There were 7,320 Covid-related deaths in England and Wales registered in the week ending February 5, a decrease of 1,113 deaths compared with the week before, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
However, this accounted for 42.6% of all deaths in England and Wales and is the third-highest proportion of deaths involving Covid-19 that has been recorded during the pandemic.
The figures also showed that there were 17,192 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending February 5. This 1,256 fewer deaths than in the previous week, but 40.8% above the five-year average.
Responding to the Covid-19 mortality figures, Dr Layla McCay, director at the NHS Confederation, said:
‘That the number of deaths from Covid-19 is finally starting to decline is, of course, good news, and is testament to the monumental efforts of the NHS to care for patients, alongside the impact of the national lockdown.
‘However, we must remember that there is a long way to go yet, as the number of deaths from Covid is still very high, and still accounts for some 42.6% of all deaths in England and Wales, the third-highest proportion recorded during the pandemic.
‘We hope to start seeing the impact of the vaccination programme soon, with more than 15m doses now given, but it remains vital that there is clarity and certainty about supply, especially as NHS teams continue to face huge pressures, with more than 23,000 people still in hospital with COVID-19.
‘We continue to urge the government to be extremely cautious about easing lockdown, and to do so with these pressures at the forefront of its thinking.’
Photo Credit – Pixabay