Highest deaths above the five-year average

Seven regions of England have recorded deaths above the five-year average – with the North East reporting the highest percentage for a week in August.

According to official figures released by the Office for National Statistics yesterday, there were 520 deaths registered in the North East of England for the week ending Friday, August 14.

The five-year average for the region is 468, meaning that the North East is 11.1% above average for this time period, with a difference of 52 deaths.

The East Midlands, London, North West, South West, Eastern England and South East also reported numbers above the five-year average for that week/

With the East Midlands reporting the highest number of difference in deaths at 75 (9.9%).

The number of registered deaths in the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber were below the five-year average.

The ONS figures are based on when a death was registered, rather than when a death occurred.

A total of 9,392 deaths were registered in England and Wales for the week ending August 14 – the first time that deaths have been above the five-year average in around nine weeks (since,

Friday, June 12).

The number of deaths registered in that week was 3.4% above the five-year average, according to ONS data.

Of the deaths registered in England and Wales that week, only 139 of them mentioned ‘novel coronavirus (COVID-19)’.

This is the lowest number of deaths involving COVID-19 in the last 21 weeks, accounting for 1.5% of all deaths in England and Wales.