29 deaths involving covid-19 recorded in NI last week

By Q Radio News

Official figures show 29 deaths involving covid-19 occurred in Northern Ireland last week.

It brings the total number of deaths recorded by the Northern Ireland's Statistics and Research Agency to 3,476 up to 1 October. 

In comparison, the Department of Health reported 2,565 during the same period. 

The department's count is based on patients who have previously tested positive for the virus, while NISRA figures are based on information entered on death certificates completed by medical professionals. They may or may not have previously tested positive for the virus and therefore include both confirmed and suspected cases, and where Covid-19 was either a contributor to or the main cause of death.

Of NISRA's total,  2,367 (68.1%) took place in hospital, 836 (24.1%) in care homes, 14 (0.4%) in hospices and 259 (7.5%) at residential addresses or other locations.

Further analysis, which includes deaths of care home residents by place of death, shows that there was a total of 1,096 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 occurring between 18 March 2020 and 1 October 2021.

This accounts for 31.5% of all Covid-19 related deaths. However, no assumptions can be made in relation to where the deceased contracted the disease.

Separate analysis, 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 1 October 2021 (week 39, 2021) was 380, 29 less than in week 38 and 86 more than the 5-year average (2016-2020) of 294.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for 74.5% of the 3,473 Covid‑19 related deaths registered between 19 March 2020 and 1 October 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 (12.4% and 8.3% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% and 6.6% respectively).

Conversely, Ards & North Down and Fermanagh & Omagh both have relatively low shares of registered Covid-19 related deaths (2.7 and 2.1 percentage points lower respectively than their share of all deaths).