Updated figures today reveal that another 18 people died from coronavirus last week in Norfolk’s care homes.

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The Office for National Statistics’ weekly figures show an additional 2,000 deaths were reported in care homes in England between April 25 and May 1, based on data from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Between April 24 and May 1, 18 deaths occurred in Norfolk care homes, bringing the total of coronavirus-related fatalities in care homes to 49 since April 10.

The CQC figures include deaths from April 10, the first day the CQC was able to distinguish whether a death involved Covid-19.

In Suffolk, 90 care home deaths have been reported to date.

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Nationally, in the same period the total number of care home deaths up to May 1 is 6,391.

In the CQC figures, April 27 saw 613 care home deaths and 43 “location not stated”, the most in the period.

The ONS said an important difference was that its reported deaths were where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, while CQC notifications relied on the statement of care home providers that the virus was suspected or confirmed.

Today’s ONS figures also show there were 29,710 deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales up to April 24 (and which were registered up to May 2), compared with 22,173 deaths of people in England and Wales testing positive for Covid-19 reported by the Department of Health and Social Care for the same period.

The ONS total is 34pc higher than the Department of Health total.

The breakdown of remaining deaths show 5,890 have occurred in care home, 1,306 in private homes and 301 deaths in hospices.

But the weekly figures showed a decrease in the total number of deaths registered for the first time in five weeks.