Coronavirus: England and Wales weekly deaths hit 20-year high
England and Wales experienced their highest weekly death toll since 2000 earlier this month, with coronavirus responsible for a third of the 18,516 deaths.
The total for the week ending 10 April was 2,129 higher than the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). And it is 41 per cent higher than the government’s official figures, taking into account deaths outside hospitals.
Coronavirus caused 6,213 of those 18,516 England and Wales deaths. That means Covid-19 was responsible for 33.6 per cent of the total number.
In London, that percentage rocketed to 53.2 per cent of all deaths, while coronavirus was behind 37 per cent of West Midlands deaths.
And the number of deaths in care homes doubled by 2,456 over the previous month. Meanwhile hospital deaths in England and Wales have jumped 72.4 per cent.
Nick Stripe, ONS head of health analysis, said the data body was looking into the increase in non-coronavirus deaths in England and Wales.
He said it could be people with other illnesses avoiding going to hospital. But he added it could “take years to work out”.
Labour’s shadow social care minister Liz Kendall told Sky News the figures show coronavirus’ “terrible toll” on care homes.
“Yet these awful figures are only scratching the surface of the emerging crisis in social care, because they are already 11 days out of date,” she added.
She called on the government to publish the total number of coronavirus deaths including outside hospitals.
“This is essential to tackling the spread of the virus, ensuing social care has the resources it needs and getting vital PPE and testing to care workers on the frontline,” Kendall said.
More to follow.