Almost 200 people in Sheffield have died of Covid since Christmas, figures reveal

Government data reveals 945 people have died in the city within 28 days of a positive test up to 25 January, the last date for which data is available.

That is an increase of 183 since 25 December.

It comes as Sheffield’s director of public health said more than 60 per cent of new confirmed Covid-19 cases in the city are that of the more transmissible variant.

Greg Fell said: “Emerging over the weekend was that this is a more lethal disease.”

Initial analysis from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) showed infections with the variant, known among scientists as B.1.1.7, can cause more deaths.

Conclusions may change in the coming weeks as more data becomes available, Mr Fell said.

He also warned the increased death rate from the new variant – around five additional fatalities per 1000 infected people – ‘is not trivial’

He added: “Aggregated across a population it does matter, it really, really matters [...] underneath the death will also be severe hospitalisation”.

“It’s a relatively small but definitely not trivial increase in the severity of the illness that the new variant causes.”

Mr Fell also revealed ‘well over 50,000 people’ in Sheffield have now received their first dose of the potentially life-saving vaccine, with more than 70 per cent of the city’s over-80s given some protection along with ‘most’ care home residents and staff.

Sheffield is on course to offer a first dose to everyone in the top four priority groups by mid-February depending on supply, he added.