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The two regions where COVID-19 deaths are increasing in England

People shop at Leicester Market as a decision is due to be made on whether to lift the lockdown restrictions in the city. (Photo by Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images)
People shop at Leicester Market during the city's local lockdown. (Getty)

Coronavirus deaths are increasing in two regions across England, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The number of deaths involving COVID-19 decreased up to 24 July across all English regions, except for Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands – the newly-released ONS data shows.

Yorkshire and the Humber recorded 32 deaths in the week ending 24 July, compared with just 30 the week before.

While data from the East Midlands showed that 35 people had died from coronavirus in the same period, where just 31 had died from the virus the week before.

Only two English regions reported a rise in coronavirus deaths. (ONS)
Only two English regions reported a rise in coronavirus deaths. (ONS)
Coronavirus alert messages on a sign in the centre of Leicester, as a decision is due to be made on whether to lift the lockdown restrictions in the city. (Photo by Joe Giddens/PA Images via Getty Images)
The East Midlands is one of two regions where coronavirus deaths are on the rise. (Getty)

The South East had the largest number of weekly deaths involving coronavirus, 40, while the East Midlands had the highest proportion of deaths involving coronavirus, with 4.4% of the national toll.

However, all regions, except for the North East, East Midlands and West Midlands, had fewer overall deaths than the five-year average.

The figures come shortly after prime minister Boris Johnson was said to be "extremely concerned" that a second wave of coronavirus could hit the UK within two weeks.

On Monday, the Department of Health recorded 938 new cases in a 24-hour period.

That number represents the highest amount of new cases to be confirmed in 24 hours since June 26 – 38 days ago.

And the UK's seven-day average rate now stands at around 700, 28% higher than three weeks ago.

The regional R-rate, which measures how the virus is spreading among populations, is said to be almost hitting 1 in every region of England.

Across the UK, the coronavirus reproduction number has remained at 0.7 to 0.9, according to the latest figures published by Sage on Friday.

In Yorkshire and the North East, the R value has gone up from 0.7-0.9 earlier this month to 0.8-1.0 on Friday.

At a Downing Street press conference on Friday last week, Boris Johnson said: “Around one in 1,500 now have the virus compared to one in 1,800 on the 15th of July and one in 2,000 on the 2nd of July.

“The ONS also estimates that there are now 4,900 new infections every day, up from around 3,000 per day on the 14th of July and 2,000 per day at the end of June.”

“We just can’t afford to ignore this evidence,” he added, saying it was “vital to stress, of course, that we are in a far better position to keep the virus under control now than we were at the start of the pandemic”.

The PM last week scrapped nationwide lockdown changes due to take effect the next day with hours to spare before the announcement.

Plans to allow wedding receptions of up to 30 people were postponed, as were plans to reopen remaining beauty services.

More than 56,600 deaths involving COVID-19 have now been registered in the UK.

Tuesday’s ONS figures show that 51,596 deaths involving COVID-19 had occurred in England and Wales up to 24 July, and had been registered by 1 August.

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