NISRA Covid-19 related deaths: week ending 13th August 2021

By Q Radio News

Latest figures published today by NISRA show that 34 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in the week 7th August to 13th August 2021.

The total number of Covid-19 related deaths that occurred up to 13th August 2021 has now reached 3,100. Of these, 2,062 (66.5%) took place in hospital, 791 (25.5%) in care homes, 14 (0.5%) in hospices and 233 (7.5%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health (DoH) to 13th August 2021 was 2,247.

The DoH count is based on patients having previously tested positive for the virus, whereas the NISRA figures are based on the 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.

The weekly release containing data on deaths registered during the week ending 13 August and information on Covid-19 related deaths was published this morning. https://t.co/QmB2AP7Qi6 pic.twitter.com/OwcQRBqbnc

— NISRA (@NISRA) August 20, 2021

Further analysis, which includes deaths of care home residents by place of death, shows that there was a total of 1,035 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 (including deaths that took place somewhere other than the care home) occurring between 18th March 2020 and 13th August 2021.

This accounts for 33.4% 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 13th August 2021 (week 32, 2021) was 331, 11 less than in week 31 and 60 more than the 5-year average (2016-2020) of 271.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 40 (12.1%) of the 331 deaths registered in week 32, an increase of nine from the previous week, and the largest number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in one week since week ending 26th February 2021 (55).

The total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered to 13th August 2021 has now reached 3,086.

NISRA’s dashboard containing some of the key statistics from our weekly deaths publication has been updated. The dashboard is updated on a weekly basis.
https://t.co/yLSVh99eSp pic.twitter.com/inohPx1VfI

— NISRA (@NISRA) August 20, 2021

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for 75.6% of the 3,086 Covid‑19 related deaths registered between 19th March 2020 and 13th August 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 (12.1% and 8.1% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.3% and 6.5% respectively).

Conversely, Ards & North Down and Fermanagh & Omagh both have relatively low shares of registered Covid-19 related deaths (2.7 and 2.5 percentage points lower respectively than their share of all deaths).

Meanwhile,

The Director General of the Prison Service has led tributes to the first prison officer to die from Covid 19 in Northern Ireland. 

Writing to Prison staff this morning, Ronnie Armour said, “It was with a deep sense of sadness that I learned last night of the passing of one of our colleagues, after a short battle with Covid-19. He cared deeply about the Service and he worked tirelessly over the years to make things better and safer.  

“On behalf of the Service I want to express our heartfelt sympathies to his family circle and to those colleagues who worked alongside him.  Our Service is the poorer for his passing and the circumstances of his death make our loss all the more painful. He will be long remembered.”