Covid-19 related UK deaths hit 58,101 as coronavirus fatalities rise for third week in a row in England and Wales
Deaths involving Covid-19 have risen for the third week in a row as the average number of deaths registered rose to above 250 more than usual, new figures for England Wales reveal.
A total of 215 deaths registered in the week ending September 25 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
That is 2.7% above the five-year average, translating to 257 more deaths that usual.
This is up from 139 deaths in the week to September 18, 99 deaths in the week to September 11, and 78 deaths in the week to September 4.
But the numbers of deaths in hospitals and care homes were below the five-year average in the week ending September 25 (416 and 71 fewer deaths respectively), while the number of deaths in private homes remained above the five-year average (749 more deaths).
In total, 58,101 deaths have been registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.
Covid-related deaths increased in eight of the nine English regions; the East and London were the only English regions to have lower overall deaths than the five-year average.
In Wales, the number of deaths involving Covid-19 more than doubled - increasing from five deaths in the week to September 18 to 12 deaths in the week to September 25.
The total number of deaths in Wales in the week ending September 25 was 13 more than the five-year average.
More than 58,000 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered in the UK.
The figures published on Tuesday show that 52,943 deaths involving Covid-19 had occurred in England and Wales up to September 25, and had been registered by October 3.
Figures published last week by the National Records for Scotland showed that 4,257 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Scotland up to September 27, while 901 deaths had occurred in Northern Ireland up to September 25 (and had been registered up to September 30), according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
Across the UK, 10,861 deaths were registered - 179 deaths higher than the five-year average and 77 deaths higher than the previous week. Of these, 234 mentioned coronavirus.
Together, these figures mean that so far 58,101 deaths have been registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.