Coronavirus deaths last week fell for first time since September in England and Wales, the latest ONS figures show.
The latest figures for England and Wales show the proportion of Covid-19 deaths remains high - at 23% - but fell in the seven days to December 4.
A total of 2,835 deaths registered in the week ending December 4 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is down from 3,040 deaths in the week to November 27 - a fall of 7%.
It is the first week-on-week drop since the week to September 4.
In the West Midlands, 381 deaths involving Covid-19 were registered in the week to December 4: the highest number for the region since the week to May 15, according to the ONS.
London had 211 Covid-19 deaths registered in the week ending December 4 - the highest in the capital since the week to May 22.
And in eastern England, 182 Covid-19 deaths were registered: the highest since the week to June 5.
These were the only three regions of England to record week-on-week increases in the number of registered Covid-19 deaths.
It comes as the number of excess deaths that have occurred in private homes in England and Wales since the start of the coronavirus pandemic passed 36,000.
Excess deaths are the number of deaths that are above the average for the corresponding period in the previous five years.
There were 36,369 excess deaths in homes in England and Wales registered between March 7 and December 4, according to the ONS.
Of this total, 3,322 - 9% - were deaths involving Covid-19.
Any death involving Covid-19 is counted as an excess death because Covid-19 did not exist before this year.
