Weekly Covid deaths rise after bank holiday registration delays
Some 922 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending January 7 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.
Weekly registered deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales have risen after reporting delays over the Christmas period, figures show.
Some 922 deaths registered in the week ending January 7 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This is up 58% on the previous seven days, but the ONS said the number of registrations will have been affected by delays over the festive season.
In the latest week, around one in 13 (7.5%) registered deaths mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate.
The number of registered care home deaths involving Covid-19 more than doubled from 64 to 130.
The ONS figures cover deaths of care home residents in all settings, not just in care homes.
The week-on-week changes will have been affected by the bank holidays on December 27 and 28, when register offices were likely to be closed.
The ONS said it often sees high death registrations in the first two weeks of January as register offices deal with a backlog.
Deaths involving coronavirus have remained low throughout the latest wave of cases, with the vaccine rollout playing a major role.
