Deaths in England and Wales fall below five-year average for first time since lockdown

Shoppers queue outside the Apple store in Edinburgh's Princes Street. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA Wire. - Credit: PA

The number of deaths registered in England and Wales over one week has fallen below the five-year average for the first time since before lockdown was imposed, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The overall number of weekly registered deaths fell below the five-year average for the first time since the week ending March 13.

There were 65 fewer deaths registered in the week ending June 19 – 0.7% below the average number of deaths for this period over five years.

In both hospitals and care homes the number of deaths fell below the average, with 782 and 49 fewer deaths respectively.

However, there were 827 excess deaths in people’s private homes.


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Of the 9,339 deaths registered in the week ending June 19, 783 mentioned ‘novel coronavirus’ – the lowest number of deaths involving Covid-19 for 12 weeks.

The ONS counts these as excess deaths, as coronavirus was not a cause of death before 2020.

Four regions in England – the South East, South West, North West and East – registered no excess deaths, while the number of registered deaths in the West Midlands was similar to the five-year average.

In Wales, where deaths fell below the average for the first time in three months last week, death registrations crept up to 44 deaths higher than than five-year average.

The number of weekly deaths involving Covid-19 fell in all regions in England and Wales.

Overall, 31,364 deaths involving coronavirus have taken place in hospitals in England and Wales.

Some 14,658 deaths occurred in care homes, 2,259 in private homes, 684 in hospices, 221 in other communal establishments and 185 elsewhere, the ONS said.