Weekly Covid deaths fall for first time in three months in England and Wales, official statistics show

Latest data covers period after second England-wide lockdown was lifted

Shoppers in the West End of London, which will move into the highest tier of restrictions from Wednesday (Aaron Chown/PA)

Weekly deaths involving Covid-19 have fallen for the first time in three months in England and Wales, official statistics show.

There were 2,835 deaths registered in the week ending 4 December where “novel coronavirus” was mentioned on the death certificate, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

It was a fall of 205 deaths from the previous week and the first weekly drop since the week ending 4 September.

The latest data covers the seven-day period during which the four-week national lockdown was lifted on 2 December.

The biggest decrease in deaths involving coronavirus was seen in those aged 80 to 84, with 60 fewer deaths compared with the previous week.

Three-quarters of deaths involving Covid-19 were in people aged 75 and over.

The number of deaths from all causes in hospitals, care homes and private homes remained above the average for this period over the past five years.

Deaths involving coronavirus fell in all English regions except the West Midlands, the East and London.

All English regions had a higher number of deaths from all causes than the five-year average for the fourth week in a row.

In Wales, the number of deaths involving Covid-19 decreased for the second week in a row from 218 deaths to 207 deaths.

This was still 157 deaths higher than the five-year average.

Additional reporting by Press Association