Almost 3,000 COVID-related deaths to date in Northern Ireland - NISRA

However latest figures published today by NISRA show that one death involving Covid-19 occurred in the week ending on June 4 - the lowest number in any week since July 2020 at this stage.

The total number of Covid-19 related deaths that occurred up to June 4, 2021 has now reached 2,976- and over a third of those who died were care home residents.

Of those 2,976 deaths, 1,972 (66.3%) took place in hospital, 774 (26.0%) in care homes, 14 (0.5%) in hospices and 216 (7.3%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to June 4, 2021 was 2,154. These figures 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 1,011 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 which occurred between March 18, 2020 and June 4, 2021, 76.6% (774) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 237 occurring in hospital. None of these deaths occurred in the latest week. On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 34% of all Covid-19 related deaths; however, no assumptions can be made in relation to where or when the deceased contracted the disease.

Separate analyses, 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 June 4, 2021 (week 22, 2021) was 282, 17 more than in week 21 and two more than the 5-year average (2016-2020) of 280.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of two (0.7%) of the 282 deaths registered in week 22, a decrease of one death from the previous week and the lowest weekly total registered since early October 2020.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for 76.1% of the 2,976 Covid‑19 related deaths registered between 19th March 2020 and June 4, 2021.

Over the period of the pandemic, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon and Mid-Ulster Local Government Districts have had higher proportions of Covid-19 related deaths (12.0% and 8.4% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% 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).