Mortality also down in nursing and care homes

The estimates have been based on the number of death certificates received by CBS for week 16, combined with data collected by CBS on residents of institutional households including nursing and care homes, other care institutions, and other institutions.

This year, the average weekly death count in nursing and care homes up until week 10 (ending 8 March) stood at 759. The number of deaths in week 16 is estimated at 1,500 among residents of institutional households. Among the population in other care institutions, mortality doubled as well, but is now showing a similar downward trend (this concerns smaller numbers).

As for private households, the weekly death count rose from 2,320 in the first ten weeks of 2020 to 3,500 in week 14. This was followed by a drop to slightly over 2,700 in week 16. Despite this decline, mortality in private households is still 1.2 times the average over the first ten weeks of 2020.

In week 16 (ending 19 April), mortality in nursing and care homes declined for the first time. However, it is still almost double the average over the first ten weeks of 2020. Over the past few weeks, the death count has been higher than the averages seen in similar periods previously; but since week 14 there has been an overall decline across the Netherlands. This is reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) on the basis of provisional weekly death counts.

The higher mortality in institutional households is subject to a certain time-lag following the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis in the Netherlands. The first confirmed COVID-19 patient in the Netherlands was reported on 27 February 2020. The first death involving COVID-19 was reported on 6 March 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020.

Mortality down among all age groups in nursing and care homes

As of week 13, mortality in nursing and care homes has risen substantially. In the age group 65 to 79 years, mortality was around 2.5 times higher in week 15 than the average in the first ten weeks of 2020; it was more than double that average among the over-80s. Week 16 shows a decline across the different age groups.
In private households, all age groups have shown a decline in mortality as of week 14. Meanwhile in week 16, mortality in the age group 0 to 64 years was virtually equal to the average over the first ten weeks of 2020.