The number of people dying hit a record weekly high in England and Wales at the start of April, figures show.
There were 16,387 deaths in the week ending 3 April – the highest since the Office for National Statistics started publishing weekly data in 2005.
Coronavirus cases contributed to the jump in deaths with 3,475 linked to the virus.
One in 10 coronavirus deaths this year are in the community – the government’s daily figures just cover hospitals.
The total number of deaths were 6,000 more than the average for this time of year, when deaths normally start falling after the flu season.
It is unclear what else is causing this jump in the total number of deaths – the coronavirus deaths only contribute under 60% of these deaths.
It could be that cases of coronavirus are going undetected or other factors related to the lockdown and outbreak – people not seeking treatment for other conditions or mental health and violence-related deaths – are having an impact.