Coronavirus death toll officially reaches 50,000 in England and Wales

Pandemic brought forward deaths of elderly and vulnerable, says ONS

The coronavirus death toll in England and Wales has officially reached 50,000, according to newly published figures.

Data published by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday shows there were 50,000 cases where Covid-19 was mentioned on death certificates between 28 December and 26 June.

The number of deaths registered in both countries in the week ending 26 June was 8,979 – down 360 from the previous week, the ONS said.

The statistics also showed that – for the week ending 26 June – the number of deaths registered was 3.4 per cent below the five-year average (314 fewer deaths).

This is the second consecutive week that deaths have been below the five-year average, the ONS said.

Registered deaths involving coronavirus have decreased in all but one region in England, the figures show.

There was an increase in coronavirus-related fatalities in the North East, where two additional deaths were recorded when compared with the previous week.

For the sixth week running, the number of deaths involving Covid-19 was highest in the North West.

Coronvirus is likely to have brought forward some deaths of older and vulnerable people, which could prompt a period of below-average deaths, the ONS added.

The latest figures come after Boris Johnson was condemned after appearing to suggest that care home bosses were to blame for the large number of deaths in those settings.

“We discovered too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures in the way that they could have,” the PM claimed on Monday addressing concerns raised by NHS chief executive Simon Stevens.

In response, the National Care Association said the remarks were a “huge slap in the face” to those working in the sector, with the National Care Forum branding the comments “hugely insulting”.

The elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions have been hardest hit by the pandemic.

The ONS said: “The disease has had a larger impact on those most vulnerable (for example, those who already suffer from a medical condition) and those at older ages.

“Some of these deaths would have likely occurred over the duration of the year but have occurred earlier because of the coronavirus.

“These deaths occurring earlier than expected could mean we start to see a period of deaths below the five-year average.”

Additional reporting by Press Association