GRIM TOLL
Covid deaths top 100,000 after surge in cases as mutant strain spreads, ONS shows
THE UK's Covid death toll has topped 100,000 today after a surge in cases as the mutant strain spreads.
New data shows there have been 103,704 fatalities in England and Wales linked to the virus since the pandemic began.
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The ONS today reports a total of 7,245 new deaths from the week ending January 15 which mentioned Covid-19 on death certificates.
This is a jump from 6,057 fatalities the week before, and is the highest weekly figure since the week ending April 24 in the first wave.
At a Downing Street press conference this evening Boris Johnson said: "It is hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic.
"The years of life lost, the family gatherings not attended and for so many relatives the missed chance to even say goodbye.
"I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who have lost a loved one."
More than a third of all deaths registered in England and Wales in the second week of January were linked to Covid - the highest proportion recorded since the pandemic began.
The number of deaths registered in that week was 30.5 per cent above the five-year average.
Nearly three-quarters of deaths involving Covid were in people aged 75 years and over.
'TRAGEDY'
Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said today: “My thoughts are with each and every person who has lost a loved one - behind these heart-breaking figures are friends, families and neighbours.
“I know how hard the last year has been, but I also know how strong the British public’s determination is and how much we have all pulled together to get through this."
The UK has one of the highest death tolls in the world, and has seen the most Covid fatalities in Europe.
This latest data differs slightly from the Government's official current total of 100,162 deaths - detailed on our graphic below - due to the Department of Health's figure only registering those deaths which came within 28 days after a positive Covid test.
The ONS figures are based on death certificates.
Dr Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director at Public Health England, said: “This is a sobering moment in the pandemic, these are not just numbers. Each death is a person who was someone’s family member and friend.
"This virus has sadly taken millions of lives across the world, but we have learnt a lot about this coronavirus over the past year. The best way to slow the spread is to follow the rules and right now that means staying at home."
Cases began to rise once more in December as a new strain, first found in Kent, spread throughout the UK.
It has caused the country to go into a third lockdown, amid a huge vaccine rollout to beat the bug.
Prof Sheila Bird, formerly programme leader, MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, said: “Covid-mention deaths in Wave 2 had shown the glimmer of a turned-down in early December 2020 but there was then additional and contrary uncertainty due to pre-Christmas easing of restrictions, a more transmissible, ascendant variant of concern and winter.
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'More tragic deaths to come':
Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, Chair, Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication, University of Cambridge, said: "There will be a lot of attention given to deaths with Covid reaching 100,000, but this is based on the figures released each day, which only include people who both had a positive test and then died within 28 days.
“The more accurate ONS data show that over 100,000 people in the UK had already died with Covid on their death certificate by January 7th, nearly 3 weeks ago. This rose to 108,000 by January 15th, and the total now will be nearly 120,000.
“Around 90 per cent of these had Covid as the immediate cause of death, and so perhaps we can say that around 100,000 people in the UK have now died because of Covid. An awful total."
"All three conspired to ignite a more treacherous third wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections, the consequences of which are now sadly apparent in the sharp rise in COVID-mention deaths post-Christmas.
“It is too early to know if the peak of Covid-mention deaths in England and Wales has been reached in the week ending January 15 or if there is worse to come in the subsequent two weeks."
NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said: “It is a tragedy that we have now seen more than 100,000 deaths from COVID-19.
"This is a dreadful milestone to have reached, and behind each death will be a story of sorrow and grief.
“We pay tribute, once again, to NHS and care staff who have done everything they can throughout the long months of this pandemic to avoid each one of these deaths and reduce patient harm.
"We thank them for their commitment, professionalism and compassion."
Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Research Sarah Scobie said: “Less than a year since the pandemic took off here in the UK, we will hit the tragic milestone of 100,000 deaths attributed to Covid-19.
";Worryingly, this harrowing figure does not take into account excess deaths indirectly associated with the virus.
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“In the most recent weekly registered deaths data, we have reached the third-highest (7,245) number of Covid fatalities at any time during the pandemic.
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"Two in five deaths registered in the week up to 15 January were Covid related translating to over half of all deaths in hospitals and over a third in care homes.
"The building pressure is still felt right across the health and care system, and as we have only recently hit record daily reporting of deaths, we know registrations will remain high for another few weeks."
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