Hertsmere has seen a tiny increase in the number of coronavirus deaths, latest weekly data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.

ONS data shows there were five coronavirus deaths of Hertsmere residents between May 16 and May 22, up from four the previous week.

Four of those five people died in hospital, with one dying in a care home.

This figure of five is well off the number of Covid-19 deaths Hertsmere recorded in mid-April, where over several weeks, at least 25 people were dying a week with their deaths linked to the virus.

In total, there have been 174 Covid-19 deaths in Hertsmere, which is the highest in Hertfordshire.

Data from the ONS last week showed Hertsmere has the highest coronavirus death rate in the whole of the UK, per 100,000 population, over the whole pandemic, with a rate of 159.3.

Hertsmere remained the highest even when weekly deaths in the borough were in single digits.

Eighteen deaths occurred in Hertsmere from all causes between May 16 and May 22, ONS data shows which is up from 16 the week earlier.

 

 

North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire, and Dacorum all recorded more deaths between May 16 and May 22 than Hertsmere, which is to be expected, mainly due to population size.

The number of weekly deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales fell by almost a third in a week and reached its lowest level for seven weeks, official figures show.

There were 2,589 deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales registered in the week ending May 22, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The ONS said there were 12,288 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending May 22 - a drop of 2,285 from the previous week but still 2,348 more than the five-year average.