Covid: Second highest number of weekly coronavirus deaths recorded

A total of 8,433 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending January 29 were related to Covid-19 – the second highest weekly number since the pandemic.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) all of those mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.

The figure is up slightly from 8,422 deaths in the week to January 22.

Nearly half (45.7%) of all deaths registered in England and Wales in the latest week on record mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, which is the highest proportion recorded during the pandemic.

In this week, the number of deaths registered in England and Wales was 44.6% above the five-year average, or 5,688 deaths higher.

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A total of 126,023 deaths had occurred in the UK by January 29 where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, the ONS said. There were 19 consecutive days in January – from January 7 to 25 – when the daily death toll was above 1,000. This could change once more deaths have been registered for the end of the month. During the first wave of the virus in April 2020, there were 23 consecutive days when the death toll – based on death certificates – was above 1,000.

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Some 2,505 care home resident deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales were registered in the week to January 29 2021 – the highest total since the week to May 1 2020.

A total of 35,720 care home residents in England and Wales have now had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate, the ONS said.

The figures cover deaths of care home residents in all settings, not just in care homes.

Meanwhile three regions of England each saw more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths registered in the week to January 29, the ONS said. These were south-east England (1,710 deaths, down 24 from the previous week); eastern England (1,297 deaths – the highest weekly total since the pandemic began, up 81 from the previous week); and London (1,265 deaths, down 135 from the previous week). All regions saw a week-on-week rise in Covid-19 deaths except north-east England, London and south-east England.