Covid-19 inquiry: How many people died in Worthing during coronavirus pandemic

By Andrew Dowdeswell, Data Reporter
Published 2nd Nov 2023, 11:20 BST
File photo dated 23/3/2022 of flowers by the The National Covid Memorial Wall in London. Bereaved families have warned they may take legal action against the Government over delays to starting the coronavirus public inquiry. The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group is considering bringing a judicial review over the failure to provide a setting up date for the inquiry into the Government's handling of the pandemic. Issue date: Monday June 27, 2022.File photo dated 23/3/2022 of flowers by the The National Covid Memorial Wall in London. Bereaved families have warned they may take legal action against the Government over delays to starting the coronavirus public inquiry. The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group is considering bringing a judicial review over the failure to provide a setting up date for the inquiry into the Government's handling of the pandemic. Issue date: Monday June 27, 2022.
File photo dated 23/3/2022 of flowers by the The National Covid Memorial Wall in London. Bereaved families have warned they may take legal action against the Government over delays to starting the coronavirus public inquiry. The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group is considering bringing a judicial review over the failure to provide a setting up date for the inquiry into the Government's handling of the pandemic. Issue date: Monday June 27, 2022.
As senior civil servants and key aides to Boris Johnson are questioned by the Covid-19 inquiry, we reveal how many people have died of the coronavirus since the pandemic erupted in 2020.

As senior civil servants and key aides to Boris Johnson are questioned by the Covid-19 inquiry, we reveal how many people have died of the coronavirus since the pandemic erupted in 2020.

The inquiry is in the second module, which looks at political governance and aims to learn lessons for the future.

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Dominic Cummings, who was Mr Johnson’s top adviser, and Lee Cain, the former director of communications for No 10, were questioned on Tuesday, while Helen MacNamara, who served as deputy cabinet secretary and ethics chief, and Professor David Halpern, who headed up the Behavioural Insights Team, provided evidence on Wednesday.

Each exposed the Government's poor preparedness and ill decision-making in dealing with the pandemic, leading to more deaths than necessary.

As of October 13, 228,448 people across the UK had died with Covid-19 on their death certificate by date registered.

This included 338 in Worthing.

It means 305 per 100,000 people in the area have died due to Covid-19.

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On Wednesday, Ms MacNamara slammed the Government's "toxic" and "macho" culture. She said women were "ignored and excluded", and criticised Mr Cummings calling her a "c***" in a WhatsApp message to Mr Johnson.

She also criticised then Health Secretary Matt Hancock, saying his record with the truth was questionable and had "nuclear levels" of overconfidence.

She shared an anecdote about Mr Hancock, saying he adopted a cricket batsman’s position after trying to comfort him in April 2020. She said he told her, "they bowl them at me, I knock them away".

"Hundreds of civil servants and potentially ministers" broke lockdown rules, Ms MacNamara said, recalling there likely wasn't a single day when the regulations were followed properly.