19 deaths linked to Covid-19 last week according to NISRA

By Rebecca Black PA

The weekly bulletin of Covid-19 figures has revealed 19 deaths in the most recent period.

The figures, covering the period from July 24-30, brings the toll recorded by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) to 3,026.

Of these, 2,006 (66.3%) took place in hospital, 783 (25.9%) in care homes, 14 (0.5%) in hospices and 223 (7.4%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to July 30 was 2,189.

The Nisra figure is drawn from different data sources than the toll reported by Stormont’s Department of Health. It is always higher than the department’s total as it provides a broader picture of the impact of Covid-19.

The statistics agency reports its Covid-19 data with a week lag.

The department’s statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and only include people who have tested positive for the virus.

Nisra obtains its data from death certificates on which Covid-19 is recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of where the death took place or whether the patient tested positive.

Nisra reported that up to July 30, the deaths of 1,022 care home residents were linked to Covid-19, around 34% of the overall toll.

In the week to July 30, 18 coronavirus-linked deaths were officially registered in Northern Ireland.

This is a slightly different figure to the death occurrence number.

Some of the fatalities registered in the week July 24 to July 30 could have occurred before that week, as deaths can take a number of days to register.

It was the largest number of Covid-19 deaths registered in a week since April.

The Nisra figures also record that over the period of the pandemic, Antrim & Newtownabbey, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon and Mid-Ulster Local Government Districts have had higher proportions of Covid-19 related deaths (9.6%, 12.0% and 8.3% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (7.9%, 10.3% and 6.5% respectively).

Meanwhile 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).