Nine more Covid19 related deaths in Northern Ireland

By Q Radio News & PA

Another nine people have died after contracting Covid19 in Northern Ireland. 

One of the fatalities occurred outside the current reporting period. 

It brings the death toll recorded by the Department of Health to 697.

A further 566 positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed within the past 24 hours.

There have been 37,782 confirmed cases in Northern Ireland.

There are currently 354 patients with Covid-19 being treated in hospital, with 43 in intensive care.

It comes as new data reveals the weekly Covid19 death toll continues to rise.

There were 37 Covid19 deaths recorded by the region’s statistics agency, up from 10 the previous week.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) bulletin, which reports with a week lag, put the death toll at the end of last week at 979.

The 37 deaths occurred in the week October 17 to 23.

The comparative total number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health stood at 643 on October 23.

The Nisra data gives a fuller picture of Covid19 fatalities than the figures released by the department.

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

Nisra obtains its data from death certificates in which Covid19 is recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of where the death took place.

The person may or may not have tested positive for the virus.

Of the 979 deaths recorded by Nisra by October 23, 547 (55.9%) occurred in hospital, 363 (37.1%) in care homes, eight (0.8%) in hospices and 61 (6.2%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The 371 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 88 separate establishments.

Nisra also analyses the total number of care home residents who have died, whether in their home or in hospital, having been transferred for treatment.

Up to October 23, the deaths of 451 care home residents were linked to Covid19, 88 of which occurred in hospital.

Care home residents make up about 46.1% of all deaths linked to Covid19 in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile Covid19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 42 (10.7%) of the 391 deaths registered in week 42.

This is 25 more than the previous week and brings the total number of Covid19 related deaths registered in the calendar year up to October 23 to 972.