The region in England where COVID deaths are increasing the fastest

Newly-released figures have revealed the areas of the UK which are suffering from the highest coronavirus death rates.

The latest data compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that the north-west of England had the highest death toll – with 568 deaths involving COVID registered in the week ending 6 November.

That figure is the highest number for the region since the week ending 15 May, in the middle of the pandemic’s first wave.

Yorkshire and the Humber was second with 329 COVID-19 deaths, which was also the region’s highest level since 15 May.

The north-east of England was third on the list, with 152 COVID-19 deaths registered up to 6 November.

The latest ONS data shows that registered deaths involving COVID-19 increased week-on-week in every region of England in the week to November 6.

There have now been more than 68,000 COVID-related deaths across the UK since the start of the pandemic, the ONS added.

Read more: More than 600k had COVID in week before lockdown but rate of increase now slowing, ONS data shows

ONS figures show there have been a total of 65,546 deaths have so far been registered in the UK where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Since the figures only cover the period up to 6 November, a further 2,228 deaths are known to have occurred in England, plus 106 in Scotland, 143 in Wales and 90 in Northern Ireland.

Together, these totals mean that so far 68,113 deaths involving COVID-19 have taken place in the UK.

Watch: NHS boss calls for stricter measures in Humberside

It comes after Dr Susan Hopkins, medical director of Public Health England and chief medical adviser to NHS Test and Trace, said ministers would have to look at "strengthening" the tier system.

Tier 1 restrictions that covered huge parts of England had "very little effect", she said, adding that even Tier 2 only worked in some areas.

In a round of broadcast interviews on Tuesday, housing secretary Robert Jenrick said any extension of the current lockdown would require a vote of Parliament.

"It is our hope and expectation that that won't be the case and that people in England will be able to move back into the tiered system," he told Sky News.

"There will be a review. That work is undergoing on what those tiers look like and how local areas go back in but that will very much depend on the data.

"We will have to make decisions nearer the end of the month once we have got the most up-to-date information possible.

"But we all want to see a significant easing of the measures in all parts of England at the beginning of next month."

Watch: What is long Covid?

Coronavirus: what happened today

Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter