Revealed: The council area with highest Covid-19 death rate in Northern Ireland

The areas of Northern Ireland hardest hit by coronavirus deaths has been revealed in a new statistical analysis by the News Letter.
By Niall Deeney
Published 6th Feb 2021, 09:12 BST
Another death has occurred in Derry and Strabane.Another death has occurred in Derry and Strabane.
Another death has occurred in Derry and Strabane.

Since the first coronavirus death in Northern Ireland was announced on March 19 last year, almost 2,000 more people with the virus have lost their lives.

The Belfast City Council area - the largest of Northern Ireland’s 11 councils in terms of population - has suffered the most fatalities with 355.

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Fermanagh and Omagh, with the smallest population, has had the fewest deaths from the virus with 80.

Excess deaths 2020 - 1,257 2015 - 19 Average - 1178.8 Excess deaths - 78 % difference between five year average and 2020 - 6.6Excess deaths 2020 - 1,257 2015 - 19 Average - 1178.8 Excess deaths - 78 % difference between five year average and 2020 - 6.6
Excess deaths 2020 - 1,257 2015 - 19 Average - 1178.8 Excess deaths - 78 % difference between five year average and 2020 - 6.6

But when the figures are broken down by population size, Antrim and Newtownabbey emerges as the council area with the highest death rate from the virus in Northern Ireland.

With 189 deaths in that area, according to the latest daily update from the Stormont health department, and a population size of approximately 142,000 people, that represents a rate of 1.33 fatalities per 100,000 people.

Its neighbour, Mid and East Antrim, ranks a close second with 181 deaths from a population of around 138,000 people - a rate of 1.28 per 100,000.

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The least affected council area in Northern Ireland has been the relatively sparsely populated Fermanagh and Omagh council, with 0.68 deaths per 100,000 — just over half the rate recorded in Antrim and Newtonabbey.

The next lowest death rate was recorded in the Ards and North Down council area, with 115 fatalities from a population of around 160,000 - a rate of 0.71 per 100,000.

Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) has published its latest weekly bulletin on coronavirus deaths.

NISRA, who record coronavirus deaths in a different way than the Department of Health, say the total number of fatalities stood at 2,495 by January 29.

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The statistics agency report every fatality where coronavirus is entered as a factor on a death certificate.

The following shows the number of deaths, with fatalities per 100,000 in brackets

• Antrim & Newtownabbey: 189, (1.33)

• Ards & North Down: 116 (0.72)

• Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon: 249 (1.0)

• Belfast: 355 (1.04)

• Causeway Coast & Glens: 152 (1.05)

• Derry & Strabane: 126 (0.84)

• Fermanagh & Omagh: 80 (0.68)

• Lisburn & Castlereagh: 134 (0.92)

• Mid & East Antrim: 181 (1.31)

• Newry, Mourne and Down: 143 (0.79)

Related topics:Northern IrelandEast AntrimOmaghBelfast City CouncilFermanaghNewtownabbey