Covid-19: Slight rise in deaths after eight-week decline

The number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in Northern Ireland has risen slightly, after falling for eight consecutive weeks.

The NI Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) said the virus was mentioned on the deaths certificates of 19 people in the week to Friday 26 March.

That is four more than the previous week.

Nisra said the closure of registration offices for St Patrick's Day may have affected figures for both weeks.

It brings the agency's total of Covid-19 related registered deaths to 2,905.

The Department of Health's total for the same date, based on a positive test result being recorded, was 2,108.

On Friday, it recorded one further death linked to Covid-19, bringing its total to 2,116.

Nisra's figures are higher because it records mentions of the virus on death certificates, where it may or may not have been confirmed by way of a test.

On the agency's measure, almost two-thirds of Covid-19 related deaths have happened in hospital (1,910), including the deaths of 236 care home residents.

Taking that figure, and the 770 who died in care homes, it means care home residents account for just over a third (34.6%) of all Covid-19 related deaths.

Covid-19 related deaths were also recorded in hospices (0.5%) and other residential locations (7.4%).

People aged 75 and over account for more than three-quarters of all Covid-19 related registered deaths (76.4%) between 19 March 2020 and 26 March 2021.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (12.1%) and Mid-Ulster (8.2%) local government districts have now recorded higher proportions of all Covid-19 related deaths, compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% and 6.4% respectively).

The provisional number of deaths from all causes registered in the week ending 26 March was 307.

That is 54 more than the previous week, and eight less than the five-year average for the time of year, of 315.