West death rate highest since May, says ONS
THE highest number of deaths relating to coronavirus since mid-May across Devon and Cornwall have been registered in the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures.
The figures from the ONS, relating to the week of November 7 to November 13 but registered up to November 21, show that 24 of the 344 deaths registered in the two counties had Covid19 mentioned on the death certificate.
It is the highest weekly total recorded since the week of May 9-15 across the two counties, with North Devon the only area across the two counties not to have a new death recorded.
The deaths will almost certainly have resulted from infection contracted prior to the introduction to the second national lockdown.
Of the 24 deaths in the most recent week (week 46), there were five deaths of people from Cornwall in hospitals, three deaths of people in hospital from Teignbridge, two deaths of people in hospital from Plymouth, and one from Exeter, Torridge and West Devon. The death of someone from Exeter was the first death for 22 weeks.
One person in Mid Devon and the South Hams were recorded as dying at home, while five people from Torbay died in hospital, with one dying at home and one in a care home.
Three further deaths – a death at home in Cornwall and a death of a person from Teignbridge in hospital between October 31 and November 6, and a death of a person from Plymouth in hospital between September 26 and October 2, have been backdated into the figures this week as well.
Previous weeks have seen 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.
The Isles of Scilly has still yet to see a Covid-19 related death, while North Devon has gone three weeks without a
new death registered in the most recent weekly figures.
In total, 662 deaths from coronavirus have been registered across Devon and Cornwall, with 363 in hospitals, 245 in care homes, 52 at home, one in a hospice, and one in a communal establishment.
Of the deaths, 220 have been registered in Cornwall, 110 in Plymouth, 87 in Torbay, 54 in East Devon, 41 in Teignbridge, 40 in Exeter, 27 in North Devon, 24 in Torridge, 22 in Mid Devon, 20 in West Devon, 17 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 had 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 13 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.
Meanwhile, passengers arriving into Devon and Cornwall by both land and sea from abroad will be able to reduce their self-isolation by up to a week, under new plans announced by the Government.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that, from December 15, passengers arriving into England from countries not featured on the Government’s travel-corridor list will have the option to take a test after five days of self-isolation, with a negative result releasing them from the need to isolate.
The move should give travellers the confidence to book international trips in the knowledge that they can return home and isolate for a shorter period of time if they have received a negative test.