England hits highest level of excess deaths in Europe in 1st half of 2020: ONS

England recorded the highest level of excess mortality in Europe amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a report Thursday.

Albeit not seeing the "highest peak mortality", England did have the "longest continuous period" of excess mortality, resulting in showing the highest levels of excess mortality in Europe for the period as a whole, the official body said.

"While none of the four UK nations had a peak mortality level as high as Spain or the worst-hit local areas of Spain and Italy, excess mortality was geographically widespread throughout the UK during the pandemic, whereas it was more geographically localised in most countries of Western Europe," said Edward Morgan, health statistician at the ONS.

According to the ONS' report, during the period from the week ending Feb. 21 to the week ending June 12, the highest rates of excess mortality occured in areas in central Spain and northern Italy at the local authority level across Europe.

Among them, Bergamo, located in northern Italy, hitting the highest peak excess mortality of 847.7 percent in the week ending March 20.

In terms of major cities, the highest peak excess mortality erupted in Madrid, with 432.7 percent in the week ending March 27. While in Britain, Birmingham reached the highest peak with the rate of 249.7 percent in the week ending April 17.

Excess mortality is generally used in epidemiology and public health, which refers to the number of deaths above what we would have expected to see under normal conditions.

(CGTN)