Covid-19-related deaths in England & Wales have peaked since the first wave of the disease amid government warnings that the UK strain of the virus could be more deadly than initially thought.
The number of deaths associated with the disease rose nearly 20% to 7,245 in the week ending Jan. 15, the Office for National Statistics said Tuesday, the third highest toll of the pandemic. Deaths in London, at the center of the normal revolution, are running at more than 84% above the five-year average for the second straight week, the data show.
Death Hole
Coronavirus deaths in England and Wales rose by 20% in the most recent week
Source: Office for National Statistics
The UK death toll from Covid-19 is set to exceed 100,000 this week and hospitals are close to capacity. Daily infections have begun to decline with the country in dire straits, and the rapid rollout of vaccines provides some hope that the peak is passing.
- Total deaths in England and Wales were 30.5% above the five-year average.
- Virus-related deaths accounted for 40.2% of deaths in England and Wales a week – the highest proportion on record
- Nearly 90% of Covid-related deaths are reported as a primary cause, compared to 7.2% of those reporting flu and pneumonia