Covid Involved in Fewer Than 10% of Deaths in England and Wales by Mid-March, ONS Says

Covid was involved in fewer than 10% of all deaths in England and Wales by mid-March, according to the latest figures from the ONS. New data also shows that the number of excess deaths has fallen below zero for the second week in a row. Here are the key findings from the ONS.

The number of death registrations in England and Wales involving the coronavirus decreased from 1,501 in Week 10 to 963 in Week 11 – a 35.8% decrease. Of all deaths registered in Week 11, 9.3% mentioned Covid on the death certificate.
In England, the number of deaths involving Covid in Week 11 was 912, accounting for 9.4% of all deaths compared with 13.9% in Week 10.
In Wales, there were 49 deaths involving Covid in Week 11, accounting for 7.9% of all deaths compared with 9.9% in Week 10.

And on excess deaths:

The provisional number of deaths registered in England and Wales decreased from 10,987 in Week 10 (week ending March 12th 2021) to 10,311 in Week 11 (week ending March 19th 2021). The number of deaths was 8.0% below the five-year average (894 deaths fewer).
In England, the number of deaths decreased from 10,277 in Week 10 to 9,673 in Week 11, which was 774 deaths (7.4%) fewer than the Week 11 five-year average. This is the second consecutive week that deaths have been lower than the five-year average in England.
In Wales, the number of deaths decreased from 685 in Week 10 to 621 in Week 11, which was 106 deaths (14.6%) fewer than the Week 11 five-year average. This is the third consecutive week that deaths have been lower than the five-year average in Wales.

Deaths in private homes continue to run significantly above average, as they have since the first lockdown, with 715 excess deaths or 27.7% above the five-year average in the week ending March 19th. Many of these deaths may be avoidable as they reflect people not accessing medical care.