England's Covid death rate rises for first time since April
The death rate for coronavirus patients has increased in England for the time since the peak of the outbreak in April, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.
Data published on Friday showed that the age-standardised mortality rate in September due to Covid-19 was 12.6 per 100,000 people in England.
This is up from 7.2 per 100,000 in August and is the first increase since April, the ONS warned.
The figure is still significantly lower than the peak of the virus in April when it was 623.2 deaths per 100,000 people, the data showed.
“This is the first increase in the mortality rate for deaths due to Covid-19 from one month to the next since April 2020.”
In Wales the age-standardised mortality rate in September due to Covid-19 was 10.8 per 100,000 people in Wales – 97.8% lower than the rate of 495.1 in April, the ONS said.
In England Covid-19 was the 19th most common cause of death, while in Wales it was 24th.
The ONS analysis included only deaths with an underlying cause of Covid-19, referred to as “due to Covid-19”.
This is different from “involving Covid-19”, which includes those where the virus is mentioned anywhere on a death certificate.
The ONS also found that the number of Covid-19 infections in England continues to increase. An estimated 433,300 people in private households had Covid-19 between October 10 and 16. This is equivalent to around one in 130 people.
The highest Covid-19 infection rates continue to be seen in the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North East.
A growth in infection rates has been seen across all age groups over the past two weeks, including those aged over 70. Current rates are highest in older teenagers and young adults.
Meanwhile, infections in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also increased in recent weeks. ONS estimates 6,700 people in Wales had Covid-19 during the most recent week (i.e. one in 180).
In Scotland, one in 180 people were also infected in the most recent week. One in 100 were infected in Northern Ireland.