The number of deaths in the UK involving coronavirus has passed 40,000, analysis of officials statistics by the PA news agency suggests.
The total includes new figures published on Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
These figures show that 35,044 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in England and Wales up to May 1 (and had been registered up to May 9).
The latest figures from the National Records of Scotland, published last week, showed 2,795 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Scotland up to May 3.
And the latest figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, also published last week, showed 516 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Northern Ireland up to May 6.
Together these figures mean that so far 38,355 deaths have been registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.
A further 1,678 hospital patients in England who had tested positive for Covid-19 died between May 2 and May 10, according to figures published on Monday by NHS England – which, together with the total figure of 38,355 registered deaths, indicates the overall death toll for the UK is just over 40,000.
Deaths in care homes
There were 8,312 coronavirus-related care home deaths registered up to May 1 in England and Wales, according to the ONS.
In Wales, including deaths that occurred up to May 1 but were registered up to May 9 and of those processed by the ONS so far, the number involving Covid-19 was 1,641.
There were 8,314 deaths in care homes involving coronavirus reported by care home providers in England to the Care Quality Commission between April 10 and May 8, the Office for National Statistics said.
Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) provided the number of deaths involving Covid-19 in care homes in Wales that occurred between March 17 and May 8. That showed 350 deaths of which 55 occurred in the week up to 1 May.
Death numbers falling but still above average
Nick Stripe, head of statistics at ONS, said the number of deaths registered in the week ending May 1 was just under 18,000, which was about 4,000 lower than it was the week before.
But it was about 8,000 above the average you would expect to see at this time of the year, with nearly a quarter mentioning Covid-19 on the death certificate.
He said: "It was the seventh highest weekly total since this data started in 1993. We have had four out of the top seven weeks in the past four weeks."
There have also been 50,840 excess deaths in the past six weeks, according to the ONS.
