Shock as more than 200 died in NI with Covid-19 over Christmas

That included 115 in the week December 19-25 and a further 91 in the week from December 26 to January 1.

Total fatalities have reached 1,895, statistics agency Nisra said.

Of this total, 1,150 (60.7%) happened in hospital, 607 (32%) in care homes, 10 (0.5%) in hospices and 128 (6.8%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The 617 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 146 separate establishments.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to January 1 was 1,349.

These are based on patients having previously tested positive for the virus, whereas the Nisra figures are derived from information entered on death certificates completed by medical professionals.

They may or may not have previously tested positive for coronavirus.

People aged 75 and over accounted for two-thirds (65.5%) of all deaths and 77.7% of Covid-19 related deaths registered in 2020.

For Covid-19 related deaths, those with an address in Belfast accounted for 424 (23.2%) of the 1,830 deaths registered last year.