Coronavirus deaths in care homes rise, latest figures reveal

The number of care home coronavirus deaths have risen for the second week in a row, latest ONS figures published today reveal.

There have been 43 COVID-19-linked deaths in care homes in England and Wales in the week ending 21 August - up from 40 the week before.

While the figure of 39 coronavirus deaths in England has remained the same when compared to the previous week, in Wales the number of deaths rose to four – up from one death for the week ending 14 August.

Rise in deaths compared to two weeks ago

There has been a rise from the 29 coronavirus deaths in England’s care homes and six deaths in Wales’ care homes in the week ending 7 August.

However, according to separate data from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), 16 coronavirus deaths were reported by England’s care homes in the week ending 28 August - down from 26 deaths the week before.

The CQC figures reflect an overall downward trend in care home COVID-19 deaths in England for the last four and a half months from a pandemic peak of 2,746 deaths in care homes which occurred in the week ending 24 April.

In total, there have been 14,193 coronavirus deaths of care home residents in England between 10 April and 28 August.

In Scotland, figures from National Records of Scotland (NRS) reveal two COVID-19 deaths were reported in care homes for the week ending 9 August, the same number as the week before.

In Northern Ireland, one care home resident died of the coronavirus in the week ending 21 August, the same number as the week before, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

Care home owners have been fearful of a second wave of the COVID-19, with care sector leaders commenting on last week's rise in England’s care home deaths which occurred for the first time in over four months, according to ONS figures for England and Wales.

Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said last week: “The ONS data shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is still a real danger for care services and the government must continue to offer financial and practical support to the sector.”

Mike Padgham, chair of The Independent Care Group, said: “The one thing we fear more than anything else is a second wave of coronavirus, particularly as we are edging closer to autumn and winter”.