The number of coronavirus (Covid-19) deaths in care homes across England, Wales and Scotland is reducing, but in Northern Ireland continues to rise, according to official data.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows there were 2,329 Covid-19 deaths registered in care homes in England in the week leading up to 1 May – down from 2,669 the week before.
The ONS data also show that in Wales’ care homes there were 94 deaths registered in the seven days leading up to 1 May, compared with 125 in the prior week.
Similarly, Scotland’s latest National Record of Statistics data show there were 310 Covid-19 deaths registered in care homes in the week up until 3 May – a smaller number than the 339 recorded in the week before.
However, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, the country’s care homes registered 71 deaths related to Covid-19 in the week leading to 1 May, an increase from 65 in the previous week.
England has seen the largest number of overall deaths related to Covid-19 since the start of the outbreak.
ONS data show separate statistics reported by the Department of Health and Social Care may be underestimates.
The ONS figures reveal England has had 33,337 deaths related to Covid-19 that took place up to 1 May – but could have been registered up until 9 May.
This is in comparison to the 25,282 reported within the same timeframe by the Department of Health and Social Care.
The Government’s 50-page plan, released yesterday, stated that every care home should have a named clinician by this Friday.
Meanwhile, further ONS data, released yesterday, showed that doctors and nurses do not have a higher Covid-19 mortality rate than others of the same age and sex, although this is not the case for social care workers.
