New data has revealed that the East Midlands has suffered the highest number of Covid deaths in the region since the pandemic began.
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed this data, along with a new hot spot map showing the regions worst affected by the virus.
The data, that includes deaths up to the week ending Jan 22, also showed the third-highest number of deaths on record since the pandemic began across England and Wales.
In the East Midlands, 1,496 deaths were recorded in the region in the week to January 22, with 605 of those being attributed to COVID-19.
This was an increase on the five-year average number of deaths per week in the region, of 1,112, an increase of 34.5%.
This was also the highest number of coronavirus-related deaths the region has seen since the beginning of the pandemic.
The ONS also revealed that 131 deaths related to Covid-19 occurred across Nottinghamshire in the week ending January 22.
In this period, Nottingham recorded 30 deaths, Mansfield recorded 22 and 20 in Ashfield.
This was in line with the daily coronavirus figures, with 15,021 new coronavirus cases confirmed across England in the past 24 hours.
By Faith Pring
