Health chief's fears for over-60s after four more coronavirus deaths in Northamptonshire

Four more coronavirus deaths have today been confirmed at Northamptonshire's two main hospitals and in county care homes.

NHS England's daily bulletin revealed one patient died at Northampton General Hospital on Saturday (November 14) and one at Kettering General Hospital on Sunday

Both patients had either tested positive for Covid-19 within the previous 28 days or had the virus mentioned on a death certificate.

Office for National Statistics also revealed two more deaths on November 10 in Northamptonshire care homes linked to coronavirus were notified to them by the Care Quality Commission.

Deaths in Northamptonshire's hospitals were among 229 confirmed by NHS England on Saturday and Sunday — 217 of which were aged 60 or over.

County Public Health Director, Lucy Wightman is becoming increasingly worried about the number of Northamptonshire's over-60s testing positive for Covid-19.

She said: “There is no denying that Northamptonshire figures are on an upward trajectory and the increase once again in the number of over-60s who are testing positive is of huge concern.

"Some of these increases are quite large — 72 per cent in Kettering, 50 per cent in Daventry — and the weekly rate in the over-60s in East Northants is well over 200 per 100,000.

"We know that increases in cases among older age group translates into an increased number of hospital admissions and, sadly, an increased number of deaths."

More than 15 areas of Northampton now have infection rates above the average in England while NHS chiefs revealed there were 116 Covid-positive patients being treated in the county's two acute hospitals up to last Thursday.

Mrs Wightman added: "I feel people are more relaxed during this second lockdown and more fatigued with the messaging. People think they are not at risk but they are.

"Although we are seeing primarily older people being admitted to our hospitals, it is still a slightly younger cohort than during first wave of the pandemic.

"It's not all people who are over 80 and with lots of long-term conditions. These are people in their 50s, 60s and 70s who before they caught Covid would have considered themselves fit and well.

“You must stay at home wherever possible, you must get tested if you have symptoms and you must self-isolate if you have tested positive or have been instructed to self-isolate because you have come into contact with someone who has tested positive.

“Cases will continue to accelerate rapidly unless we urgently adhere to national and local guidance. We must act now.”

Today's sad news takes the total to 44 deaths among coronavirus patients at the county's two acute NHS Trusts since October 8.

Covid-19 was already linked to 311 deaths in Northampton General and 220 in Kettering General between March and August while there have now been 159 coronavirus-related deaths in the county's care homes .