THE number of people who have died of Covid-19 in Barrow has surpassed 300, new figures

Office of National Statistics figures, which show week-by-week data of all deaths across England and Wales, revealed 303 people have died as a result of coronavirus in the town.

Overall, there were 2,087 deaths in the town in 2020, the statistics show.

This meant that 14.5 per cent of all deaths in 2020 were Covid-related.

Simon Fell, MP for Barrow and Furness, said: “The impact of this pandemic isn’t just marked in those who have died in our community, as tragic as each one of those deaths is, but also on the impact on their families and friends, and those who are living with the impact of long Covid.

“This is a deadly disease which is why the advice to stay at home and follow the guidance is so important.”

In neighbouring South Lakeland, 442 people died from Covid - which was 12.8 per cent of the overall total of 3,451 deaths.

Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said: “My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one during the pandemic.

“These figures bring into sharp focus just how truly dangerous and devastating this virus is.

“However, the vaccine gives us real hope of being able to overcome this crisis – that’s why it’s so important that every possible effort is thrown behind rolling out the vaccine as quickly as possible so we can prevent many more lives being cruelly lost to Covid-19.”

Nationally, ONS reported a total death toll of 608,002 in 2020 - up 15 per cent from 530,841 in 2019.

It has also been reported that nationally it is the largest increase in the number of deaths in a single year in England and Wales since 1940.

This comes as the pressures on hospitals and other emergency service responders increases in what is now the third national lockdown.

Police and Cumbria’s public health director Colin Cox have urged people to follow coronavirus guidelines as more breaches were documented last weekend.

It is currently unclear when the current national will end; however, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously said that the lockdown would next be reviewed in the middle of February.

Hospital intensive care units (ICUs) face being overwhelmed unless coronavirus rates are brought under control, Mr Johnson admitted yesterday.

The Prime Minister said there was a "very substantial" risk that ICUs would be unable to cope if numbers kept increasing.

Mr Johnson's stark warning came as the daily reported death toll reached a new high, with 1,564 fatalities recorded within 28 days of a positive test.

The latest figures mean the grim milestone of more than 100,000 deaths involving coronavirus has now been passed in the UK, according to official data.