NISRA records increase in weekly number of Covid-19 related deaths

The latest figures published by NISRA show that 14 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in the week 3rd April to 9th April 2021.

The total number of Covid-19 related deaths that occurred up to 9th April 2021 has now reached 2,936. Of the 2,936 Covid-19 related deaths, 1,934 (65.9%) took place in hospital, 772 (26.3%) in care homes, 14 (0.5%) in hospices and 216 (7.4%) at residential addresses or other locations. Please note that figures may be impacted by registration office closures over the Easter bank holiday.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to 9th April 2021 was 2,127. 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 1,008 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 which occurred between 18th March 2020 and 9th April 2021, 76.6% (772) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 236 occurring in hospital. On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 34.3% 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 9th April 2021 (week 14, 2021) was 245, 43 less than in week 13 and 92 less than the 5-year average (2016-2020) of 337. The total deaths in the week ending 9th April was also 50 less than the corresponding week 5-year minimum of 295.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 9 (3.7%) of the 245 deaths registered in week 14, a decrease of 3 from the previous week. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered to 9th April 2021 has now reached 2,926.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for 76.2% of the 2,926 Covid‑19 related deaths registered between 19th March 2020 and 9th April 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 (12.1% and 8.2% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% and 6.5% 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 (2.4 and 2.5 percentage points respectively lower than their share of all deaths).

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