Covid news – live: Weekly deaths highest since June as England hospital admissions jump 60% in 10 days
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The number of weekly coronavirus deaths in England and Wales is at its highest figure since early June, according to new statistics.
In the week ending 23 October, a total of 978 registered deaths mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, the Office for National Statistics figures show.
This marks a 46 per cent increase on the number of deaths reported in the previous week, and is the highest figure on record since 12 June.
Leaked NHS data, seen by The Independent, has also revealed the number of patients admitted to hospital wards in England has jumped by more than 60 per cent in just 10 days.
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Cyberattack threat to vaccine
Cyberattacks by Russia and other hostile states present an “ongoing threat” to the UK’s work to develop a coronavirus vaccine, officials have said.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) dealt with a record of 723 incidents in the year to September, with a quarter related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Security correspondent Lizzie Dearden reports:
Cyberattacks pose 'ongoing threat' to UK coronavirus vaccine
National Cyber Security Centre says a quarter of record recorded incidents in the past year were coronavirus-related
Housing and communities secretary Robert Jenrick has said a mass testing pilot in Liverpool will be “as simple and accessible as possible”
Travel rules under new lockdown
From 5 November to 2 December, most travel within England will be banned, along with overseas holidays. Wales is currently in a “firebreak lockdown,” which eases on 9 November – but from then on, international travel will still be banned for Welsh residents.
While prospective travellers wait for more clarity, this is what we know so far:
Lockdown 2.0 rules on travel within England and Wales
There is no general warning against using buses, trains, trams or, in London, the Tube
More than 70 church leaders have reportedly joined forces to launch a legal challenge against the closure of places of worship during England’s second national lockdown, according to the BBC’s Simon Jones.
Liverpool rapid test 99.9% accurate
The new rapid coronavirus test set to be trialled across the city of Liverpool is 99.9 per cent accurate, according to a government scientific advisor, raising hope that it will become a “powerful new weapon” in the fight against Covid-19.
Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at the University of Oxford, and a government adviser on life sciences, said the tests have been under validation since July.
Analysis showed that one in a 1,000 tests returned a false negative, equivalent to 99.9 per cent accuracy, Sir John said.
Read more on this:
New rapid Covid tests are 99.9% accurate, says government scientific advisor
‘I hesitate to use the word game-changer because it gets overused, but it is a significant step forward in the testing arena,’ says Sir John Bell
The Commons Treasury Select Committee has called for the release of the economic impact assessment for England's lockdown measures.
The committee's Tory chairman Mel Stride has written to chancellor Rishi Sunak to request the analysis before MPs vote on the lockdown measures tomorrow.
England Golf pleads for lockdown exemption
England Golf has signed a letter sent to prime minister Boris Johnson pleading for a rethink on the imminent closure of golf courses when a second national lockdown is imposed on Thursday.
With just two days remaining before golf is placed back under lockdown conditions, the APPG for Golf laid out why the sport should be given an exemption, including the fact courses, on average, span a 60-metre area with about 96 people on it at any one time, giving each player 6,250 square metres of space.
England Golf send letter to Boris Johnson pleading for last-minute exemption from lockdown
Golf, tennis and swimming are all set to be shutdown during November despite evidence supporting their case to operate under Covid-19 restrictions
Latest UK Covid death figures
Just under 63,000 deaths involving Covid-19 have now occurred in the UK, new figures show.
A total of 61,257 deaths have so far been registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, according to the latest reports from the UK's statistics agencies.
This includes 55,796 deaths in England and Wales up to October 23 (and registered up to October 31), which were confirmed by the ONS on Tuesday.
Since these statistics were compiled, a further 1,428 deaths are known to have occurred in England, plus 67 in Scotland, 90 in Wales and 80 in Northern Ireland, according to additional data published on the Government's coronavirus dashboard.
The Oxford Street Christmas lights have been switched on - and this year they’re celebrating the country’s coronavirus heroes
Weekly death figures
The number of weekly coronavirus deaths in England and Wales has risen to its highest figure since early June, new statistics show.
In the week ending 23 October, a total of 978 registered deaths mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics.
This marks a 46 per cent increase on the number of deaths reported in the previous week, and is the highest figure on record since 12 June.
Read on for a full breakdown of the data:
Weekly Covid deaths at highest rate since early June, new statistics show
Total of 978 registered deaths mentioned Covid-19 on death certificate in week ending 23 October, according to Office for National Statistics
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