Care home residents account for half of all covid-19 related deaths in NI

By Q Radio News

More than 700 deaths involving Coronavirus have been recorded in Northern Ireland up until last week.

The Northern Ireland and Statistics Research Agency has released its weekly covid-19 figures.

According to its latest analysis, care home residents account for half of all coronavirus related deaths in the region. 

NISRA recorded 718 covid-19 related deaths across Northern Ireland up until the 22nd of May, with 380 being care home residents. 

Of that figure, 84% (318) occurred in the home, with the remaining 62 taking place in hospital. 

Meanwhile, the figures also show 47 deaths occurred last week from May 16th to 22nd. 

Of the total 716 deaths, 353 (49.3%) took place in hospital, 318 (44.4%) in care homes, eight (1.1%) in hospices and 37 (5.2%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The 326 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 76 separate establishments.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to 22nd May was 504.

These figures are based on patients having previously tested positive for the virus, whereas 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.

Separate analyses based on the date of death registration, shows that the provisional number of total deaths registered in Northern Ireland in the week ending 22nd May 2020 (week 20) was 325, 71 fewer than in week 19 and 35 more than the 5-year average of 290.

Over the last eight weeks in total, 902 ‘excess deaths’ (deaths above the average for the corresponding period in previous years) have been registered in Northern Ireland, with the number of ‘excess deaths’ in the year to date to 22nd May totalling 643.

COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate for 53 (16.3%) of the 325 deaths registered in week 20, the fourth consecutive weekly fall in the number of registered COVID-19 related deaths and bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths registered in the calendar year 2020 to 705.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for two-thirds (66.7%) of all deaths and 79.4% of COVID‑19 related deaths registered this calendar year up to 22nd May.

For COVID-19 related deaths, those with an address in Belfast Local Government District (LGD) accounted for 209 (29.6%) of the 705 deaths registered in the calendar year to 22nd May.