Deaths among nursing home residents alarmingly high last week of 2020

In the last week of 2020, around 1,700 residents of nursing homes and care homes, and other people who make use of the Long-Term Care Act, died. That is about 500 or nearly 40 percent more than was expected for this period, Statistics Netherlands reported on Friday. Most of the deceased was over the age of 80.

Among the rest of the Dutch population, almost 2,100 people died. According to the stats office, that is about what was expected for the last week of the year. It is also 200 fewer than the week before.

The number of deaths in the Netherlands has been higher than expected since the last week of September, coinciding with the second wave of coronavirus infections in the country. According to Statistics Netherlands, a total of 6,700 more people died than usual for the period between end September and end December.

In the second wave, the excess mortality so far has been greatest in Noord-Brabant and Zuid-Holland. In these provinces the number of deaths was about 20.5 percent higher than usual. In Utrecht, Overijssel, and Flevoland 20 percent more people died than expected. The excess mortality in Groningen remained limited so far, and Zeeland hasn't had any excess mortality so far.