Coronavirus (COVID-19) roundup

Headline figures

• The number of deaths involving COVID-19 registered in England and Wales in the week ending 24 July 2020 (Week 30) was 217 (2.4% of all deaths in that week). Analysis | Data
• The percentage of adults in Great Britain worried about the effect of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on their life was 65% between 22 and 26 July 2020. Analysis | Data
• The percentage of businesses that had been trading for more than the previous two weeks was 86% between 13 and 26 July 2020 (a further 6% had restarted in the last two weeks, 7% remained temporarily closed). Analysis | Data
• An estimated 35,700 people in the community in England had COVID-19 between 20 July and 26 July 2020 (0.07% of the community population). Analysis | Data
• Monthly gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 1.8% in May 2020 (but remained 24.5% below its February 2020 level). Analysis | Data
• The average number of actual hours worked per week fell by a record 5.5 hours on the year to a record low of 26.6 hours in March to May 2020. Analysis | Data
• The volume of retail sales increased by 13.9% in June 2020 compared with the previous month (non-food and fuel stores continue their recovery from the sharp falls experienced since the start of the pandemic). Analysis | Data

This page is a summary of insights from our most recent analysis and will be updated as new publications are released.

Sign up to our email alerts for daily updates in your inbox, or view analysis by theme in our roundups of deaths and health, the economy and the social impacts of COVID-19.

This page was last updated at 09:30 on 5 August 2020.

5 August 2020

Shielding behaviours changing with updated guidance

The guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people has changed in recent weeks. This is reflected in the responses to our Shielding Behavioural Survey.

Our latest survey was carried out between 9 and 16 July. It shows more CEV people are leaving their home and receiving visitors at their home.

Almost half (48%) of CEV people report not leaving their home at all or only leaving for exercise. This is lower than the 60% of people who said the same in the previous survey between 24 and 30 June.

The percentage of CEV people receiving no visitors at their home (other than for support for personal care) has decreased in each of the past three surveys. Between 28 May and 3 June, 87% of CEV people told us they had not received visitors at their home. This fell to 83% in the next survey (9 to 18 June), then 77% in the following one (24 to 30 June).

On 6 July, guidance for CEV people shielding changed to include forming a support bubble with another household. In our latest survey, 65% of CEV people reported receiving no visitors to their home (other than support for personal care).

Fifteen percent of CEV people live with someone under the age of 16 years. A fifth of those said living with children is impacting their ability to shield.

CEV shielding workers

Over a quarter (28%) of CEV people who were advised to shield were in employment before lockdown. Of that 28% of CEV people:

• 11% continued to work outside their home

• 37% now work from home

• the remaining 52% were either furloughed, joined the self-employed income support scheme or stopped working

An estimated 38,000 (6%) CEV people who worked before lockdown said they would not return to work in the next four months. A fifth (21%) of CEV workers said they would continue to work from home for the next four months. That’s down from the 37% who said they are working at home now.

Almost one in four (23%) CEV workers said they didn’t know what their plans were for the coming four months.

There is some variation in how comfortable CEV people are with returning to work outside their homes.

More than two thirds (68%) of CEV workers said they were comfortable (44%) or completely comfortable (24%) with returning to work outside their home. However, their comfort level was dependent on protective measures being in place.

In comparison, 32% of CEV workers said they are not comfortable with returning to work outside their home.

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4 August 2020

Deaths involving COVID-19

Up to 24 July 2020, there were 51,505 deaths registered in England and Wales involving the coronavirus (COVID-19) (28,343 men and 23,162 women).

The majority of deaths involving COVID-19 have been among people aged 65 years and over (46,020 out of 51,505).

Our data are based on deaths registered in England and Wales and include all deaths where “COVID-19” was mentioned on death certificates. We have published a summary of where you can find data on COVID-19 infection rates and deaths for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The total number of deaths in the week ending 24 July 2020 (Week 30) was 8,891, below the five-year average for the sixth week running.

Private homes remained the only setting to record any excess deaths (deaths above the five-year average). Care homes, hospitals and other communal establishments recorded fewer deaths than the average for this time of year.

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31 July 2020

COVID-19 Infection Survey

There is evidence of a slight increase in the number of people in England testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) in recent weeks.

Based on nose and throat swabs, we estimate that 35,700 people in England had COVID-19 at some point in the most recent week (20 to 26 July 2020).

Modelling shows evidence of a slight increase in COVID-19 infection rates in recent weeks

Estimated percentage of the population in England testing positive on nose and throat swabs for the coronavirus (COVID-19) daily since 15 June 2020

Download the data

The number of people newly infected with the virus has also increased, with latest data showing an estimated 4,200 new cases of COVID-19 per day in England.

Meanwhile, around 1 in 16 people (6.2%) who provided blood samples between 26 April and 26 July 2020 tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, suggesting that they had already had the virus. This equates to 2.8 million people in England.

Our survey only tests those within the community population, so the numbers exclude people in hospitals and care homes. Read our Coronavirus infection survey bulletin for more information.

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31 July 2020

Face coverings

The latest data show 84% of adults in Great Britain who left their homes wore a mask or covering in the last seven days. This has risen from 71% the week before and 61% the week before that. Even more adults (90%) said they are either likely or fairly likely to wear a face covering in the next week.

Over half (57%) of our respondents strongly supported wearing face coverings in shops and supermarkets being mandatory. That figure was significantly higher (70%) among adults aged over 70 years.

Shopping

Across Great Britain, 76% of adults responded to say they had worn a face covering in shops or supermarkets.

Almost all adults in Scotland (97%) said they had worn a face covering while shopping.

In England, 74% of adults reported wearing a face covering while at the shops. It is worth noting that it became mandatory to wear a face covering in English shops and supermarkets during the week the survey was conducted.

It is not mandatory for face coverings to be worn in shops and supermarkets in Wales. Still, 58% of adults in Wales told us they had worn a face covering while shopping.

Public transport

Wearing a face covering is mandatory on public transport in all countries of Great Britain. Of our respondents who had used public transport, 89% said they had worn a face covering while travelling.

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31 July 2020

Life outside the home

Most adults (94%) in Great Britain left their home this week.

They might be socialising with family or friends. Of all respondents, 73% told us they met up with someone outside their home; 50% of adults said family or friends had visited them at their home.

It seems older people are following the social distancing guidelines more closely. Of adults aged over 70 years, 70% told us they always maintained social distancing when meeting other people. This was only under half (47%) when looking at adults of all ages.

Aside from socialising, 54% of adults who work said they had travelled from home to their place of work this week, whereas 24% of working adults told us they had worked entirely from home, instead. Fewer adults worked exclusively from home this past seven days than the previous week (27%).

Respondents were asked a new question about the NHS track and trace app. Close to half of adults (47%) said they would be likely or very likely to use the app when it became available. Of adults with dependent children, 40% said they would be comfortable or very comfortable with their children using the app.

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30 July 2020

European comparison of excess mortality

England saw the second-highest national peak of excess mortality during 2020 in the week ending 17 April, compared with 21 European countries; only Spain saw a higher peak (during week ending 27 March).

While England did not have the highest peak mortality, it did have the longest continuous period of excess mortality of any country compared, resulting in England having the highest levels of excess mortality in Europe for the period as a whole (week ending 21 February to week ending 12 June 2020).

Comparisons of all-cause mortality between European countries and regions, January to June 2020, uses weekly all-cause death registration data published by Eurostat. Excess mortality is measured using relative age-standardised mortality rates.

In the UK, every region experienced excess mortality during the highest weeks of excess mortality in April 2020, while other Western European countries experienced more localised excess mortality during their peak weeks of excess mortality.

At the regional level, the highest rates of excess mortality were in regions in Central Spain and Northern Italy. Bergamo (Northern Italy) had the highest peak excess mortality (positive 847.7%, week ending 20 March), compared with the highest in the UK, Brent (positive 357.5%, week ending 17 April).

Looking at major cities, the highest peak excess mortality was in Madrid (positive 432.7%, week ending 27 March) while in the UK, Birmingham had the highest peak excess mortality of any major British city (positive 249.7%, week ending 17 April).

Peaks of excess mortality were geographically localised in the countries of Western Europe

Interactive map showing relative age-standardised mortality rates by week and NUTS3 region of Europe

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30 July 2020

Businesses reopening

The latest publication on the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the economic impacts on the UK provides indicators and analysis from the Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey (BICS).

The accommodation and food service activities sector reported the largest percentage of businesses starting to trade within the last two weeks after a pause in trading, at 33%; 44% of businesses in this sector have been trading for more than the last two weeks.

The accommodation and food service activities sector also reported the highest proportion of the workforce returning from furlough, at 18%, followed by the arts, entertainment and recreation sector, and the construction sector, both at 15%. The arts, entertainment and recreation industry had the highest proportion of the workforce remaining on furlough, at 47%, followed by accommodation and food service activities at 43%.

Of businesses continuing to trade, the sector with the highest percentage of businesses reporting that their turnover increased was the wholesale and retail trade sector, at 22%.

Of businesses who have not stopped trading, 33% had postponed, or cancelled bookings, services and events from 29 June to 12 July 2020. This includes 84% of responding businesses from the arts, entertainment and recreation sector.

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30 July 2020

Changes in footfall, job adverts and EPCs

Our latest indicators for the UK economy and society provide information on the economic impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the UK, with information on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), footfall in different retail locations, job adverts and shipping indicators.

In the week commencing 20 July 2020, EPC lodgements for existing dwellings returned to similar levels observed at the end of February across all regions, while EPC lodgements for new dwellings were around 20% lower across England and Wales. As such, they can be used as a timely indicator for the number of completed constructions and number of transactions.

Between 19 and 26 July 2020, footfall in high streets moderately increased to just under 60% of its level the same day a year ago, while retail parks and shopping centres held steady at just under 80% and 60% respectively.

The volume of job adverts remained at 52% of its 2019 average between 17 and 24 July 2020.

Average daily visits of all ships have remained stable for a fourth consecutive week, and passenger ship visits reached their highest level since the week commencing 30 March 2020.

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28 July 2020

User requested data

We have been responding to data requests from the public, media and government during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Responses are published in our list of user requested data.

Our subnational data page offers advice to anyone doing their own analysis on the impact of the coronavirus. It contains useful links to geographic boundaries and datasets such as population by local area.

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