Coronavirus deaths in Wales ROSE this month for the first time since April

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Coronavirus deaths in Wales ROSE this month for the first time since April – but deaths from all causes are below average for a THIRD week in a row, official statistics show

  • Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales now at their lowest level since March 13
  • Weekly deaths continue to fall in all English regions but rose in Wales
  • Number of people dying in their own homes remains higher than average
  • But hospital and care home deaths from any cause are lower than usual 

By Sam Blanchard Senior Health Reporter For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

The number of people dying of coronavirus rose in Wales for the first time since April in the first week of July, official statistics show.

A total of 30 people died with Covid-19 in the week from June 27 to July 3, according to Office for National Statistics data, up from 26 a week earlier.

Deaths continued to fall in all regions of England during that week, suggesting the Covid-19 outbreak may have stopped shrinking in Wales.

The country has, however, recorded significantly fewer deaths than all English regions but two. 

For England and Wales as a whole, however, the number of people dying of all causes has now been below average for three weeks in a row.

In the most recent week for which data are available, coronavirus-specific deaths hit their lowest level since mid-March, with 381 people dying.  

Hospital and care home deaths are lower than would normally be expected at this time of year, but deaths in people’s own homes remain higher – by 755 in the first week of July.

The number of Covid-19 deaths registered each week – by when they were counted rather than when they actually happened – has also fallen to its lowest level for 15 weeks.

According to the data from the ONS, the number of deaths registered in England and Wales involving Covid-19 in the week ending July 3 was 532.  

The week ending July 3 is known as week 27 in the report. 

The report said: ‘The number of death registrations involving the coronavirus (Covid-19) decreased from 606 in Week 26 to 532 in Week 27, the lowest number of Covid-19 deaths registered since Week 12, week ending March 20, when 103 deaths involved Covid-19. 

‘Of all deaths registered in Week 27, 5.8% mentioned Covid-19, down from 6.7% in Week 26.’ 

The weeks in which deaths occurred rather than when they were registered – which is a more accurate measure of the shape of the outbreak – is the lowest for 16 weeks.

A total 381 deaths actually happened in the week ending July 3, down from 561 the week before, 667 the week before that and 928 a week earlier.

One month ago, in the week to June 5, there were 1,289 deaths recorded. 

The statistics confirm that the Covid-19 outbreak in England and Wales is dramatically smaller than it was only five weeks ago.

During that time lockdown rules have been lifted and testing surveys suggest that the speed at which the epidemic is shrinking has plateaued.  

Today’s ONS report also confirmed that at least 50,698 people had died of Covid-19 in England and Wales by July 3.