NI records highest number of care home deaths since May

Ten people died in care homes in Northern Ireland between October 24 and 30.

The last time this number of deaths was recorded was at the end of May.

The NISRA has also reported a total of 66 deaths involving Covid-19 between October 24 and 30.

The new data means the NISRA death-toll is now 1,053.

Of this total, 605 (57.5%) deaths took place in hospital, 375 (35.6%) in care homes, nine (0.9%) in hospices and 64 (6.1%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The 384 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 90 separate establishments.

The week ending October 30 saw the largest weekly number of Covid-19 related, hospital deaths (53) since mid-April; while the 10 Covid‑19 related deaths occurring in a care home in the same week compares to totals last seen at the end of May.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to October 30 was 706.

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.

Further analysis, which includes deaths of care home residents in hospital, shows that of the 469 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 in the year to date to October 30 2020, 80.0% (375) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 94 occurring in hospital.

On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 44.5% 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 October 30 2020 (week 43) was 368, 23 less than in week 42 and 84 more than the five-year average of 284.

Over the last 31 weeks in total, 1,478 ‘excess deaths’ (deaths above the average for the corresponding period in previous years) have been registered in Northern Ireland, with the number of ‘excess deaths’ in the year to date to October 30 totalling 1,219.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 51 (13.9%) of the 368 deaths registered in week 43. This is the fourth consecutive weekly increase in Covid-19 related deaths and is similar to numbers last reported in the second half of May 2020. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in the calendar year up to October 30 has reached 1,023.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for two-thirds (64.8%) of all deaths and 78.0% of Covid‑19 related deaths registered this calendar year up to October 30.

For Covid-19 related deaths, those with an address in Belfast Local Government District (LGD) accounted for 277 (27.1%) of the 1,023 deaths registered in the calendar year to October 30.