Excess deaths hit two year high in England and Wales

The number of excess deaths registered each week in England and Wales has hit its highest total for nearly two years.

Some 17,381 deaths were registered in the seven days to January 13 2,837 above average for the time of year, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is the highest number of excess deaths since 3,429 in the week to February 12 2021, when the UK was experiencing its second wave of Covid-19 infections and vaccinations had only recently begun.

On that occasion, deaths involving coronavirus accounted for 37% of all those registered.

But in the most recent week, Covid-19 accounted for just 5% of the total meaning other factors are likely to be driving the high level of mortality.

Excess deaths, sometimes known as extra deaths, are the number of deaths that are above the average for the same period in previous years.