Covid-19: Nisra records 65 further Covid-19-linked deaths

Nisra's figures are based on death certificates whereas the Health Department's are based on positive tests

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificates of 65 people in Northern Ireland in the week up to 26 November.

That's an increase of 23 on the previous week, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

It brings the agency's total, based on mentions of the virus on death certificates, to 3,869.

The Department of Health's total, up to last Friday, based on a positive test being recorded, was 2,867.

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.

Of the agency's measure, just over two-thirds of Covid-19-related deaths have occurred in hospital (69.3%).

NISRA's total of deaths registered, based on those mentioned on death certificates, is 3,869

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There have been 1,136 care home resident deaths, accounting for slightly less than a third (29.3%) of all Covid-19-related deaths.

People aged 75 and over accounted for 73.8% of the 3,869 Covid-19-related deaths registered between 19 March 2020 and 26 November 2021.

The provisional number of deaths from all causes registered in the week ending 26 November was 413, an increase of 38 from the previous week.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon and Mid Ulster council areas have had higher proportions of Covid-19-related deaths (12.4% and 8.2% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% and 6.6% respectively), according to the Nisra figures.

The statistics also show that Ards and North Down and Fermanagh and Omagh council areas both have relatively low shares of registered Covid-19-related deaths (2.3 and 2.1 percentage points lower respectively than their share of all deaths).