England and Wales weekly Covid deaths of care home residents ‘at highest level since end of April’

ONS figures show there were 2,364 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 in the week ending January 22 (Danny Lawson/PA)

England and Wales weekly registered deaths of care home residents involving coronavirus have passed 2,000 and are at their highest level since the end of April, new figures show.

There were 2,364 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 in the week ending January 22 in England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

This includes residents who died in care homes, hospitals and other settings.

This is up 37.5% from the previous week, and is the highest weekly number since the week ending May 1.

The latest weekly figure is also more than three times the 745 care home resident deaths registered in the week ending December 31.

A total of 33,215 care home residents in England and Wales have now had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate, the ONS said.

Separate Care Quality Commission data shows it was notified of 2,357 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 in the week ending January 29.

This is similar to the 2,366 notifications it received in the week ending January 22.

Overall, there were 8,422 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending January 22 where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

This is up 16.2% from the 7,245 deaths in the week to January 15.

Nearly half (45.1%) of all deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to January 22 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate – the highest proportion recorded during the pandemic.

The latest weekly total is the second highest number recorded since the pandemic began, exceeded by the week ending April 24.

All regions of England recorded an increase in registered Covid-19 deaths in the week to January 22, the ONS said.

Three regions saw more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths registered: south-east England (1,734 deaths – the highest weekly total since the pandemic began); London (1,400 deaths – the highest since the week to April 24 2020); and eastern England (1,216 deaths – the highest since the pandemic began).

London had the highest proportion of deaths involving Covid-19, at 57.9%.

In Wales, the number of deaths involving Covid-19 fell 4.3% to 447 deaths – the first fall since the week ending December 4.

A total of 117,378 deaths had occurred in the UK by January 22 where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, the ONS said.