More than 70,000 deaths involving Covid-19 have now occurred in the UK, new figures show.

This is up from 67,000 a week ago.

The total is based on the latest available reports on death registrations, plus more recent data on the Government’s coronavirus dashboard.

Figures published on Friday by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency show 1,227 deaths involving Covid-19 had occurred in Northern Ireland up to November 13, and had been registered by November 18.

Separate figures published earlier this week by the National Records of Scotland showed 5,135 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Scotland up to November 15.

And a total of 59,549 coronavirus-related deaths occurred in England and Wales up to November 6 and had been registered up to November 14, according to the latest report from the Office for National Statistics.

Together, these figures mean that so far 65,911 deaths have been registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

But since these statistics were compiled, a further 4,343 deaths are known to have occurred in the UK, according to additional data published on the Government’s coronavirus dashboard.

In England, 3,957 Covid-19 deaths are known to have taken place between November 7 and 19, with 262 in Wales.

In Northern Ireland 66 deaths occurred between November 14 and 19, while in Scotland 58 deaths took place between November 16 and 19.

When all these totals are added together, it means that so far 70,254 deaths involving Covid-19 have taken place in the UK.

The Government’s preferred measure of the official death toll, which counts only those people who died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, currently stands at 54,286.