Covid-19: Number of deaths linked to virus falls again in NI

The number of weekly Covid-19-related deaths registered in Northern Ireland has fallen again.

According to official data from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra), Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificates of nine people in the week to last Friday.

That is a decrease of three from the previous week.

The agency said the closure of registration offices over Easter may have had an effect on the number.

It takes the total number of Covid-19-related deaths recorded by Nisra to 2,926.

The Department of Health's total for the same date, based on a positive test result being recorded, was 2,127.

Nisra's figures are higher because it records mentions of Covid-19 on death certificates of people who may or may not have been confirmed to have had the virus by way of a test.

On the agency's measure, almost two-thirds of Covid-19-related deaths have happened in hospital (1,934), including the deaths of 236 care home residents.

Taking that figure and the 772 people who died in care homes, it means care home residents account for just over a third (34.3%) 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 just over three-quarters of all registered Covid-19-related deaths (76.2%) between 19 March 2020 and 9 April 2021.

The Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (12.1%) and Mid-Ulster (8.2%) council areas have recorded higher proportions of all Covid-19-related deaths, compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% and 6.5% respectively).

The provisional number of deaths from all causes registered in the week ending 9 April was 245.

That is 43 fewer than the previous week and 92 fewer than the five-year average for the time of year of 337.

The agency said the number of deaths in the week to 9 April was 50 fewer than the five-year minimum.