London coronavirus deaths up by three despite weekly UK toll rising by a third

The number of Covid-19 deaths increased by more than a third across the UK in the last week – but London continues to be sheltered from the worst effects of the pandemic's second wave.

There were 474 deaths involving coronavirus in the UK in the most recent week, up 131, or 38 per cent higher than the previous week, the Office for National Statistics announced today.

But London’s death toll increased by just three to 34 in the seven days to October 9 – making the capital the fifth worst English region for Covid-19 mortality, and meaning it also falls behind Wales, which saw its death toll increase from 25 to 37.

The coronavirus death toll in England and Wales increased 36 per cent week on week, from 321 to 438, an extra 117 deaths.

Today’s figures reveal the highest Covid-19 death toll in England and Wales for 14 weeks, since the start of July.

They also show that the proportion of deaths involving the virus is rising – the virus accounted for 4.4 per cent of all deaths in England and Wales in the most recent week, compared with 3.2 per cent in the previous week.

In London, there were a total of 902 deaths from all causes – 12 fewer than the average for the time of year.

This bucks the trend seen nationally, where the total number of deaths in England and Wales (9,954) was 1.5 per cent or 143 deaths more than average for the time of year.

The North West was the worst affected region for Covid-19, with 153 deaths – up from 106 the previous week - followed by 60 in the North East, 52 in Yorkshire and the Humber, and 43 in the West Midlands.

There were 21 virus deaths in the South East, 11 in the East of England and only six in the South West.

Further highlighting the North-South divide, the East and South East both saw the number of deaths decrease week on week.

London’s weekly coronavirus death toll is the highest for 14 weeks but remains a long way short of the peak number of weekly Covid deaths in the capital – 1,818, which was recorded in the week ending April 17.

It has now been under 100 for the last 18 successive weeks.

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