FOI Reference: FOI/2021/3140
You asked
Please provide a breakdown of COVID-19 deaths from March 2020 to present day.
The information should include but not limited to the following:
Number of deaths involving COVID-19
Breakdown of the deaths by age range
Number of Co-morbidities included and what the co-morbidity were
Number of people who had confirmed positive test and survived
We said
Thank you for your request.
2020 data
For data regarding deaths due to and involving COVID by 5-year age breakdown, please see Table 2 of the following analysis:Deaths due to COVID-19, registered in England and Wales: 2020.
We also publish monthly figures for deaths involving COVID-19 from March 2020 to September 2021 by single year of age for England and Wales. Single year of age and average age of death of people whose death was due to or involved COVID-19.
2021 data
We publish Deaths Registered Weekly in England and Wales which holds COVID-19 deaths by 5 year age group. This publication is updated every Tuesday.
We also publish monthly figures for deaths involving COVIS-19 from March 2020 to September 2021 by single year of age for England and Wales. Single year of age and average age of death of people whose death was due to or involved COVID-19.
COVID-19 deaths with pre-existing conditions
We hold the following analysis, Pre-existing conditions of people who died due to COVID-19, England and Wales, which is published quarterly. This shows COVID-19 deaths by broad age group and pre-existing conditions.
There is a finalised data set for 2020 and a data set for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 of 2021.
Data for Quarter 3 August to September 2021 will be published on 23 November 2021.
As such, this information is considered exempt under Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, whereby information is exempt from release if there is a view to publish the information in the future. Furthermore, as a central government department and producer of official statistics, we need to have the freedom to be able to determine our own publication timetables. This is to allow us to deal with the necessary preparation, administration and context of publications. It would be unreasonable to consider disclosure when to do so would undermine our functions.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data which is arguably not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before.
Unfortunately, we do not hold data on number of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 and survived. Your enquiry would be better answered by UK Health Security Agency. They can be contacted on enquiries@ukhsa.gov.uk.