Coronavirus: Weekly Hampshire care home death toll drops to 15 - with none in Portsmouth

The number of deaths linked to Covid-19 reported each week in Hampshire care homes has reduced again – with 15 recorded in seven days.
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The Hampshire County Council area remains the worst-hit for care homes, with 362 deaths since April 10 when records started.

But the weekly toll has dropped dramatically from 52 in the first full week of May, to just 15 between May 23 and 29.

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While the county council area has seen the most deaths in care homes in the crisis, latest Office for National Statistics data published today show it has the fifth largest increase.

Covid-19 deaths in care homes have been a significant problem in EnglandCovid-19 deaths in care homes have been a significant problem in England
Covid-19 deaths in care homes have been a significant problem in England

Care homes within County Durham, East Riding of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and East Sussex each saw more deaths in the final week of last month.

Up to May 29 there have been 37 deaths in the Portsmouth council area, and 46 in Southampton.

The ONS data shows no new care home deaths in Portsmouth since May 11, when there was one recorded.

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Councillor Liz Fairhurst is the executive member for adult social care and health at the county council.

She said: ‘A great deal of thanks must go to our carers who have gone above and beyond working in the homes.

‘We’ve always had the correct PPE and hygiene controls.

‘(The reduction) is something to be celebrated – not forgetting that people have actually still died.

‘It’s been a very distressing time for their families on the outside because we don't allow people to visit.

‘We do let them in at end of life, with correct PPE.

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‘I hope they will feel comforted that the numbers are dropping quite dramatically.’

Cllr Fairhurst added: ‘We welcome good news. I just hope it carries on, which I’m hopeful it will.’

Last week Cllr Matthew Winnington, Portsmouth’s cabinet member, said said it was encouraging to say deaths start to decrease, but added: 'We remain vigilant.’

Today council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson said: ‘The government got their advice around care homes, really, really, badly wrong at the beginning.

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‘I’m glad that we've been able to work with all the care homes in the city to provide them the support to turn that round, and continue to do that – but there are big lessons to be learnt.’

The data comes from Covid-19 deaths notified to the sector watchdog, the Care Quality Commission. Deaths are counted on the date they are notified, not when they happen.

In England there have been 11,186 deaths in care homes. In the latest week covered by the data there were 531 deaths.

When all causes of death are counted, there were 919 in Hampshire between April 10 and May 29, with 65 of those in the final week.

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In Portsmouth there have been 82 with two in the last reported seven days, and in Southampton 99 deaths with nine in the last week in the data.

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