Weekly Covid deaths revised up by 261 after coding error – ONS

Some 852 deaths were registered in the week to December 24 where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, up from a previous total of 591.

Red hearts painted by members of bereaved families on the COVID-19 Memorial Wall opposite the Houses of Parliament at Embankment, central London (Lucianna Guerra/PA) (PA Archive)

The number of weekly registered coronavirus deaths in England and Wales has been revised upwards by more than 250 after a coding error, statisticians say.

Some 261 deaths registered in the week to December 24 were mistakenly not recorded as having involved Covid-19, new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.

It takes the total number of registered deaths that week, where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, to 852, up from 591.

The ONS said an issue with its automated coding system meant the causes and contributory factors for some deaths were coded late.

It means deaths involving coronavirus registered in the week to December 24 rose 12.8% from the previous seven days – the first rise in six weeks.

Covid accounted for 6.5% of all deaths registered that week.

Registered care home resident deaths were revised upwards by 23.

There were 78 care home resident deaths involving Covid-19 registered over the week – up from the 55 initially recorded and up from 60 registered in the previous week.

It represents the first weekly rise in care home deaths for two months.

The ONS figures cover deaths of care home residents in all settings, not just in care homes.