Weekly registered deaths involving coronavirus are four times higher than this time last year but appear to have levelled off, figures show.
There were 571 deaths in England and Wales where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate in the week ending August 20, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
This is four times higher than the 139 coronavirus deaths registered in the week ending August 21 2020.
It is a fall of just one death from the previous week, and equates to around one in 18 of all registered deaths over the seven days.
Last August, society was not fully opened up and several areas were in local lockdowns.
Levelling off
Meanwhile, more people died from all causes than would usually be expected for this time of year for the seventh week in a row.
Some 10,013 deaths were registered in England and Wales – 359 fewer than the previous week but still 10.2% above the five-year average.
A total of 157,648 deaths have occurred in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, the ONS said.
This includes 42,855 care home residents in England and Wales who have had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate since the pandemic began.
Some 50 care home resident deaths involving Covid-19 were registered in the latest week.
The ONS figures cover deaths of care home residents in all settings, not just in care homes.
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