Covid death rate reaches lowest level in six months, ONS data confirms
13 April 2021, 09:55 | Updated: 13 April 2021, 11:30
The number of registered deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales has fallen to the lowest level in six months, with the Easter break affecting numbers, it has been confirmed.
The Office for National Statistics said there have now been 150,418 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate up to April 2.
This includes a further 400 in the week leading to that date - a drop of 350 compared to the seven days before that.
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It also comes as England continues its vaccine roll out, and from today the over-45s are being encouraged to book their jab.
Boris Johnson hailed the "hugely significant milestone", which means all in the nine priority groups, which also covers the clinically vulnerable and healthcare workers, have had the chance to receive a dose.
It had planned to do this by April 15 and that means the UK is on course to offer every adult a vaccine by the end of July.
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Now, the Joint Committee on Vaccine and Immunisation will set out how the vaccine programme will be completed, with people in their late 40s expected to be offered a jab from this week.
Mr Johnson said: "We have now passed another hugely significant milestone in our vaccine programme by offering jabs to everyone in the nine highest risk groups.
The Government said a further 13 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Monday, bringing their tally to 127,100
The Government also said that, as of 9am on Monday, there had been a further 3,568 lab-confirmed cases in the UK.
It brings the total to 4,373,343.
More to follow...
