Deaths linked to Covid-19 in care homes almost double

CARE home deaths linked to Covid in Hampshire almost doubled in one week, with homes in the county recording their highest number of deaths since April.

According to figures from the Care Quality Commission there were 57 deaths in homes related to coronavirus in the Hampshire County Council area between January 9 and 15.

And in that time there were four in Portsmouth.

This is a significant jump compared to the eight days previously when there was a total of 36 across the whole of Hampshire (including Southampton).

And it is the highest weekly figure for the Hampshire County Council area since the week starting April 25 when 78 were recorded, and follows a period between June and September where in some weeks there were none. Between January 9 and 15 there were 1,260 Covid deaths in care homes in England, bringing the total since records began on April 10, 2020 to 21,344.

This is an increase on the previous eight days when there were 865 nationally, as well as the last week of December when there were 617.

The Hampshire County Council area has the second highest number of total Covid deaths in care homes with 601 since April 10 - behind Kent which has had 788.

In Portsmouth the total is now 59 and in Southampton the total is 66.

On January 5, Southampton had its first Covid death in a care home since October 1.

It comes as Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham recently reported there had been 593 coronavirus deaths there since the start of the pandemic.