Covid-19 related deaths continue to fall as NISRA record 22 deaths in seven days

Latest figures published today by NISRA show that 22 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in the week 27th February to 5th March 2021. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths that occurred up to 5th March 2021 has now reached 2,845. Of the 2,845 Covid-19 related deaths, 1,861 (65.4%) took place in hospital, 762 (26.8%) in care homes, 14 (0.5%) in hospices and 208 (7.3%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to 5th March 2021 was 2,069. These figures are 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. 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 in hospital, shows that of the 997 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 which occurred between 18th March 2020 and 5th March 2021, 76.4% (762) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 235 occurring in hospital. However, provisional data indicate that no care home residents died with Covid-19 in this most recent week. On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 35.0% of all Covid-19 related deaths; however, no assumptions can be made in relation to where or when the deceased contracted the disease.

Separate analyses, 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 5th March 2021 (week 9, 2021) was 319, 32 less than in week 8, and 19 less than the 5-year average (2016-2020) of 338.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 33 (10.3%) of the 319 deaths registered in week 9, a fall from the previous week’s 55 Covid-19 related deaths and the sixth consecutive fall in the registration based series since the recent peak of 182 Covid-19 related deaths registered in the week ending 22nd January. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered to 5th February 2021 has now reached 2,839.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for 76.8% of the 2,839 Covid‑19 related deaths registered between 19th March 2020 and 5th March 2021. Over the period of the pandemic, Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon and Mid-Ulster Local Government Districts have had higher proportions of Covid-19 related deaths (12.2% and 8.1% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% and 6.4% respectively). Conversely, Ards & North Down and Fermanagh & Omagh both have relatively low shares of registered Covid-19 related deaths when compared to the proportion of Northern Ireland deaths registered in those areas (2.3 and 2.4 percentage points respectively lower than their share of all deaths).

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