Coronavirus: Weekly deaths in England and Wales now above 100, official figures show

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Official figures show the number of weekly deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales has risen to more than 100 after a two-week dip.

Official figures show there were 139 deaths registered in the week ending 18 September where “novel coronavirus” was mentioned, accounting for 1.5 per cent of all deaths, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

It is the second consecutive weekly rise, with the number of deaths involving Covid-19 up 40.4 per cent from the 99 deaths registered in the previous week.

In the week before that, the week ending 4 September, numbers fell below 100 for the first time since the lockdown was introduced, with 78 deaths registered.

This is said to be due to the impact of the late bank holiday weekend in August - delaying the registration of some deaths to the following week.

The ONS said registered deaths involving Covid-19 increased in six of the nine English regions in the week ending September 18.

These were: north-west England (39, up nine on the previous week's total); the West Midlands (15, up eight); London (13, up seven); Yorkshire & the Humber (21, up seven); north-east England (eight, up five); and the East Midlands (14, up four).

The number fell in two regions: south-east England (11, down one on the previous week's total) and south-west England (five, down two). It was unchanged in Eastern England on eight deaths.

In Wales the weekly total increased by four, from one to five.

Overall in the UK, 158 deaths were registered in the week ending 18 September involving Covid-19 - 48 deaths higher than the previous week.

The release shows that nearly 57,900 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered in the UK.

Some 52,717 deaths involving Covid-19 had occurred in England and Wales up to 18 September, and had been registered by 26 September, the ONS data shows.

Figures published last week by the National Records for Scotland of deaths registered up to 20 September, and by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency of deaths registered up to 23 September, take the total to 57,860 deaths.

These are cases where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.