New figures reveal rise in number of Covid-19 deaths

LATEST figures published today by NISRA show that 109 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred between April 18 and 24.

Of these, 40 occurred in hospital, 63 in care homes, and 6 at home.

The new figures reveal that 40% of Covid-19 deaths have occured in care homes across the North.

The 161 deaths in care homes and hospices involved 57 separate establishments.

Up until the period ending 24 April, a total of 393 deaths involving Covid‑19 occurred: 209 (53.2%) in hospital, 158 (40.2%) in care homes, three (0.8%) in hospices and 23 (5.9%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to 24th April was 299.

These figures are based on patients having previously tested positive for the virus, whereas NISRA figures are based on the information entered on death certificates, filled out by medical professionals. They may or may not have previously tested positive for the virus.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate for 128 (27.2%) of the 470 deaths registered in week 16, bringing the total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in the calendar year 2020 to 370.

Separate analyses based on the date of death registration, shows that the provisional number of total deaths registered in Northern Ireland in the week ending 24th April 2020 (week 16) was 470, 46 more than in week 15 and 186 more than the 5-year average of 284.

Over the last four weeks in total, 596 ‘excess deaths’ (deaths above the average for the corresponding period in previous years) have been registered in Northern Ireland.

Males accounted for around half of all registered deaths (49.1%) and the 370 Covid‑19 related deaths (50.3%) in the calendar year to April 24.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for two-thirds of all deaths and 75.1% of Covid‑19 related deaths registered this calendar year up to April 24.