Western Morning News

30% of all West’s Covid deaths were this year

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MORE than 30% of all deaths registered across Devon and Cornwall where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificat­e happened this year, it has been revealed.

A total of 1,380 deaths from coronaviru­s have been registered across Devon and Cornwall by the Office of National Statistics, with 964 of them occurring in 2020 and 416 in January, 2021.

The two deadliest weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic have both occurred last month, with 147 deaths in the week of January 16 to 22, and 138 from the week of January 23 to 29 so far.

The figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) which relate to the week of January 23 to 29, but registered up to February 6, show that 138 of the 458 deaths registered in the two counties had Covid-19 mentioned on the death certificat­e.

The deaths are likely to relate to infections contracted prior to the third national lockdown being implemente­d and the subsequent rapid reduction in newly confirmed cases that has occurred since.

Of the 138 deaths registered in week four (January 23 to 29), there were 49 deaths of people from Cornwall, 19 in Plymouth, 17 from Teignbridg­e, 17 in East Devon, 9 in Torbay, 7 in South Hams, 6 in Exeter, 6 in North Devon, 4 in Mid Devon, 2 in Torridge and 2 in West Devon. No deaths in the Isles of Scilly were registered.

67 of the deaths occurred in care homes, 66 in hospitals, with five at home and one in a hospice.

There were 74 deaths in Devon and Cornwall’s hospitals within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test in the period between January 23 and 29, eight higher than the ONS figures.

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