Covid: Deaths 10% higher than normal as virus deaths rise

The number of people dying in the UK is more than 10% above normal levels - with almost all of the excess linked to Covid, official figures show.

There were 12,292 deaths in the week ending 23 October - 1,100 where Covid was mentioned on the death certificate, national statisticians reported.

It brings the total number of deaths that have been registered this year and linked to Covid to over 60,000.

That is out of nearly 430,000 deaths across society in 2020.

The figure is higher than the government data which shows nearly 47,000 people have died with Covid.

But the government figure only counts those who have died within 28 days of a positive test, whereas the national statisticians' records are drawn from death certificates filled in by doctors.

These national statistics, drawn from Office for National Statistics and its counterparts in Northern Ireland and Scotland, show the number of deaths linked to Covid are doubling every fortnight.

This is in line with the government figures.

Because of the length of time it takes for infected individuals to fall seriously ill, any impact from the lockdown in England, which starts on Thursday, will not be seen in the death figures until the end of November.