Number of weekly deaths involving Covid-19 highest since June
The number of weekly deaths involving coronavirus is at its highest since early June, new statistics show.
A total of 978 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending October 23 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
It is the highest number of deaths involving Covid-19 since the week ending June 12, and is up from 670 deaths in the week to October 16 – a jump of 46%.
Of the 978 deaths that involved Covid-19, 874 had this recorded as the underlying cause of death (89.4%) and of the 1,719 deaths that involved influenza and pneumonia, 302 had the cause coded as its underlying cause (17.6%), the ONS said.
In England, of all deaths that occurred up to 23 October (registered up 31 October), 52,915 involved #COVID19.
For the same period @DHSCgovuk reported 39,629 #COVID19 death notifications (where the death occurred within 28 days of a positive test) https://t.co/RYSEbPKiAH
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) November 3, 2020
The number of deaths in hospitals was above the five-year average in the week ending October 23 with 14 more deaths, the first time since the week ending May 15 (614 more).
The numbers of deaths in private homes and care homes also were above the five-year average at 959 and 39 more deaths respectively.
In England, the total number of deaths increased from 9,833 in the week to October 16 to 10,070 in the week to October 23.
The ONS said the South West was the only English region to have fewer overall deaths compared with the five-year average.
Overall, there were 913 deaths involving Covid-19 in England in the week ending October 23.
For Wales our data show that up to 23 October (registered up to 31 October) 2,806 deaths involved #COVID19.
For the same period
▪️ @DHSCgovuk reported 1,772 #COVID19 death notifications▪️ @PublicHealthW reported 1,888 #COVID19 deaths occurrences
— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) November 3, 2020
The number of deaths involving Covid-19 increased in all of the English regions, with the North West having the largest number (325 deaths).
In Wales, the number of deaths involving Covid-19 increased from 47 in the week ending October 16 to 65 in the week ending October 23, while the total number of deaths in that week was 33 higher than the five-year average.
Based on a statistical model that allows for the time taken for deaths to be registered, the ONS estimates that the number of deaths actually occurring in the week ending October 23 in England and Wales was between 9,750 and 12,097.
The number of deaths registered in the UK in the week ending October 23 2020 was 12,292, which was 1,222 deaths higher than the five-year average and 364 deaths more than the previous week.
Of the deaths registered in the UK in the week ending October 23, 1,126 deaths involved Covid-19, 365 deaths higher than the previous week.