Revealed: Highfield has Dacorum's highest Covid-19 death toll

Highfield, in Hemel Hempstead, has seen more deaths linked to the coronavirus than anywhere else in Dacorum, according to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

New data shows the number of deaths involving Covid-19 split by small areas within local authorities.

Between March and May, 17 people in the area of Highfield died with the virus – the most in Dacorum's 22 areas.

At the other end of the spectrum, none were recorded in Berkhamsted Town over the period.

The ONS data includes deaths for which coronavirus was the underlying cause, or was mentioned on the death certificate as a contributory factor.

The report, which updates figures published in May, shows the wide disparity in the pandemic’s impact on different communities.

In May, 18 deaths in Dacorum were linked to Covid-19, including those registered up to June 6.

This was equivalent to 11.7 per 100,000 of the population, although the ONS said the rate had "low reliability" due to insufficient data.

It means Dacorum's death rate ranked 36th of 45 lower-tier council areas in the East of England. The rate represented a big drop from April, when it stood at 58.0.

This reflected the trend across England as a whole, where the average rate more than halved over the two months, to 20.0 in 100,000.

A government spokeswoman said: “Every death from this disease is a tragedy, but thanks to our health and care workers and the huge efforts of the British people, rates of Covid-19 infections are decreasing over time.

“The Government is working to understand the key drivers of disparities in infection and death rates, and the relationships between the different risk factors.

“We are taking forward the work of Public Health England’s recent Disparity Review, which will help us make a real difference to people’s lives and protect our communities from the impact of the coronavirus.”