Covid deaths nudge up

Small rise in Devon & Cornwall this week

A further eight deaths relating to coronavirus have been registered in the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures across Devon and Cornwall.

The figures relate to the week to 16 October but registered up to October 24, show that six of the 335 deaths registered in the two counties had covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate. The previous week saw five of 354 deaths mention covid-19.

Of the six deaths, three were in care homes in Torbay, two were deaths of Plymouth and Torbay residents in a hospital and one was a resident of East Devon who died at home – the first death in East Devon for two months.

Two additional deaths – one of a Cornish person in hospital that occurred in the week of April 18 to 24 – and one a Plymouth person who died in a ‘communal establishment’ in the week of April 25 to May 1 – have been backdated into the data this week.

Other communal establishments, as defined by the ONS, include defence bases, educational premises, prisons (including probation/bail hostel, prisons, detention centres and other detention), hotels, hostels, travel and temporary accommodation (including B&Bs, temporary shelter for homeless and holiday parks), and religious premises.

It is the 18th week in a row across Devon and Cornwall combined that the number of deaths has been in single figures, but the six deaths registered in the most recent week is the highest number since mid-June

At its height, 107 people died having caught covid-19 in the two counties.

The Isles of Scilly has still had no covid-19 deaths and the South Hams and North Devon have gone 21 weeks without one, Torridge 20 weeks, Exeter and Teignbridge 18 weeks, Mid Devon 12 weeks, West Devon six weeks, and Cornwall one week.

In total, 596 deaths from coronavirus have been registered across Devon and Cornwall, with 311 in hospitals, 237 in care homes, 46 at home, one in a hospice, and one in a communal establishment.

Of the deaths, 213 have been registered in Cornwall, 101 in Plymouth, 63 in Torbay, 51 in East Devon, 39 in Exeter, 33 in Teignbridge, 26 in North Devon, 20 in Torridge, 19 in Mid Devon, 19 in West Devon, 12 in the South Hams and none on the Isles of Scilly.

The figures show in which local authority the deceased’s usual place of residence was. For instance, if someone may have died in Derriford Hospital but lived in West Devon, while the death may have been registered in Plymouth, their death would be recorded in the mortality statistics for the ONS figures against West Devon.

Eight deaths that have occurred in the most recent week at Torbay Hospital, two deaths at North Devon District Hospital, and two deaths at Derriford Hospital following a positive COVID-19 test, that have occurred from October 17 onwards are not included in the latest ONS figures because they fall outside the timescale the latest release covers.

The deaths will be included in next week’s figures, as long as deceased lived within Devon and Cornwall, the death has been registered, and that the positive test for COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate as a contributing factor.