Weekly Covid deaths in England and Wales have nearly HALVED in a fortnight to 2,000

Weekly Covid deaths have almost halved in a fortnight and dropped to their lowest levels since before the second wave took off in the autumn, official figures revealed today.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed 2,105 fatalities were linked to the virus in England and Wales over the seven days to March 5 — a 48 per cent dip on the 4,079 in the week ending February 19.

This was the lowest number of Covid deaths since the first week of November, when England was plunged into a second national lockdown to curb the then-spiralling outbreak. For comparison, weekly deaths surpassed 8,000 during the darkest part of the second wave in January. 

Coronavirus deaths among care home residents — who were first to be vaccinated — have also almost halved in a fortnight, dropping from 969 to 467.

But deaths from all causes — including dementia, heart disease and Covid — remained almost four per cent above the average for this time of year or 409 fatalities, suggesting the virus was still adding to the toll.

Additionally, the number of victims linked to flu and pneumonia was above those linked to Covid for the first time in 2021. But it was listed as the underlying cause of death for fewer than a fifth of those that had the virus in this category.

The Department of Health publishes a daily Covid death toll which has already shown a sharper dip in fatalities. 

But the figures from statisticians at the ONS lag behind by about two weeks because they are asked to go through every death certificate to pick out all those mentioning the virus, alongside fatalities from other causes.

Data today also revealed the deadliest day of the pandemic took place in the second wave, after 1,463 fatalities linked to the virus were confirmed on January 19. For comparison, in the first wave Covid deaths hit a height of 1,459 fatalities on April 8.

ONS data showed there were 467 Covid-linked deaths among care home residents in the week to March 5, almost half of the 969 registered two weeks beforehand. 

It was also the lowest level since November 12, when there were 401 Covid-linked fatalities in the most vulnerable group. 

Overall, there were 11,592 deaths from all causes, which was almost four per cent above the 11,183 expected at this time of year. 

Covid deaths made up 18 per cent of the total fatalities, down on the 23 per cent in the previous week.

There were also 2,350 deaths that involved flu and pneumonia in the week to March 5, but only 308 had this recorded as the underlying cause of death. 

For comparison, 1,685 Covid deaths had the virus marked as the underlying cause. 

Statisticians work out the number of ‘excess deaths’ by calculating the five-year average — the number of deaths recorded in the same week over the previous five years.

Only two regions of England had their total deaths registered below the five-year average over the latest week. 

In Yorkshire and the Humber there were 15 fewer deaths than expected, at 1,100, while the North East recorded two fewer victims than average, at 581. 

Covid deaths fell in all regions of England this week, and the South East was the only area to record at least 300 fatalities. 

For comparison, five regions — North West, West Midlands, East of England, London and the South East — had deaths above that benchmark the week before.

In Wales, the number of deaths from all causes was also below the five-year average for the first time this year.