Weekly Covid deaths in England and Wales fall for the first time in three months – ONS

By Jemma Crew and Ian Jones, PA

Registered weekly deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales have fallen for the first time in three months, new figures show.

There were 2,835 deaths registered in the week ending December 4 where “novel coronavirus” was mentioned on the death certificate, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

This is a fall of 205 deaths from the previous week, and the first weekly drop since the week ending September 4.

The latest data covers the seven-day period during which the four-week national lockdown was lifted on December 2.

The biggest decrease in deaths involving coronavirus was seen in those aged 80 to 84, with 60 fewer deaths compared with the previous week.

Three-quarters of deaths involving Covid-19 were in people aged 75 and over.

The number of deaths from all causes in hospitals, care homes and private homes remained above the average for this period over the past five years.

Deaths involving coronavirus fell in all English regions except the West Midlands, the East and London.

In the West Midlands, 381 deaths involving Covid-19 were registered in the week to December 4: the highest number for the region since the week to May 15, according to the ONS.

London had 211 Covid-19 deaths registered in the week ending December 4 – the highest since the week to May 22.

And in eastern England, 182 Covid-19 deaths were registered: the highest since the week to June 5.

In Wales, the number of deaths involving Covid-19 decreased for the second week in a row from 218 deaths to 207 deaths.

This was still 157 deaths higher than the five-year average.

Tuesday’s figures also show the number of excess deaths that have occurred in private homes in England and Wales since the start of the coronavirus pandemic has now passed 36,000.

Excess deaths are the number of deaths that are above the average for the corresponding period in the previous five years.

There were 36,369 excess deaths in homes in England and Wales registered between March 7 and December 4, according to the ONS.

Of this total, 3,322 – 9% – were deaths involving Covid-19.

Any death involving Covid-19 is counted as an excess death because Covid-19 did not exist before this year.