You asked
I am making an FOI request for the following information:
- During the period of 3 - 31 August 2020 in which the 'Eat out to Help Out' scheme was in place in the UK, how many additional COVID-19 deaths have been estimated (or actual) attributed to this scheme's implementation?
- In the following period of 1-14 September 2020, how many additional COVID-19 deaths have been estimated (or actual) attributed to this scheme's implementation following its completion?
We said
Thank you for your request.
With regards to deaths due to the Eat out to Help Out Scheme, it would be impossible for us to determine how many deaths from COVID-19 can be attributed directly as a result of the Eat out to Help out Scheme. In order to produce this analysis, we would be required to know who took part in the scheme from 3 August to 14September and establish if and when they contracted COVID-19. This information is not provided on the death certificate and therefore is not held by us.
However, you may find the following information of interest.
The following publication, Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, provides registered deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the Death Certificate for England and Wales for weeks mentioned. Please note, we are not attributting any of the deaths mentioned in the following table to the 'Eat Out To Help Out' scheme, this merely reports the number of deaths involving COVID-19 for the weeks mentioned.
Weekly provisional figures on deaths registered where coronavirus (COVID-19) was mentioned on the death certificate in England and Wales