UK coronavirus deaths dropped by 26 percent in just one week, new figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show.
In the week ending July 24 (week 30), 217 registered deaths mentioned Covid-19, a significant drop compared to 295 the week before.
It was the lowest number of deaths involving Covid-19 in the last 18 weeks.
It was also a 26.4% decrease compared with week 29, when there were 295 deaths, accounting for 2.4% of all deaths in England and Wales.
The number of deaths registered in England and Wales in week 30 was 8,891; this was 68 more deaths than the previous week.
In the week ending July 24, the number of deaths registered was 1.8% below the five-year average (161 deaths fewer).
This is the sixth consecutive week that deaths have been below the five-year average.
The number of deaths in care homes, hospitals and other communal establishments remained below the five-year average for week 30.
However the number of deaths in private homes continued to be higher than the five-year average, after 727 more deaths.
The figures released today also showed how the number of deaths involving Covid-19 decreased across all English regions, except for Yorkshire and The Humber and the East Midlands.
Six of the nine regions had fewer overall deaths than the five-year average.
In Wales, the total number of deaths was similar to the five-year average for week 30.
But the number of deaths involving Covid-19 decreased to seven deaths registered, from 11 deaths the previous week.
It was the lowest number registered since week 12 when there were two deaths.
Of all deaths involving coronavirus registered up to week 30, 63.4% occurred in hospital with the rest mainly occurring in care homes (29.7%), private homes (4.7%) and hospices (1.4%).
The number of deaths registered in the UK in the week ending 24 July 2020 was 10,142.
This was 118 deaths fewer than the five-year average.
Of these deaths, 231 involved Covid-19.
