Derry has second lowest share of all COVID related deaths at 187 since last March

This accounted for 6.7 per cent of the 2,806 COVID-19 deaths that were reported across the north from March 19, 2020, to February 26. The COVID-19 death rate is lower than the Derry and Strabane district’s population share of eight per cent.

The only area with a lower share of coronavirus registered deaths is Fermanagh and Omagh (3.6 per cent).

The NISRA data show Derry/Strabane recorded a lower proportion of deaths overall during the COVID-19 pandemic (1,274; 7.4% of 17,331 deaths in the north) than its population share.

Fermanagh and Omagh (1,027; 5.9%) and Mid Ulster (1,115; 6.4%) were the only districts with lower shares of all deaths.

The NISRA analysis shows that there was a relatively small -0.7 per cent difference between the share of COVID-19 related deaths and all deaths in Derry and Strabane.

Four more people died in Derry and Strabane after testing positive with coronavirus in the week to Friday, February 26.

This amounted to 11 per cent of the 36 deaths that occurred in the local area that week. Two of the four COVID-19 related deaths occurred in a local care home.

Across the north as a whole the provisional number of total deaths registered in the week ending February 26, 2021 (week 8) was was 351, 1 less than the previous week (352) and 2 more than the 5 year average (349).

Fifty-five deaths mentioning COVID-19 on the death certificate were registered in week 8 of 2021, accounting for 15.7% of all deaths in that week and bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths registered from the start of the pandemic to 2,806 by February 26, 2021.

From the start of the pandemic (from the first COVID-19 related death being registered on March 19, 2020 to February 26, 2021, males and females accounted for similar proportions of all deaths registered (males: 49.9%, females: 50.1%) and COVID-19 related deaths registered (males: 50.8%; female 49.2%).

From March 19, 2020 (the start of the pandemic) to February 26, 2021, the 75 years and over age-group accounted for almost two-thirds (65.8%) of all deaths and over three-quarters (76.7%) of COVID-19 related deaths.

Over the period of the pandemic, Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon and Mid-Ulster Local Government Districts have had higher proportions of COVID-19 related deaths (12.1% and 7.9% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% and 6.4% respectively).