The number of people who have died with coronavirus mentioned on their death certificate has fallen below 1,000 for the first time since October, new figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports there were 963 registered deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales in the week ending 19 March.
This is the lowest figure since the week ending 16 October and the first time the weekly death toll has fallen below one thousand since the week ending 23 October.
The number is down 36% on the previous week’s total, with about one in 11 (9.3%) of all deaths registered in the latest week mentioning coronavirus on the death certificate.
Overall, 10,311 deaths were registered in the week to 12 March, 8.0% below the average for the corresponding period in 2015-19.
It is the second week in a row that the overall number of deaths has been below the five-year average.
Prior to the two most recent weeks, the last time deaths had been below average was in the week to 4 September.
