Covid-19: Nisra records drop in virus-related deaths

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

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

The government statistics agency, Nisra, said in the week up to 8 October, the virus was mentioned on the death certificates of 28 people - 20 fewer than the previous week.

It brings the total number of deaths registered by the agency to 3,501.

The Department of Health's total for the same date, based on a positive test result being recorded, is 2,585.

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 (68%) of Covid-19-related deaths have occurred in hospital (2,389).

There have been 1,106 deaths of care home residents, which account for fewer than a third (31.5%) of all Covid-19-related deaths.

People aged 75 and over account for about three-quarters of all Covid-19-related registered deaths (74.6%) between 19 March 2020 and 8 October 2021.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (12.4%) and Mid-Ulster (8.3%) council areas have recorded higher proportions of all Covid-19-related deaths, compared to their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.3% and 6.6% respectively).

The provisional number of deaths from all causes registered in the week ending 8 October was 330.

That is 50 fewer than the previous week, and 16 more than the five-year average for the time of year of 314.