BRIDGEND MP Jamie Wallis has reacted with shock to new figures that show that the death rate from Covid 19 in Wales is now higher than in England.
Welsh Conservative Jamie said that figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed that there had been 3,464 deaths in Wales since the start of the pandemic which represents a figure of 1,156 per million people compared to 60,308 deaths in England which works out at 1,071 per million of the population.
Jamie said: “Each of these deaths is a tragedy for the person, their family and their friends. But I am very shocked that Wales with a population density of one third that of England and with no major international transport hubs now has a higher death rate than England.
“The Welsh Labour Government has prided itself on taking its own path through this pandemic which has meant increased restrictions on our lives for longer than in England and more businesses shutting their doors for longer periods but it just does not seem to have worked.
“I accept that Wales has a slightly higher proportion of people aged 65 and over than the other UK nations but our lower population density and the lack of any major cities like Birmingham, London and Manchester should have more than offset this factor.
“Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has been quoted as saying Welsh people are older, sicker and poorer than people in England. That is a dreadful indictment of the way in which Labour has run Wales for the past 20 years when it has been in charge of the NHS and is responsible for policies to reduce poverty. They fail miserably on both counts.”
