NI's Covid-related deaths fall for eighth consecutive week

The number of Covid-19-related deaths registered in NI has fallen for the eighth week in a row.

The virus was mentioned on 15 death certificates in the week to Friday 19 March, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

That is 17 fewer than the previous week and brings its total of Covid-related registered deaths to 2,886.

The Department of Health recorded 2,104 deaths by the same date.

Nisra counts the number of deaths by looking at the death certificates where the virus has been recorded as a factor.

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This is a different measure than that used by the Department of Health - it counts deaths by recording when someone dies within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.

According to the figures published by Nisra, the peak of the winter came in the week ending 22 January, when 182 Covid-related deaths were registered.

Nisra's figures show that the vast majority of deaths have occurred in hospitals and care homes and most have been among people aged 75 and over.

Overall, the number of deaths in Northern Ireland in the past year has been markedly increased when compared to the five-year average death rate.

There have been almost 2,500 deaths above what would be expected in that time.

On Thursday, the Department of Health recorded no new deaths linked to Covid-19 in the previous 24 hours, meaning its total stayed at 2,107.