Care home virus fatalities slowed down in Cov, new figures reveal

Local Democracy Reporter DEATHS from coronavirus in Coventry care homes have slowed down in the past week, new figures show.

Data published by the Office for National Statistics shows a further six people died in the city’s care homes between April 25 to May 1.

It is a significant slowing down of deaths from the 44 recorded in the space of a fortnight between April 10-24, suggesting deaths in Coventry’s care homes may have hit a peak.

The weekly increase in Coventry is also the lowest increase in care home deaths in the West Midlands.

The city previously had the second-highest number of deaths in care homes from coronavirus during the period April 10-24.

Birmingham remains the area with the highest care home deaths in the West Midlands. A further 40 deaths in care homes there between April 25 and May 1 takes the total to 111.

Coventry’s situation is a stark contrast to the national picture, which shows Covid-19 related deaths in care homes nearly doubled in a week.

In the week to May 1 a further 2,044 people died from Covid-19 in care homes in England, bringing the total to 6,391 deaths since April 10.

Previously, 4,347 died in care homes in England between April 10-24.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “This appalling loss of life in our care homes and communities is another stark reminder of just how much more must be done to protect our most elderly and vulnerable.

“Every death from this virus is a tragedy, leaving behind family and friends in mourning.

“Social care is the frontline in the fight against coronavirus and we need to do all we can to shield people in care homes and those receiving care in their own homes.

“Any national plans by government to track and trace coronavirus needs to build upon councils’ existing local knowledge and skills on the ground, given their experience in their communities through local services such as environmental health, public health including sexual health services and infection control nurses.

“We also cannot stress enough the urgency of making sure all of our social care and other frontline workers get the necessary PPE they need to protect themselves and the people they care for from contracting coronavirus.

“It is crucial that the government’s online PPE ordering system is fully rolled out as soon as possible, so that councils and care providers can directly request that critical protective equipment gets to those who desperately need it.”

Last week, cabinet member for adult services at Coventry City Council Cllr Mal Mutton said Coventry’s care homes had enough PPE but stock remained “low” and were also now being tested.

However she said support from government in accessing both had arrived “too slowly”.

She added: “Without the dedication of our health care workers, not only of those that are working in our care homes, but also those carers that go into people’s own homes to carry out their caring tasks, the picture would be a lot worse than it is.”