30 December 2020

Weekly Covid-19 deaths rising again, ONS figures show

30 December 2020

The number of coronavirus deaths registered each week in England and Wales is rising again, new figures show.

A total of 2,986 deaths registered in the week to December 18 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is up from 2,756 deaths in the week to December 11 – a jump of 8%.

The increase follows two weeks in which the number of deaths had fallen.

HEALTH Coronavirus ONS (PA Graphics)

Six regions of England recorded a week-on-week rise in the number of Covid-19 deaths.

In south-east England, 425 deaths were registered in the week to December 18 – up sharply from 294 in the previous week, and the highest number since the week to May 15.

London had 241 coronavirus deaths – again, the highest number for the region since May 15, and up from 200 in the previous week.

Eastern England had 237 Covid-19 deaths, up from 201 and the highest since the week to May 22.

The other three regions recording a rise were Yorkshire & the Humber (394, up from 390), the East Midlands (337, up from 334), and south-west England (200, up from 162).

North-east England, north-west England and the West Midlands all recorded a week-on-week fall.

The ONS figures also show that 76,669 deaths involving Covid-19 had taken place in England and Wales up to December 18, with 454 occurring on November 18 – the “deadliest day” so far in the second wave of the virus.

These figures are likely to increase once further deaths for this period have been registered.

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