One new coronavirus-related death recorded in hospital in Cornwall
Another which occurred in April was also registered this week
A further six deaths relating to coronavirus have been registered in the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures across Devon and Cornwall.
The figures from the ONS, relate to the week of October 3 and October 9, but were registered up to October 17, and showed that five of the 354 deaths registered in the two counties saw COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. The previous week saw one of 334 deaths mention COVID-19.
Of the five deaths, three were in a care home in Plymouth, one in a care home in Torbay, and one of a Cornish person in hospital.
It is the first death in Cornwall to be registered for seven weeks, and the first death in Torbay to be registered for 17 weeks.
A sixth death – also of a Cornish person in hospital which occurred in the week of April 4 to April 10 – has also been registered this week.
No new deaths relating to COVID-19 were registered in the Devon County Council area.
It is the 17th week in a row across Devon and Cornwall combined that the number of deaths has been in single figures, but the five deaths registered in the most recent week is the highest number since the end of June.
Previous weeks have seen 1, 0, 3, 0, 2, 0, 1, 2, 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 5, 1, 7, 10, 11, 15, 38, 44, 69, 84, 107, 90, 60, 16 and nine deaths registered.
The Isles of Scilly has still yet to see a COVID-19 related death and the South Hams and North Devon have gone 20 weeks, Torridge 19 weeks, Exeter and Teignbridge 17 weeks, Mid Devon 11 weeks, East Devon eight weeks, and West Devon five weeks.
In total, 588 deaths from coronavirus have been registered across Devon and Cornwall, with 308 in hospitals, 234 in care homes, 45 at home, and one in a hospice.
Of the deaths, 212 have been registered in Cornwall, 99 in Plymouth, 59 in Torbay, 50 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.
A death in Torbay Hospital that occurred following a positive COVID-19 test on October 14 has not been included in the latest ONS figures because it falls outside the timescale the latest release covers.
The death 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.