UK Covid live: Sturgeon expected to outline plan for return to Scottish schools

All regions of England recorded a week-on-week fall in the number of Covid-19 deaths registered in the week to February 5, the ONS said.

Two regions each saw more than 1,000 Covid-19 deaths registered: south-east England (1,415 deaths, down from 1,710 in the week to January 29) and eastern England (1,098 deaths, down from 1,297), PA reports.

A total of 7,320 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 5 February mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The figure is down 13% from 8,433 deaths in the week to January 29.

More than four in 10 (43%) of all deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to 5 February mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate – the third highest proportion recorded during the pandemic.

A total of 133,077 deaths had occurred in the UK by February 5 where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, the ONS said.

There were 23 consecutive days in January – from January 7 to 29 – when the daily death toll was above 1,000.

During the first wave of the virus in April 2020, there were also 23 consecutive days when the death toll – based on death certificates – was above 1,000.

Some 2,175 care home resident deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales were registered in the week to February 5 – a drop of 13% on the previous week.

A total of 37,895 care home residents in England and Wales have now had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate, the ONS said.

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