Nearly half of deaths in London, 46.6 per cent, were registered as related to coronavirus, for the week ending April 3 according to a report released by the National Office of Statistics.

Barking and Dagenham Post: The amount of deaths of the year-to-date is more than the five-year-average, with 166,436 to 164,196 . Picture: National Office of StatisticsThe amount of deaths of the year-to-date is more than the five-year-average, with 166,436 to 164,196 . Picture: National Office of Statistics (Image: National Office of Statistics)

With 1,170 deaths in the week March 30 to April 3, it is the highest number recorded since weekly death records began in 2005. The capital has also seen 33.8pc of all Covid-19-related deaths nationally.

The provisional number of deaths registered in England and Wales in total in the week ending April 3 (week 14) was 16,387. which increased from 11,141 from the week ending March 27 (week 13) to 16,387. This is 6,082 more deaths than the five-year average of 10,305 per week. The current number of deaths for 2020 is 166,436, which is 2,240 more than the five-year average.

The number of death registrations involving the coronavirus increased from 539 in week 13 to 3,475 in week 14. The number of deaths mentioning “influenza and pneumonia” on the death certificate increased from 1,863 in week 13 to 2,367 in week 14. Out of the deaths mentioning flu and pneumonia in week 14, 1,466 also mentioned Covid-19.

In week 14, 35.7pc of all deaths mentioned “influenza and pneumonia”, Covid-19, or both. In comparison, for the five-year average, 20pc of deaths mentioned flu and pneumonia. In the chart, “influenza and pneumonia” has been included for comparison, as a well-understood cause of death involving respiratory infection that is likely to have somewhat similar risk factors to Covid-19.

Of the deaths registered by April 3, 2020, 4,122 mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate; this is 2.5pc of all deaths.

In the youngest two age groups (that is, those aged one or under and those aged one to 14) there were no deaths registered involving coronavirus that week. The highest number (1,231) and proportion (24.6pc of deaths in this age group) of coronavirus deaths were among those aged 75 to 84.

The West Midlands also had a high proportion of Covid-19 deaths, accounting for 22.1pc of deaths registered in the region.