Coronavirus: Over a quarter of all NI deaths happened after Christmas, latest figures show

Another 12 deaths were reported by the Stormont health department on Friday, bringing the total to 1,704 since the pandemic began.

This brings the total reported here in the month since December 23 to 464 — just over 27% of the total.

The news comes after another measure of the death toll from coronavirus, published on a weekly basis by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), showed that fatalities have continued to reach record highs this month.

NISRA, who record each death where the virus is mentioned as a contributing factor on a death certificate rather than only those deaths where someone had tested positive for the virus, reported 156 fatalities in the week ending January 15 — a record high total.

The total number of deaths recorded by NISRA, who publish their statistics with a one-week delay, was 2,186 by January 15.

The comparitive figure from the Department of Health, who publish updated statistics every day, stood at 1,583 on the same date.

The latest update from the Department shows that hospital pressures remain severe, with the number of patients in intensive care rising to a record high.

There were 865 new cases of the virus recorded yesterday, bringing the total in the past seven days to 5,534 — a drop on the 7,590 recorded at the same time last week.

There are 828 patients in hospital with the virus, of whom a record 72 are in intensive care with 52 on ventillators.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed over 100 army medics would be deployed here to assist in hospitals.

First Minister Arlene Foster said yesterday she has been “greatly saddened by those who have criticised this deployment for intolerant political reasons.”