Britain’s Covid-19 death toll may be a third higher than the government’s daily updates show

Britain’s Covid-19 death toll may be 34 per cent higher than the government’s daily updates show.

IN contrast to government statistics, the Office for National Statistics data today revealed that 29,710 people in England and Wales had coronavirus mentioned on their death certificate by April 24.

The Department of Health had, by that time, registered  22,173 fatalities linked to the killer virus.

The reasons for the discrepencies has been attributed to delays in death reports, uncounted victims who died at home or in care homes, and a refusal to count anyone who hasn’t been tested.

The Health Secretary yesterday announced 28,734 people have died after testing positive for the disease. This suggests the true total – if 34 per cent higher – could be 38,506.

The ONS bulletin today showed a fifth of all fatalities so far have been residents of care home. Some 5,890 people in homes had died from the disease by April 24.

ONS data gives a truer picture of how many people have died from Covid-19, but the statistics are backdated so only relate to a period two weeks earlier.

Its hoped next Tuesday’s data will show the virus beginning to taper off as the last of the pre-lockdown patients’ hospital stays ended in death or discharge; some patients may spend more than three weeks in hospital.

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Lizzie Day

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