Covid Related Care Home Deaths Fall To Five-Month Low
The number COVID-19 related deaths in care homes has fallen to a five-month low in August, according to the latest office of National statistics (ONS) figures.
The number of COVID-19 related deaths in care homes in England and Wales fell to 35 in the week ending 7 August, the lowest rate since the onset of the pandemic at the end of March.
The number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 7 August 2020 (Week 32) was 8,945; this was 1 death fewer than in Week 31.
In Week 32, the number of deaths registered was 1.7% below the five-year average (157 deaths fewer); this is the eighth consecutive week that deaths have been below the five-year average.
The number of deaths in care homes, hospitals and other communal establishments remained below the five-year average in Week 32, while the number of deaths in private homes continued to be higher than the five-year average (702 more deaths).
Of the deaths registered in Week 32, 152 mentioned “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, the lowest number of deaths involving COVID-19 in the last 20 weeks and a 21.2% decrease compared with Week 31 (193 deaths), accounting for 1.7% of all deaths in England and Wales.
The number of deaths involving COVID-19 decreased or remained the same across the majority of the English regions, with six of the nine regions having fewer overall deaths than the five-year average.
In Wales, the total number of deaths remained below the five-year average (8 deaths fewer) for Week 32, while the number of deaths involving COVID-19 increased to 24 deaths (from 10 deaths in Week 31).
Of all deaths involving COVID-19 registered up to Week 32, 63.4% occurred in hospital with the remainder mainly occurring in care homes (29.6%), private homes (4.7%) and hospices (1.4%).
The number of deaths registered in the UK in the week ending 7 August 2020 (Week 32) was 10,210, which was 142 deaths fewer than the five-year average; of the deaths registered in the UK in Week 32, 162 deaths involved COVID-19.
