Highest figure for Covid losses since last spring

THE second week of January saw the highest number of deaths registered across Devon and Cornwall where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate since the end of April.

The figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) relate to the week of January 9 to January 15, but registered up to January 23.

They show that 66 of the 404 deaths registered in the two counties had Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificate. This compares to 45 of the 377 deaths registered in the two counties in the previous week.

A further eight deaths from week 1 (January 2-8) have also been added into the dataset this week, taking the total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic in the two counties to 1,083.

The 66 deaths registered in a week is the highest total since the week ending May 1, but still well below the peak of 107 in the week ending April 17.

Of the 66 deaths registered in week 2 (January 9-15), there were 27 deaths of people from Cornwall, nine from Exeter, six from East Devon, Mid Devon and Torbay, four from the South Hams, two from Teignbridge, Torridge and Torbay, and one from North Devon and West Devon. No deaths in the Isles of Scilly were registered. 39 of the deaths occurred in hospitals, with 27 in a care home.

The deaths took place in care homes and hospitals and, in a tiny number of cases, at home.

Deaths are the last thing to come down as case rates start to drop and the number of cases in Devon and Cornwall are now falling, according to the latest figures. That should be reflected in fewer hospitalisations in due course.