Covid-19: Nisra records slight rise in NI's virus-related deaths

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificates of seven people in the week leading up to 14 May

The number of Covid-19-related deaths registered in Northern Ireland has risen slightly.

The virus was mentioned on the death certificates of seven people, in the week to Friday 14 May 2021, according to government statistics agency Nisra.

Four more than the previous week, it brings the agency's total Covid-19-related deaths to 2,967.

The Department of Health's total for the same date, based on a positive test result being recorded, is 2,149.

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 agency now only publishes an explanatory bulletin when the number of Covid-19-related deaths registered is greater than five.

Care home residents account for just over a third of all Covid-19-related deaths

On the agency's measure, about two-thirds of Covid-19-related deaths have happened in hospital (1,964), including the deaths of 237 care home residents.

Taking that figure, and the 774 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%).

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People aged 75 and over account for more than three-quarters of all Covid-19-related registered deaths (76.1%) between 19 March 2020 and 14 May 2021.

Armagh City Banbridge & Craigavon (12.0%) and Mid-Ulster (8.3%) 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 6.5% respectively).

The provisional number of deaths from all causes registered in the week ending 14 May was 326.

That is 56 more than the previous week, and three more than the five-year average for the time of year of 323.