The number of people dying in England and Wales was nearly 20 per cent above average in a week, even as Covid fatalities fall dramatically, latest data shows.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today reveal that in the week to February 19, 13,809 people died from all causes - 2,182 higher than the five-year average.
Of these, 4,079 death certificates mentioned Covid-19 - a drop of more than 1,600 (almost a third) compared to the previous week, and less than half the number recorded in mid-January.
The virus accounted for nearly 30 per cent of deaths in that seven-day period, the data shows.
All regions of England recorded a week-on-week fall in the number of Covid-19 deaths, with the South East seeing the highest number with 636 - down 35 per cent from the previous week.
But all recorded more deaths than normal, with the West Midlands registering a third more deaths than the five year average in the week to February 19.
It is the 15th week in a row in which the total number of deaths has been higher than normal in every English region.
But the number of Covid deaths continues to fall, with the latest weekly figure the lowest since the week ending January 1.
In the week ending January 18, which saw the highest number of coronavirus fatalities of 2021 so far, there were 9,056, ONS data shows.
This morning ONS also released figures estimating that a quarter of people in England would test positive for coronavirus antibodies - meaning they have either been vaccinated or recovered from the virus.
This figure fell slightly to one in six in Wales and Northern Ireland, and one in eight in Scotland.
The number of deaths registered in the UK in the week ending February 19 was 15,577 - 2,374 higher than the five-year average.
Of these 4,447 deaths involved COVID-19, a 1,668 fall from the previous week.
There were 969 care home resident deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales in the week to February 19, down more than a third (35%) on the previous week, the ONS said.
A total of 40,355 care home residents in England and Wales have now had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate since the pandemic began.
The figures cover deaths of care home residents in all settings, not just in care homes.
In England alone, ONS said, there have been 122,947 deaths linked to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.
In Wales the figure is 7,458, the data shows.
Yesterday the Department of Health confirmed 104 deaths, bringing the UK's official Covid-19 death toll - counting deaths within 28 days of a positive test - to 122,953.
