Sunderland among worst hit as total death tolls for each North East area revealed
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According to government figures, this equates to roughly 15% of all fatalities in the region during 2020.
In those cases, COVID-19 was mentioned on death certificates as the cause or a contributing factor.
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Hide AdThe data from the Office for National Statistics, which runs to May 15, shows Middlesbrough and Sunderland were the two worst affected areas, regionally, with the virus attributed to about one in every five deaths over the period.


Stockton-on-Tees fared best, with the virus linked to 10.7 per cent of fatalities.
Across the North East there have been 14,083 deaths since the start of 2020, according to the ONS, with COVID-19 considered a factor in at least 2,166.
These numbers do not include so-called ‘collateral deaths’ of anyone who may have died from a separate condition as a result of treatment or diagnosis being delayed by the virus outbreak.
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Hide AdNorth East COVID-19 death numbers up to May 15
Figures in brackets are total deaths in each area for comparison
Hartlepool - 86 Covid-19 deaths (515 deaths in total)
Middlesbrough - 176 Covid-19 deaths (835 deaths in total)
Redcar and Cleveland - 86 Covid-19 deaths (732 deaths in total)
Stockton-on-Tees - 91 Covid-19 deaths (851 deaths in total)
Darlington - 68 Covid-19 deaths (604 deaths in total)
County Durham - 516 Covid-19 deaths (2,936 deaths in total)
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Hide AdNorthumberland - 210 Covid-19 deaths (1,731 deaths in total)
Newcastle - 183 Covid-19 deaths (1,326 deaths in total)
North Tyneside - 128 Covid-19 deaths (998 deaths in total)
South Tyneside - 119 Covid-19 deaths (833 deaths in total)
Sunderland - 298 Covid-19 deaths (1,568 deaths in total)
Gateshead - 205 Covid-19 deaths (1,154 deaths in total)
North East - 2,166 Covid-19 deaths (14,083 deaths in total)