50 Covid-19 deaths recorded by NISRA last week

By Q Radio News

Latest figures published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency show that there were 50 deaths involving Covid-19 d in the week 23 October to 29 October 2021.

The total number of Covid-19 related deaths that occurred up to 29 October 2021 has now reached 3,666.

Of these, 2,512 (68.5%) took place in hospital, 852 (23.2%) in care homes, 14 (0.4%) in hospices and 288 (7.9%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health (DoH) to 29 October 2021 was 2,697.

The DoH count is based on patients having previously tested positive for the virus, whereas the NISRA figures are based on the information entered on death certificates completed by medical professionals.

NISRA’s dashboard containing some of the key statistics from our weekly deaths publication has been updated. The dashboard is updated on a weekly basis.
https://t.co/yLSVh99eSp pic.twitter.com/Vx3djUKqWS

— NISRA (@NISRA) November 5, 2021

They may or may not have previously tested positive for the virus and therefore include both confirmed and suspected cases, and where Covid-19 was either a contributor to or the main cause of death.

Further analysis, which includes deaths of care home residents by place of death, shows that there was a total of 1,123 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 (including deaths that took place somewhere other than the care home) occurring between 18 March 2020 and 29 October 2021. This accounts for 30.6% of all Covid-19 related deaths. However, no assumptions can be made in relation to where the deceased contracted the disease.

Separate analysis, based on the date of death registration, shows that the provisional number of total deaths from all causes registered in Northern Ireland in the week ending 29 October 2021 (week 43, 2021) was 320, seven more than in week 42 and 18 more than the 5-year average (2016-2020) of 302.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 50 (15.6%) of the 320 deaths registered in week 43, a decrease of two from the previous week. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered to 29 October 2021 has now reached 3,641.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for 74.2% of the 3,641 Covid‑19 related deaths registered between 19 March 2020 and 29 October 2021.

Over the period of the pandemic, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon and Mid-Ulster Local Government Districts 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). Conversely, Ards & North Down and Fermanagh & Omagh both have relatively low shares of registered Covid-19 related deaths (2.5 and 2.1 percentage points lower respectively than their share of all deaths).