Covid: Deaths in Wales below normal for eight weeks

Rhondda Cynon Taf has had no Covid deaths for three out of the last four weeks

The number of deaths in Wales has now been below normal levels for two months.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also show deaths involving Covid-19 were 14 for the week ending on 23 April.

This is the same total as the previous week but this remains the lowest for seven months and 86% fewer deaths than two months ago.

Twelve local authority areas had no deaths registered involving Covid.

This includes no deaths across the Cwm Taf Morgannwg area for a third week in the last four.

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It follows news last week that the numbers in critical care with Covid in hospitals had dropped to just two and other hospital figures were at record lows.

Covid case rates are also at their lowest since the summer and analysis shows the proportion of people in Wales with antibodies to fight the virus is above 60%, even higher among older people.

Why do we look at 'excess' deaths?

Looking at so-called excess deaths has been regarded as a reliable indicator of the pandemic - telling us how many deaths we might normally expect to see at a particular time of year.

Deaths from all causes have been below the five-year average now for eight successive weeks in Wales.

In the latest week, there were 45 fewer deaths than we might normally expect and over the course of the last two months, deaths have been more than 10% lower than the pre-pandemic average.

That below average proportion (-6.8%) is greater in Wales than England and all but the south east and eastern regions for this week.

Deaths in Scotland and Northern Ireland were above average for this latest week.

Where have Covid deaths occurred?

Twelve local authority areas had no deaths involving Covid in this latest week - including no deaths across the Cwm Taf Morgannwg area for a third week in the last four.

There was one death involving a care home resident with Covid - in Powys.

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During the latest week, up to 23 April - there were four deaths in the Betsi Cadwaladr health board area, three in Aneurin Bevan and Cardiff and Vale, two in Powys and one each in Hywel Dda and Swansea Bay.

When broken down by local authority area, there were no deaths involving Covid registered in: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Torfaen.

The total number of deaths involving Covid in Wales has risen to 7,863.

ONS publishes figures on the number of deaths registered each week.

This takes longer to report than the "snapshot" figures daily from Public Health Wales but it is regarded as giving the fuller picture.

It includes deaths across not just hospitals and some care homes but in people's own homes and hospices.

It also includes cases where a doctor, signing off the death certificate, suspects Covid is a contributory factor. It was calculated to be the underlying cause of death in at least 70% of deaths involving Covid in March.