Coronavirus: Excess deaths during pandemic at 63,500 but weekly figure lowest since lockdown, say ONS
The number of excess deaths during the pandemic is more than 63,500 (PA)
2 min read
The total number of excess deaths recorded during the coronavirus pandemic has passed 63,500 - but the most recent weekly figure is the lowest since lockdown began.
That is according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which also puts fatalities where the person tested positive for Covid-19 at more than 51,000.
They have released the number of deaths registered in the week ending 29 May in England and Wales - 9,824 - a total of 1,653 deaths higher than the five-year average for that period.
That is the lowest number of excess deaths since the end of March, and comes as the Health Secretary Matt Hancock declared coronavirus is "in retreat across the land”.
And of those deaths 1,822 involved Covid-19 - less than a fifth of the total and the lowest weekly figure for two months.
The total number of excess deaths is calculated to be 63,596, after the ONS figure of 57,961 in England and Wales is added to the most recent available data from Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Based on death certificates where coronavirus was mentioned and deaths of confirmed cases in hospitals, Tuesday’s release takes the overall death toll for the UK to 51,766.
That is more than 10,000 above the latest tally of 40,597 calculated by the Department of Health & Social Care.
The ONS also reports that in the week ending 29 May there were 819 more deaths in care homes compared with the five-year average, but 30 fewer deaths in hospitals.
Nick Stripe, head of health analysis at the stats body, tweeted: “Some coronavirus-related deaths that have occurred in care homes in the last two months will have brought forward deaths that might otherwise have happened relatively soon.
“We might expect deaths not involving Covid-19 in care homes to fall below five-year averages in the next few weeks.”
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