LONDON: COVID-19 pandemic death toll of United Kingdom (UK) could run some 15 per cent higher than official figures have indicated so far, according to broader data published on Tuesday that include deaths in the community such as in nursing homes.
The Office for National Statistics said 6,235 people in England and Wales had died by April 3 with mentions of COVID-19 on their death certificates.
“When looking at data for England, this is 15% higher than the NHS numbers as they include all mentions of COVID-19 on the death certificate, including suspected COVID-19, as well as deaths in the community,” ONS statistician Nick Stripe said.
Unlike the daily data published by the government that show only deaths in hospitals, Tuesday’s figures include deaths in the community, such as at nursing homes.
In London, nearly half (46.6 per cent) of deaths registered in Week 14 involved COVID-19, the ONS said.
Meanwhile, British fiscal watchdog saw 13 per cent GDP fall in 2020 due to coronavirus.
Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has predicted that the British economy could shrink by 13 per cent in 2020 in the case of a three-month coronavirus lockdown,
“The resulting 13 per cent fall in annual GDP in 2020 would comfortably exceed any of the annual falls around the end of each world war or in the financial crisis,” the OBR said.
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