Covid-19: Nisra records 55 more coronavirus-linked deaths

Nisra's total number of Covid-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland now stands at 3,425

There has been a slight fall in the number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) said the virus was recorded on 55 death certificates in the week to Friday 24 September.

That is eight fewer than the previous week and brings the total number of deaths registered to 3,425.

The Department of Health's total for the same date, based on a positive test result being recorded, is 2,538.

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, just over two-thirds of Covid-19-related deaths have occurred in hospital (68.1%).

There have been 1,089 care home resident deaths, accounting for slightly less than a third (31.6%) of all Covid-19 related deaths.

Eight hundred and twenty nine of those deaths occurred in care homes, while the rest happened elsewhere, including in hospitals.

People aged 75 and older account for more than three-quarters of all Covid-19-related registered deaths (74.9%) between 19 March 2020 and 24 September 2021.

The provisional number of deaths from all causes registered in the week ending 24 September was 351.

That is 23 fewer than the previous week, and 55 fewer than the five-year average for the time of year of 296.