Covid:19: Nisra records slight increase in NI Covid deaths

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificates of eight people in Northern Ireland up to Friday 30 April.

That's an increase of one on the previous week, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

It brings the agency's total registered deaths to 2,957.

The Department of Health's total for the same date, which is based on a positive test result being recorded, is 2,145.

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.

The Department of Health's figures are based on a positive test result being recorded.

By Nisra's measure, almost two-thirds of Covid-19 related deaths have happened in hospital (1,956), including the deaths of 236 care home residents.

Taking that figure, and the 772 who died in care homes, it means care home residents account for just over a third (34.1%) of all Covid-19 related deaths.

Covid-19 related deaths were also recorded in hospices (0.5%) and other residential locations (7.3%).

People aged 75 and over account for just over three-quarters of all Covid-19 related registered deaths (76.1%) between 19 March 2020 and 30 April 2021.

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Two council districts in Northern Ireland - Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon and Mid-Ulster - have now recorded a higher proportion of all Covid-19 related deaths (12.1% and 8.4% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.3% and 6.5%).

The provisional number of deaths from all causes registered in the week ending 30 April was 291.

That is 14 less than the previous week, and 51 less than the five-year average for the time of year of 342.