Covid deaths still high - but cases are down

COVID-19 deaths and hospitalisations are still high in Kirklees, although cases are down.

The most recent week saw the number of Covid-19 deaths registered in the UK pass 70,000, while the number in England topped 60,000.

In the week ending November 27, there were 37 Covid-19-related deaths across Kirklees, matching the 37 the week before but down on the 40 the week before that, according to figures released this week by the Office for National Statistics.

In Calderdale, there were six deaths in the most recent week, down from 14 a week before and 12 the prior week.

Deaths related to Covid-19 made up 32 per cent of the total 117 deaths recorded in Kirklees, while they were 17pc of the 36 deaths in Calderdale.

The figures are based on the number of deaths registered up to December 5, where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.

In the week ending November 27, the north west continued to have the largest number of deaths involving Covid-19 (546 deaths).

Yorkshire and the Humber had the highest proportion of deaths involving Covid-19, with one in three deaths (36pc) registered in the week involving Covid-19.

Overall, there have been 557 deaths across Kirklees involving Covid-19 between the start of the outbreak and November 27. Of those deaths, most (375) took place in hospital, with 141 in care homes.

There were also 37 deaths recorded at home, two in hospices, one in other communal establishments, and one elsewhere.

There have been 193 Covid-19-related deaths in Calderdale up to November 27. Of these, 123 were in hospital, 47 were in care homes, 22 were recorded at home, and one in a hospice.

Other communal establishments include prisons, halls of residence, hotels, and sheltered accommodation, while elsewhere covers deaths outside and people declared dead on arrival at hospital.

Separate figures from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), show nine deaths involving coronavirus in care homes in Kirklees and one in Calderdale in the week ending December 4.

Notifications about deaths in care homes are typically provided to the CQC within two to three days of death and are included based on the statement from the care home provider, so the person who died may not have had a medical diagnosis or a test result and Covid-19 may not have been mentioned on the death certificate.

The figures show a total of 176 Covid-19 related deaths were notified to the CQC by care homes in Kirklees and 54 in Calderdale between April 10 and December 4.

Figures from Public Health England (PHE) suggest around 921 people tested positive for Covid-19 in

Kirklees in the week ending December 2. The figures are calculated from infection rates in the local area based on Pillar 1 (hospital and care settings and Pillar 2 (drive-through test centres and swabs sent by post) testing. The 921 positive tests in the week ending December 2 compares to 1,246 the week before and 2,105 in the week before that.

The infection rate per 100,000 people was 209.4 in Kirklees in the week ending December 2, 283.3 the week before, and 478.6 the week before that. Over the past three weeks, the infection rate was recorded as 220.4 per 100,000 in Calderdale

in the most recent week, 256.3 the week ending November 25, and 401 the week before that.

Figures from NHS England show there were 119 beds occupied by patients with a positive Covid-19 test at hospital trusts covering Kirklees on December 1.

That compares to 110 beds occupied the week before, and 122 the week before that. The number of beds that provide mechanical ventilation that were occupied by Covid19 patients at trusts covering the area was 12 on December 1, a change from 14 the week before, and seven on November 17.