Official figures reveal six Covid related deaths in NI last week

By Q Radio News

Official figures reveal six deaths involving covid-19 occurred in Northern Ireland last week. 

It brings the death toll according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) to  2,968 up until 14th May. 

In comparison, the Department of Health recorded 2,149 during the same period.

Of the 2,968 Covid-19 related deaths, 1,964 (66.2%) took place in hospital, 774 (26.1%) in care homes, 14 (0.5%) in hospices and 216 (7.3%) at residential addresses or other locations.

''Further analysis, which includes deaths of care home residents in hospital, shows that of the 1,011 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 which occurred between 18th March 2020 and 14th May 2021, 76.6% (774) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 237 occurring in hospital,'' the latest report states. 

''On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 34.1% of all Covid-19 related deaths; however, no assumptions can be made in relation to where or when the deceased contracted the disease.

''Separate analyses, based on the date of death registration, shows that the provisional number of total deaths from all causes registered in Northern Ireland in the week ending 14th May 2021 (week 19, 2021) was 326, 56 more than in week 18 and three more than the 5-year average (2016-2020) of 323.

''Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of seven (2.1%) of the 326 deaths registered in week 19, an increase of four deaths from the previous week. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered to 14th May 2021 has now reached 2,967.''

Over 75s made up for 76.1% of the 2,967 Covid‑19 related deaths registered between 19th March 2020 and 14th May 2021.

Over the period of the pandemic, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon and Mid-Ulster Local Government Districts have had higher proportions of Covid-19 related deaths (12.0% and 8.3% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% and 6.5% respectively).

Conversely, Ards & North Down and Fermanagh & Omagh both have relatively low shares of registered Covid-19 related deaths when compared to the proportion of Northern Ireland deaths registered in those areas (2.5 percentage points each lower than their share of all deaths).