Weekly Coronavirus death toll in Northern Ireland falls again

By Q Radio News and PA.

The weekly coronavirus death toll continues to fall in Northern Ireland, latest figures have indicated.

Statistics published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) show there were 36 deaths involving Covid-19 in the week to May 29.

That was 11 fewer than the week before, continuing a downward trend for five weeks.

The Nisra figures give a fuller picture of Covid-19 deaths than the daily figures released by the Department of Health, which focus primarily on hospital deaths.

Nisra obtains its statistics using death certificates in which Covid-19 is mentioned as a cause, regardless of where the fatality occurred.

They show that the death toll up to May 29 was 757, which compares to 528 reported by the Department of Health on that day.

Meanwhile, the Department reported one further coronavirus related death on Friday 5th June. 

The death happened on 30 May but has only now been added to the department's figures, which only record deaths where a patient had tested positive for the virus. 

BREAKING:
📍1 new COVID-19 related death in NI @healthdpt
📍536 deaths linked to the virus here
📍This is lower than 757 deaths linked to COVID-19 from @NISRA who use info from death certificates
📍@healthdpt only records deaths of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/QiMXBwNZjZ

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) June 5, 2020

The Department of Health's dashboard also confirmed three new cases of coronavirus bringing the total to 4,776. 

It also outlined the number of outbreaks in care homes in Northern Ireland and those with covid-19 in ICU. 

📍3 new cases of COVID bringing total cases to 4,776
📍99 care homes have confirmed/suspected outbreaks of COVID
📍Out of the 100 intensive care beds here, only 10 are taken up by those being treated for COVID
📍64 ICU beds held by non COVID patients giving 26 spare ICU beds
2/2 pic.twitter.com/2qJIbvuZyC

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) June 5, 2020

Meanwhile, of the 757 deaths reported by Nisra, 381 (50.3%) took place in hospital, 328 (43.3%) in care homes, eight (1.1%) in hospices and 40 (5.3%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The 336 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 78 separate establishments.

Nisra also provides an analysis around the number of care home residents who have died, whether in their home or in hospital having been transferred for treatment.

It shows that to May 29, the deaths of 396 care home residents involved Covid-19 as a factor, 68 of which occurred in hospital.

That means over 52% of all coronavirus-linked deaths in the region were care home residents.

In regard to comparative death statistics in 2019, the overall number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland in the week to May 29 was 316 - 37 more than the five year average of 279.

Over the last nine weeks, 939 "excess deaths" have been registered in Northern Ireland. Excess deaths are deaths above the average for the corresponding period in previous years.