Another 26 deaths in latest Northern Ireland Covid-19 figures today from NISRA as total coronavirus fatalities approach 5,000

The fatalities, in the week ending July 15, take the total number of coronavirus-linked deaths recorded by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) to 4,738.

The figure is drawn from different data sources and is always higher than the Department of Health’s total as it provides a broader picture of the impact of Covid-19.

The department’s statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and include only people who have tested positive for the virus.

Nisra obtains its data from death certificates on which Covid-19 is recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of where the death took place or whether the patient tested positive.

The statistics agency reports its Covid data with a week’s lag.

The Nisra figure includes 3,303 deaths in hospital, 993 in care homes and 442 at residential addresses, hospices or other locations.

Covid-19 was also mentioned on the death certificate of 27 of the 249 deaths registered in the week to July 15. It was the fourth consecutive week when the number of registered Covid-linked deaths rose in Northern Ireland.

Some of the deaths registered in the week ending July 15 could have taken place even earlier as they can take days to register.

Those aged 75 and over accounted for 73.8% of the Covid-related deaths registered between March 19, 2020 and July 15 this year.