More Covid deaths now happen in care homes

More coronavirus deaths have now occurred in care homes than in hospitals in South Ayrshire.

Figures released by the National Records of Scotland ( NRS) show 31 residents from the council region have died in care homes, compared with 27 in hospital.

A total of 62 care home deaths have been registered in Ayrshire, including 13 in East and 18 in North Ayrshire.

The NRS statistics, which take into account Covid- 19 deaths up to April 26, revealed 159 Ayrshire residents have now died as a result of contracting coronavirus.

That was an increase of 39 on the previous week and that number is expected to rise again when the figures are updated this afternoon.

In South Ayrshire 63 people have died, while in East Ayrshire the number is 41. In North Ayrshire 55 have died.

Ayrshire has the fifth highest death toll among the country’s health boards.

Figures released on Monday revealed 1576 Scottish hospital patients who had tested positive have died.

That was a rise of five on the previous day but adding care home and at home fatalities to that figure reveals a total of 2659 deaths have now been registered in Scotland where Covid- 19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

Most deaths occur in hospitals ( 52 per cent) while over a third of deaths happen in care homes ( 39 per cent).

Around one in 10 deaths occur at home or in non- institutional settings.

On Monday a total of 818 Ayrshire residents had tested positive for coronavirus.

The figures released by the Scottish Government also revealed the number of people in Ayrshire hospitals with confirmed or suspected coronavirus had reduced to 86 and just six of those were in intensive care.

NHS Ayrshire & Arran bosses said their workers still make up almost one- third of the positive tests in the region.

Figures released by the health board on Monday show that 272 NHS staff and 17 members of their households have now contracted the bug. This is a rise of 20 from the previous week.