Four Covid-19 deaths occurred in Northern Ireland last week

By Q Radio News

Official figures show that four Covid-19 related deaths occurred in Northern Ireland last week.

It brings the death toll according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency to 2,991 up until the 16th of July.

In comparison, the department of health recorded 2,162 deaths up until the same date.

Official figures show that four Covid-19 related deaths occurred in Northern Ireland last week.https://t.co/KzBNX8RJt3

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) July 23, 2021

The DoH deaths are 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.

Further analysis, which includes deaths of care home residents in hospital, shows that of the 1,014 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 which occurred between 18th March 2020 and 16th July 2021, 76.7% (778) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 236 occurring in hospital. One of these deaths occurred in the latest week. On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 33.9% of all Covid-19 related deaths; however, no assumptions can be made in relation to where or when the deceased contracted the disease.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of three (1.3%) of the 231 deaths registered in week 28, no change from the previous week. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered to 16th July 2021 has now reached 2,988.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for 76.0% of the 2,988 Covid‑19 related deaths registered between 19th March 2020 and 16th July 2021.

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 (9.7%, 12.0% and 8.3% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (8.0%, 10.3% and 6.5% respectively).

Conversely, Ards & North Down and Fermanagh & Omagh both have relatively low shares of registered Covid-19 related deaths when compared to the proportion of Northern Ireland deaths registered in those areas (2.6 and 2.5 percentage points lower respectively than their share of all deaths).