Three coronavirus-related deaths registered in Cornwall in latest figures
One occurred in hospital and two were in care homes
The number of deaths registered across Devon and Cornwall where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate has risen to the highest levels since the start of May.
The figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), relate to the week of November 21 to November 27, but registered up to December 5, show that 40 of the 362 deaths registered in the two counties had Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate.
A further three deaths from the week of November 14-20 were backdated into the statistics this week as well.
Last week saw 34 of the 402 deaths registered in the two counties have Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate.
It is the highest weekly total recorded since the week of May 2-8 across the two counties.
The deaths will almost certainly have resulted from infection contracted prior to the introduction to the second national lockdown, given the average time lag between infection and death.
There were nine deaths of people from Exeter and Torbay, seven from Plymouth, four from East Devon, three from Cornwall and Teignbridge, two from Mid Devon and North Devon, and one in the South Hams.
Of the 40 deaths registered in week 48 (Nov 21-27), there were:
- Five hospital deaths, one in a care home, and one at home of someone from Plymouth
- Three hospital deaths, three in a care home, two at home, and one in another communal establishment of someone in Torbay
- One hospital death and two care home deaths of someone from Cornwall
- Three hospital deaths and one death at home of someone from East Devon
- Eight hospital deaths and one care home death of someone from Exeter
- One hospital death and one death ‘elsewhere’ of someone from Mid Devon
- Two hospital deaths of someone from North Devon
- One hospital death of someone from the South Hams
- Three hospital deaths of someone from Teignbridge
A death of a Cornish person in a care home, someone from Exeter in a hospital, and someone from East Devon in a hospital in week 47 were added into the figures this week.
The Isles of Scilly has still yet to see a COVID-19 related death, while there no new deaths in West Devon and Torridge.
Previous weeks have seen 37, 24, 11, 13, 15, 6, 5, 2, 0, 3, 1, 2, 0, 1, 2, 1, 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 5, 1, 7, 10, 11, 15, 38, 44, 70, 85, 107, 90, 60, 16 and nine deaths registered, with no additional backdated deaths recorded this week.
In total, 739 deaths from coronavirus have been registered across Devon and Cornwall, with 422 in hospitals, 255 in care homes, 57 at home, one in a hospice, two in a communal establishment, and one ‘elsewhere’.
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.
The ONS define elsewhere as all places not covered by the other definitions, such as deaths on a motorway; at the beach; climbing a mountain; walking down the street; at the cinema; at a football match; while out shopping; or in someone else’s home.
Of the deaths, 231 have been registered in Cornwall, 125 in Plymouth, 97 in Torbay, 61 in East Devon, 52 in Exeter, 47 in Teignbridge, 32 in North Devon, 27 in Torridge, 25 in Mid Devon, 22 in West Devon, 20 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.
Deaths that have occurred in hospitals following a positive coronavirus test since November 27 will be recorded in next week’s figures, as long as the deceased lived within Devon and Cornwall, the death has been registered, and COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.