CORONAVIRUS has been the direct cause - or an underlying factor - in the deaths of more than 530 people in Gwent, and approaching 2,800 across Wales, according to an alternative measure of the impact of the disease.

The figures, significantly higher than those provided by Public Health Wales, are published by the Office for National Statistics.

Public Health Wales figures for coronavirus deaths include only those that have been confirmed by a laboratory test. These are updated daily.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) counts all deaths in which coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate, whether as a primary or underlying cause. These arew updated weekly and have a lag of two weeks.

According to the latest ONS figures, from the start of the pandemic to end of the week ending October 23, the deaths of 537 people in Gwent had been coronavirus-related, out of 2,759 across Wales.

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The latest Public Health Wales figures, by contrast, put the total number of deathsas of yesterday - November 6 - at 344 in Gwent and 1,982 in Wales.

To October 23, the ONS figures show that 600 people in the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area in north Wales had died of coronavirus or had the disease mentioned as an underlying cause. This was the highest of any health board area in Wales.

The Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB area had 547 deaths, with Gwent (Aneurin Bevan UHB, 537) next, and then Cardiff & Vale UHB (519).

Swansea Bay UHB had 321 deaths, Hywel Dda UHB area (west Wales) had 137, and Powys 98.

The ONS figures also indicate that, to October 23, all but 25 of the 2,759 coronavirus and related deaths it recorded in Wales were among people aged 45 or over.

Of the overall ONS total, 2,045 deaths were of people aged 75 and over.

Of the deaths among people aged 45 and over, 1,495 were men, and 1,258 were women.