Covid-19 weekly deaths fall for fourth week in a row

The number of deaths from all causes remains well above the average for the time of year.

People look at tributes on the Covid memorial wall in central London (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Archive)

The number of deaths involving Covid-19 registered each week in England and Wales remains on a clear downwards trend, falling for the fourth week in a row.

A total of 453 deaths registered in the seven days to August 26 mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – down 18% on the previous week.

It is the lowest number of deaths since the week to July 8.

Death registrations climbed during much of June and July following the wave of infections caused by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants of Covid-19.

The figures peaked at 810 deaths in the week to July 29, since when they have dropped steadily.

The peak is well below the level seen during the Alpha wave in January 2021, when weekly deaths reached nearly 8,500.

High levels of Covid antibodies among the population – either from vaccination or previous infection – mean the number of people seriously ill or dying from the virus this year has stayed low.

The total number of deaths from all causes remains well above the average for the time of year, however.

Some 10,942 deaths were registered in England and Wales in the week to August 26, 16.6% above average – the equivalent of 1,556 “excess deaths”.

Deaths have been above average almost continuously since the end of March, following a period at the start of the year when no excess deaths were recorded.

Before 2022, death registrations were above average since the start of the pandemic, except for periods in summer 2020 and spring 2021.

The figures remain particularly high for deaths that have occurred in people’s own homes, where deaths registered in the week to August 26 were 28.2% above average.