(Bloomberg) --

Deaths in England Wales are running at more than 50,000 above the five-year average so far this year even as the number of deaths from the pandemic continues to fall.

Since the epidemic escalated after March 14 there have been about 54,000 more deaths registered than the average, significantly more than those attributed to the virus. Some Covid-19 linked deaths may not have been recorded, while the pressure the pandemic has put on medical resources may also be causing fatalities from other causes, according to research by the Continuous Mortality Investigation.

Britain has been one of the world’s worst affected nations by the virus, with the highest official death count in Europe, though methods of reporting vary. The U.K. data includes all suspected Covid-19 deaths, while other countries, such as Italy, only count those confirmed by a diagnostic test.

The government has decided to relax restrictions on daily life to allow the economy to reopen. All non-essential retail outlets are expected to be able to reopen from June 15, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a press conference on Monday.

(Corrects to show data cover England and Wales)

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