The figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which relate to the week of June 5 to June 11 but were registered up to June 19, show that someone from Cornwall who died at home was the sole case among the 253 deaths registered in the two counties which had COVID-19 mentioned on the death certificate.
It is the eighth week in a row when there were no deaths in a care home in the two counties, and the 13th consecutive week where the total number of COVID-related deaths was in single figures.
The death occurring in Cornwall was the first for three weeks, with every other region of Devon, apart from Exeter, now having gone a month since the last death was recorded, with North Devon having not seen a death since the first week of February.
A second death in Cornwall – which relates to someone who died at home in week 14 (ie the week of April 3-9) – has been backdated and added to the latest figures this week as well.
No deaths from COVID have so far been registered in the Isles of Scilly, and there were no deaths in the most recent week in Exeter, in Mid Devon (for the fourth week running), East Devon, the South Hams and Teignbridge (for the fifth week running), West Devon (for the sixth week running), Torbay (for the seventh week running), in Torridge and Plymouth (for the 11th week running), and North Devon (for the 18th week running).
In total, since the pandemic began, 1,751 deaths from coronavirus have been registered across Devon and Cornwall, with 962 occurring in hospitals, 658 taking place in care homes, 119 happening at home, five occurring in a hospice, three in a communal establishment and four ‘elsewhere’.
Other “communal establishments”, as defined by the Office of National Statistics (ONS), include defence bases, educational premises, prisons (including probation/bail hostels, prisons, detention centres and other places of detention), hotels, hostels, travel and temporary accommodation (including B&Bs, temporary shelter for homeless and holiday parks), and religious premises.
Of the total number of COVID deaths, 577 have been registered in Cornwall, 233 in Plymouth, 212 in East Devon, 168 in Torbay, 130 in Teignbridge, 129 in Exeter, 83 in Mid Devon, 71 in North Devon, 55 in Torridge, 53 in the South Hams, and 40 in West Devon.
So far in 2021, there have been 315 deaths in Cornwall, 94 in Plymouth, 88 in East Devon, 70 in Teignbridge, 59 in Torbay, 56 in Exeter, 36 in Mid Devon, 29 in South Hams, 14 in North Devon, 14 in Torridge and 12 in West Devon.
Deaths which have occurred since June 11 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.
By Richard Whitehouse, Local Democracy Reporter