Four further COVID-related recorded by NISRA in Northern Ireland last week

The total number of Covid-19 related deaths that occurred up to las week has now reached 2,991 - with over a third of those who died being care home residents.

Of these, 1,981 (66.2%) took place in hospital, 778 (26.0%) in care homes, 14 (0.5%) in hospices and 218 (7.3%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health (DoH) to July 16 2021 was 2,162.

The DoH deaths are based on patients having previously tested positive for the virus, whereas the NISRA figures are based on the information entered on death certificates completed by medical professionals.

They may or may not have previously tested positive for the virus and therefore include both confirmed and suspected cases, and where Covid-19 was either a contributor to or the main cause of death.

Further analysis, which includes deaths of care home residents in hospital, shows that of the 1,014 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 which occurred between March 18 2020 and July 16, 2021, 76.7% (778) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 236 occurring in hospital.

One of these deaths occurred in the latest week. On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 33.9% of all Covid-19 related deaths; however, no assumptions can be made in relation to where or when the deceased contracted the disease.

Separate analysis, based on the date of death registration, shows that the provisional number of total deaths from all causes registered in Northern Ireland in the week ending July 16 2021 (week 28, 2021) was 231, 67 less than in week 27 and 31 less than the 5-year average (2016-2020) of 262.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of three (1.3%) of the 231 deaths registered in week 28, no change from the previous week.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for 76.0% of the 2,988 Covid‑19 related deaths registered between March 2020 and last week.

Over the period of the pandemic, Antrim & Newtownabbey, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon and Mid-Ulster Local Government Districts have had higher proportions of Covid-19 related deaths (9.7%, 12.0% and 8.3% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (8.0%, 10.3% and 6.5% respectively).

Conversely, Ards & North Down and Fermanagh & Omagh both have relatively low shares of registered Covid-19 related deaths when compared to the proportion of Northern Ireland deaths registered in those areas (2.6 and 2.5 percentage points lower respectively than their share of all deaths).