Black people are four times more likely to die with COVID-19 than their white counterparts, the Office for National Statistics has found.

New analysis published on Thursday found black women are more likely to die by a factor of 4.3 and black men by 4.2 after adjusting for age compared to Caucasian people.

Those with Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian and mixed ethnicities have a raised risk of death, too.

Fatalities from coronavirus were also found to be twice as high in the most deprived parts of the UK, where those from ethnic minority backgrounds mainly reside, compared with the least deprived.

Underlying health conditions prevalent in those communities play a role in the disproportionate number of deaths, the ONS said.

More than two thirds of businesses – 67% – have applied for the government’s furlough scheme, the figures also show.

Despite the tough circumstances, 77% of firms have continued to trade during the crisis – but more than half – 58% reported a fall in turnover.

Among the accommodation and food services, 80% of companies have stopped trading.

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