Number of deaths in England and Wales falls to below average for first time since lockdown
30 June 2020, 10:41
The number of deaths registered weekly in England and Wales has fallen to below the five-year average for the first time since the start of lockdown.
Official figures show that there were 65 fewer deaths registered in the week ending June 19, which is 0.7% below the five-year average.
It is the first time this has happened since the week ending March 13.
In both hospitals and care homes the number of deaths fell below the average, with 782 and 49 fewer deaths respectively. However, there were 827 excess deaths in people's private homes.
Of the 9,339 deaths registered in the week ending June 19, 783 mentioned "novel coronavirus" - the lowest number of deaths involving Covid-19 for 12 weeks.
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Four regions in England - the South East, South West, North West and East - registered no excess deaths, while the number of registered deaths in the West Midlands was similar to the five-year average.
In Wales, which recorded no excess deaths for the first time in three months last week, death registrations crept up to 44 deaths higher than than five-year average.
The number of weekly deaths involving Covid-19 fell in all regions in England and Wales.
Overall, 31,364 deaths involving coronavirus have taken place in hospitals in England and Wales.
Some 14,658 deaths occurred in care homes, 2,259 in private homes, 684 in hospices, 221 in other communal establishments and 185 elsewhere, the ONS said.
