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Coronavirus: Registered deaths involving COVID-19 rise for fourth week in a row

The Office for National Statistics says a total of 321 coronavirus-related deaths were registered in the week ending 2 October.

Clinical staff wear personal protective equipment (PPE) as they care for a patient at the Intensive Care unit at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, on May 5, 2020. - NHS staff wear an enhanced level of PPE in higher risk areas such as critical care to minimise the spread of infection between staff and patients. Britain's death toll from the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has topped 32,000, according to an updated official count released Tuesday, pushing the country past Italy to become the second-most impacted after the United States. (Photo by Neil HALL / POOL / AFP) (Photo by NEIL HALL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Image: The ONS has reported a rise in registered deaths involving COVID-19 in England and Wales
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The number of registered deaths involving COVID-19 in England and Wales has risen for the fourth consecutive week, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said a total of 321 coronavirus-related deaths were registered in the week ending 2 October.

It is the highest figure since the week ending 10 July - and an increase from 215 deaths in the week to 25 September.

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Figures 'flashing like alerts on a jet'

In the week before that there were 139 COVID-19-related deaths registered, and before that it was 99.

Just over 58,500 coronavirus-related deaths have now been registered in the UK.

The data includes death certificates where COVID-19 had been mentioned and includes suspected cases.

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A total of 106 deaths were registered in the North West in the week ending 2 October.

This is the highest number for the region since the week ending 26 June, the ONS data showed.

The North East had 40 deaths - the highest for the area since the week to 12 June.

In fact there was a week-on-week rise in all but two regions of England, with the West Midlands and the South West the only exceptions.

In Wales, the weekly total increased from 12 to 25.

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'Not confident Tier 3 is enough on its own'

Figures from the ONS are different to those provided by the the Department of Health and Social Care, which says that up until 12 October, 42,825 people had died within 28 days of having a positive coronavirus test in the UK.

It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out a new three-tier lockdown system for England, with areas given "medium", "high" and "very high" coronavirus alert levels.

The medium level maintains current national restrictions, high-risk areas will see households banned from mixing indoors, while the third tier will see harsher restrictions including the closure of pubs - unless they can operate as a restaurant.

Which coronavirus tier are you in? Full list of affected areas released
Which coronavirus tier are you in? Full list of affected areas released

"We may have to go even further than what we've announced," Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick cautioned this morning, echoing a warning from Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, that the highest level of new restrictions "will not be sufficient" to slow coronavirus infections alone.

Spearheading a Downing Street news conference, flanked by his chancellor Rishi Sunak and Prof Whitty, Mr Johnson said there are now more COVID-19 patients in UK hospitals than on 23 March - when the nation went into lockdown.

He warned the number of coronavirus cases had gone up four times in four weeks nationwide, and deaths are rising.