(Bloomberg) --
Deaths in England and Wales are running at more than 50,000 above the five-year average so far this year even as the number of deaths from the pandemic continues to fall.
Since the epidemic escalated after March 14 there have been about 54,000 more deaths registered than the average, significantly more than those attributed to the virus. Some Covid-19 linked deaths may not have been recorded, while the pressure the pandemic has put on medical resources may also be causing fatalities from other causes, according to research by the Continuous Mortality Investigation.
Britain has been one of the world's worst affected nations by the virus, with the highest official death count in Europe, though methods of reporting vary. The U.K. data includes all suspected Covid-19 deaths, while other countries, such as Italy, only count those confirmed by a diagnostic test.
The government has decided to relax restrictions on daily life to allow the economy to reopen. All non-essential retail outlets are expected to be able to reopen from June 15, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a press conference on Monday.
- Weekly deaths rose in England and Wales rose for the first time since April
- Numbers are affected by delay in registrations caused by bank holiday
- Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales fell slightly in the week ended May 15
- Northwest England had the highest number of deaths from the virus
- Proportion of deaths in care homes due to virus fell to 37%
- There have been 46,301 deaths in the U.K. involving coronavirus this year
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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