Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales down by 92% from second wave peak

8 April 2021, 15:55 | Updated: 8 April 2021, 21:52

A total of 719 Covid-19 deaths were registered in England and Wales in the week ending March 26
A total of 719 Covid-19 deaths were registered in England and Wales in the week ending March 26. Picture: PA

By Maddie Goodfellow

The number of weekly coronavirus deaths in England and Wales has fallen by 92 per cent from the second wave peak roughly two months ago, official figures show.

Some 712 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in the week ending March 19, down from 8,945 deaths in the week ending January 22, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

A total of 379 Covid-19 deaths in the 80 and over age group occurred in England and Wales in the week ending March 19, down 92.9% from 5,354 deaths in the week ending January 22.

Deaths for those aged 75-79 dropped 93.4% in the same period, compared with falls of 92.4% for those aged 70-74, 90.8% for those aged 65-69 and 83.7% for those aged 60-64.

Deaths that occurred in the most recent week of reporting, the week to March 26, are still being registered.

Met detective backs link between Covid and mental health conditions

Adults aged 80 and over were included in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's second priority group for the vaccine, followed by those aged 75 and over, and 70 and over.

Doses were first offered from early December.

By mid-February, the Government said it had offered the jab to everyone in these groups.

The figures also show that overall registered deaths in England and Wales remained below the five-year average for the third week running.

Jeremy Hunt tells LBC the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine remains safe

Some 10,045 deaths were registered in the week to March 26, 5.0% below the average for the corresponding period in 2015-19.

Prior to the three most recent weeks, the last time deaths had been below average was in the week to September 4 2020.

A total of 719 deaths registered in the week ending March 26 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, the lowest number since the week ending October 16.

The figure is down 25% on the previous week's total.

Around one in 14 (7.2%) of all deaths registered that week mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.

Some 150 care home resident deaths involving Covid-19 were registered, down nearly a quarter (23%) from the previous week.

A total of 42,103 care home residents in England and Wales have now had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate since the pandemic began.

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

Overall, 150,837 deaths have now occurred in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, the ONS said.

Read more: First Moderna dose given in UK as carer Elle Taylor gets vaccine

Read more: Under-30s to be offered alternative to Oxford-AstraZeneca jab

Matt Hancock says people who have had AZ should get second jab

It comes as a recent study suggested that the prevalence of Covid-19 cases in England fell by around 60 per cent from February to March.

Infection rates dropped in all age groups and regions across both months but recent data indicates the decline is "levelling off", researchers said.

Figures also suggest that the rollout of the coronavirus vaccines could be "breaking the link" between cases, deaths and hospital admissions.

The latest round of the Real-Time Assessment of Community Transmission (React-1) study found that, on average, one in 500 people was still infected with Covid-19 in March.

Researchers said there had been "big falls" in the prevalence of the virus in the South East and London from February to March.

However, they added that there are still "persistent areas of higher prevalence" of the virus in the southern part of Yorkshire, and parts of the East Midlands and the North West.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Migrants attempting to cross the English Channel

Migrant dies in Channel after dinghy capsizes while trying to reach UK

A P-8A Poseidon aircraft followed the Russian convoy along the British coast.

RAF spy plane buzzes Russian convoy loaded with weapons in Channel ahead of crucial peace talks in London

Most lower back pain treatment doesn't really work, a new study has found

Most lower back pain treatment is ineffective, researchers find

File photo of NHS ambulance staff

Three dead after food poisoning outbreak as authorities investigate link to NHS hospital

Kennedys Riding in Dallas Motorcade. minutes later he was assassinated

Lee Harvey Oswald was a 'poor shot' KGB claimed: Bombshell revelations from CIA's newly released JFK files

Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group Faces Collapse

'We missed you too': Retail giant Topshop hints at return to high street

Zelenskyy has accused Putin of lying

Zelenskyy accuses Putin of lying after hospital bombing, with Ukrainian president to speak to Trump on Wednesday

Bulgarian club Arda Kardzhali apologises after holding a minute's silence for player who is still alive

Football club apologises after minute's silence for player - before discovering he's still alive

Part of the roofs on McGregor Road collapsed last night

Notting Hill horror as roofs collapse in affluent west London neighbourhood, with residents evacuated

Exclusive
Itay Kashti, a Jewish-Israeli music producer, was lured to what he believed was a musician retreat before being beaten and kidnapped for his race and religion.

Israeli music producer opens up about horrific anti-Semitic kidnapping as three men jailed for extortion plot

A call between Trump and Putin has been branded a failure

'Is this what a ceasefire looks like?' Putin accused of 'playing games' as Ukraine bombarded after Trump call

A high street branch of the Santander Bank on Tottenham Court Road, London, England, UK, Britain, British on a sunny day.

High Street banking giant to shut nearly 100 branches - is yours set to close?

Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate rails against ‘callous, toxic influencers’ harming young men

Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that yesterday's agreement was a rejection of a ceasefire

'Putin bluntly rejected Trump's ceasefire plan', former Ukrainian PM tells LBC

Netflix's new series Adolescence explores themes such as misogyny, radicalisation and control

Netflix's Adolescence exposes that power no longer lies with elected officials - but social media giants who shape our world

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to slash benefits spending

Soaring benefits bill 'devastating' for public finances, PM claims as he defends slashing welfare spending by £5bn