No covid care home deaths in Northants for first week since April

For the first week in ten there as not been a covid related death recorded in a Northants care home.

Northamptonshire has recorded its first week without any Covid-19 deaths in care homes since April.

Latest data published by the Office of National Statistics states that on each day of the week between June 13 and June 19 there was not a single care home death registered in Northamptonshire.

This is the first time in the 10 weeks since published data began on April 10 that nobody has died in a Northants care home with the virus.

In total 127 Northamptonshire care home residents have died with covid. However many say the figure may be much higher as some deaths have been registered without covid on the death certificate if the person had not had a test. The covid deaths in the county’s two hospitals has now reached 500.

Temple Court in Kettering had 16 residents die in April and May. The home, which took in 15 patients from Kettering General Hospital in March, is now being investigated by the police. A report about the home by the Care Quality Commission is due out in the coming days.

Danielle Stone, who is shadow cabinet member at Northamptonshire County Council for adult social care services, has welcomed the news.

She said: “It is really good news. It just shows how important effective prevention measures are alongside testing and personal protective equipment.”

In total more than a third of the county’s 250 care homes had a covid outbreak between March and May. Last week Cheaney Court in Desborough reported 36 new cases after staff and residents became infected with the illness. The home says it is expected most will recover.

Councillor Ian Morris, cabinet member for adult social care said: “Protecting care home staff and residents has been a high priority right from the start of the pandemic, that’s why various measures were quickly put in place to support care providers. This included jointly setting up a hardship fund with Northamptonshire CCG to make financial support available, helping with PPE equipment as well as regular calls and contact with providers to make sure they were managing and any arising issues could be dealt with. We are continuing to monitor the situation in care homes very closely.”