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Ondon today recorded a marked increase in “excess deaths” for the first time in the second wave of Covid when the deadly impact of the virus was revealed.
The number of weekly deaths from Covid in the capital increased by 42 percent, from 87 to 124, as the total number of deaths from all causes in London rose to 1,112, 139 more than the average for the time of year.
It came as the number of Covid deaths in the UK rose by 612 to 2,838 in the week ending November 13, an increase of 27.5 per cent.
Today’s figures are the worst in London in 25 weeks, but show that the capital is still less affected than the rest of the country by the second wave.
Only the Southwest had fewer deaths in the most recent week – a total of 100.
There were 132 weekly deaths in eastern England, 144 in the southeast, 450 in Yorkshire and the Humber and 615 in the northwest.
However, deaths are a “lagging indicator”, as they are related to infections detected approximately fifteen days earlier. This means that the expected impact of the lockdown on lowering rates could take a couple of weeks to show up in the ONS weekly figures.
The death toll from Covid in the capital is still well below that seen at the peak of the first wave, when 1,818 deaths were recorded per week in mid-April.
Across the UK, the number of Covid deaths increased by 612 to 2,838, a weekly increase of 27.5 percent.
The figures come as the capital waits to find out what level it will be at once the lockdown ends on December 2.
Several companies are calling for London to be placed on Level 2, which would allow pubs, restaurants and bars to open with certain restrictions, instead of Level 3, which prohibits the opening of the hospitality sector, in addition to take-out.
