LGA responds to ONS data on COVID-19 deaths by disability status

Responding to today’s ONS data on COVID-19 related deaths by disability status in England for the period 24 January to 20 November 2020, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:

“Every death from this dreadful virus is a tragedy and it is particularly harrowing to see that disabled people have been disproportionately affected.

“Protecting our most clinically vulnerable people has been councils’ number one priority throughout the pandemic, delivering a wide range of support such as access to food and medicine, mental health services and meeting social care needs, as well as helping those who are in or at risk of financial hardship.

“This is in addition to supporting the vaccine rollout, so those who are clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 receive their dose as soon as possible.”