so we can mitigate transmission, support the NHS and reduce the number of people losing their lives.”

Sanjay Arya, medical director at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh (WWL)Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s important that we remember and honour the lives of all of the friends and family members we have sadly lost in our borough during this time.

“Together, we need to continue to take action to minimise the risk of infection by taking up the vaccine and by following the latest Covid-19 guidance, including washing our hands, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distance.”

The coronavirus tracker showed two deaths were registered with Covid-19 in the week up to April 9, the same figure as the previous week.

In total 81 per cent of Covid-related deaths have been in hospital, with 13 per cent in care homes and four per cent at home.

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