Has anyone even thought that this is most likely directly related to the fact that the UK government lockdown has been much more severe in the northwest of England?
I would hypothesize that the higher death rate is linked directly to the longer and harder lockdown policy. When most of the UK was in Tier 1 and Tier 2, the Northwest of England was in Tier 3 and Tier 4. It will be interesting to see how this story develops.
Story here: Covid death rate 25% higher in Greater Manchester – report – BBC News