Covid deaths fall by more than a third in a week in England and Wales, official data shows

Covid deaths fell by 37 per cent in a week in England and Wales to the lowest number since the week ending September 11, data has shown.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released today show there were 129 deaths with Covid on the certificate in the week ending May 7.

But ONS statisticians warned the number was significantly lower because of the bank holiday weekend.

Some 94 of the 129 Covid deaths in England and Wales were caused by the disease, the ONS said.

This was less than half of the 247 deaths caused by influenza and pneumonia. There were 980 deaths in total involving those diseases.

Around one in 63 (1.6 per cent) deaths registered in the two countries had Covid on the certificate.

The number of total deaths for the week was 7,412 in England — 20.2 per cent below the five-year average for this time of year.

There were 560 total deaths in Wales, 10.3 per cent lower than the national average for that week in the country. 

A total of 152,919 deaths have now occurred in the UK where Covid was mentioned on the death certificate, the ONS said.

The highest number of deaths to occur on a single day was 1,477 on January 19. 

During the first wave of the virus, the daily death toll peaked at 1,461 deaths on April 8 2020. 

People aged 80 to 84 years saw the biggest fall in deaths involving Covid, with 17 fewer deaths. The figures add to the litany of data indicating the success of the vaccine roll-out. 

But some 52.7 per cent of the Covid deaths were still in people aged 75 and over. 

The ONS warned the drastic fall in total deaths and drop-off compared to the five-year average may have been influenced by the May bank holiday. 

It said: ‘The number of deaths was 19.7 per cent below the five-year average (1,955 deaths fewer). 

‘The Early May Day Bank Holiday appears in different weeks depending on the year. 

‘It was in Week 18 in 2016 and 2017, whereas it was in Week 19 in 2015, 2018 and 2019. 

‘Comparisons with the five-year average should be treated with caution for Weeks 18 and 19.’

Separate ONS data released today show care home resident deaths with Covid more than halved in the week ending May 7.

The number of care home residents who died with the virus on their death certificate fell from 35 to 15.

Covid deaths in care homes this year peaked at the end of January with 2,505 weekly fatalities — 167 times higher than the most recent figure.

The number of total deaths in care home fell by 17.1 per cent from 2,019 to 1,674 in the same week.

Care home deaths were a third lower than the five-year average for the week (2,492).