23 deaths in Derry and Strabane, none from COVID-19, as NISRA reports sharp decline in coronavirus care home deaths

NISRA reported this morning that 480 people in total have died in Derry and Strabane from all causes in 2020 so far: 5.6 per cent of all deaths (27) in the district have been directly related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Between the weeks ending May 15 and May 22, 23 more deaths were registered in Derry and Strabane in total. None of these were related to COVID-19.

Derry and Strabane had the second fewest number of coronavirus deaths in the north in the calendar year up until May 22 while Fermanagh and Omagh had the fewest number at 16 - a rise of four week-on-week.

The new data show that across the north COVID-19 has been mentioned on the death certificates of 716 people who have died so far this year.

"Of the 716 total deaths involving COVID-19 occurring up to May 22, 353 (49.3%) occurred in hospital, 318 (44.4%) occurred in care homes, eight (1.1%) occurred in hospices and 37 (5.2%) occurred at residential addresses or another location

"The 326 deaths in care homes and hospices involved 76 separate establishments, In the week ending May 22, 13 (27.7%) of the 47 COVID-19 related deaths were in care homes, down from 51.6% in the week ending May 15," the latest NISRA bulletin states.

The new information confirms that the number of deaths from COVID-19 has been falling steadily with a sharp decline in care home deaths.

Fifty-three people however tragically lost their lives to COVID-19 across the north over the week.

"Fifty-three deaths mentioning COVID-19 on the death certificate were registered in week 20, accounting for 16.3% of all deaths in that week and bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths registered in calendar year 2020 to 705 [the higher 716 figure includes deaths registered up to and including May 27 that occured in the week up until May 22].

"This is the fourth consecutive weekly fall in the number of registered COVID-19 related deaths. In the calendar year to May 22, males and females accounted for similar proportions of all deaths registered (males: 48.8%, females: 51.2%) and COVID-19 related deaths registered (males: 49.5%; female 50.5%) (Figure 2).

"In the calendar year to 22nd May, the 75 years and over age-group accounted for two-thirds (66.7%) of all deaths and almost four-fifths (79.4%) of COVID-19 related deaths.

"For COVID-19 related deaths, those with an address in Belfast LGD accounted for 209 (29.6%) of the 705 deaths registered in the calendar year to May 22," NISRA reported.