UK records around 64,500 excess deaths during pandemic, ONS official says

LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) - About 64,500 more people than
usual have died in the United Kingdom during this year's
coronavirus pandemic, an expert from the Office for National
Statistics said on Tuesday.

"Across the UK about 52,000 deaths have mentioned COVID with
64,500 'excess' deaths," ONS head of health analysis Nick Stripe
tweeted.

Epidemiologists say excess mortality - deaths from all
causes that exceed the five-year average for the time of year -
is the best way of gauging the number who have died from a
disease outbreak because it is internationally comparable.
(Reporting by Sarah Young, editing by Elizabeth Piper)