NISRA weekly update: Another 26 Covid-linked deaths recorded

By Q Radio News

26 deaths linked to Covid-19 have been recorded in Northern Ireland in the latest weekly update.

The toll is down two on the 28 deaths that occurred in the previous week, according to data compiled by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

The latest deaths, which occurred in the week ending 8 April 2022, take the total number of coronavirus-linked fatalities recorded by NISRA to 4,503.

The NISRA figure is drawn from different data sources and is always higher than the Department of Health’s total as it provides a broader picture of the impact of Covid-19.

On April 8, the department had reported 3,360 deaths.

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.

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

The NISRA figure includes 3,131 deaths in hospital, 966 in care homes, and 406 at residential addresses, hospices or other locations.

NISRA reported that up to April 8, the deaths of 1,267 care home residents were linked to Covid-19, 28.1% of all coronavirus-related fatalities.

Covid-19 was also mentioned on the death certificate of 32 of the 355 deaths registered in the week to April 8.

Some of the deaths registered in the week ending April 8 could have taken place before that week as fatalities can take a number of days to register.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, and Mid-Ulster council areas have had higher proportions of Covid-related deaths (12.5% and 8.1% respectively) throughout the pandemic compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% and 6.7% respectively).