Weekly coronavirus death toll outside hospital falls in Dacorum

It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the epidemic in care homes "is coming under control", as he announced the Government's testing regime would be expanded to thousands more homes across England.

Office for National Statistics data shows that in Dacorum, 115 deaths involving Covid-19 were provisionally registered up to June 6.

​Of those, 28 occurred outside hospital – including 22 in care homes and three at private homes. A further three deaths occurred in hospices, other community establishments or elsewhere.

It means the area's death toll outside hospital did not increase in the latest weekly period.

The figures, based on where Covid-19 is mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, include deaths that occurred up to May 29 but were registered up to eight days later.

In the week up to June 6:

- Hospital deaths increased by five to 87

- The overall death toll climbed by five, compared to a rise of four in the previous week.

Across England and Wales, 46,350 deaths involving Covid-19 were registered up to June 6. Of those, 30 per cent occurred in care homes and nearly two-thirds in hospital.

During a recent Downing Street press conference, Mr Hancock said the proportion of people dying in care homes fell by 79 per cent from the peak in the week ending April 24 to the week ending May 29, according to the Care Quality Commission.

“With all of the measures that we’ve put in place over the past few months, all of the billions of pounds extra that we’ve put in, it’s clear that the epidemic in care homes is coming under control," he said.

A social care task force has also been introduced to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the sector, a move which charity Alzheimer’s Society said was “badly needed to ensure an end to the devastation that coronavirus has wreaked in care homes".

David Pearson, former chief of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, who will lead the new social care task force, said the unit will bring together the actions of central and local government.

He told the press conference: "Our focus will be on stopping infection whilst trying to ensure the wellbeing of all people who receive care and support"

Fiona Carragher of Alzheimer’s Society, said the task force should “urgently review why people with dementia have been worst hit by the virus, as well as directly address the complex needs and challenges they have."

"With the threat of a second spike, the Government must ensure that the tragedy of the last few months is not repeated," she added.

The number of deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales reached its lowest weekly level for eight weeks at the end of last month, ONS data shows.

There were 1,822 deaths involving coronavirus in England and Wales registered in the week ending May 29.

At less than a fifth of all deaths registered that week, Covid-19 accounted for the lowest proportion of fatalities since the week lockdown was imposed.