Covid deaths in England and Wales have risen by 68% in a week, as infections continue to soar.

A total of 183 deaths in both countries in the week ending July 9 mentioned the virus on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is the highest total since the 205 coronavirus deaths in the week to April 30.

It comes as practically all Covid restrictions were lifted in England yesterday, on what has been dubbed ‘Freedom Day’.

Nightclubs are now able to open for the first time in nearly 18 months and people are no longer required to wear face masks in indoor public places.

Wales has been a bit more cautious, with plans to scrap most of its rules from August 7, depending on the state of the outbreak.

Yesterday Boris Johnson reiterated that it was still the right time to lift lockdown as the number of people who have been vaccinated has brought deaths down, compared to previous waves.

But still, he expects there to be more than ‘1,000 people per day’ being hospitalised with the virus.

The highest number of Covid deaths on a single day was 1,483 on January 19, while the peak of the first wave was 1,461 deaths on April 8 last year.

According to the ONS’s latest report, another 20 Covid related deaths in care homes in England and Wales were registered in the week to July 9 – up from 11 the previous week.

The Prime Minister has come under fire for announcing that nightclubs must only let in double jabbed people by the end of September, when all over 18s have had the chance to be fully vaccinated.

This is despite Johnson previously ruling out a domestic vaccine passport scheme, leaving club owners feeling singled out.

Business minister Paul Scully told Sky News this morning that while the new requirements would apply to ‘crowded venues’, this does not include pubs.

Denying that the rule on nightclubs is effectively a ‘bribe’ to get younger people to get vaccinated, he said the move was to stop the NHS becoming ‘overwhelmed’.

He added: ‘This is the right thing to do to make sure that we get on top of the transmission of cases.’

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