Weekly Covid-19 death toll in Northern Ireland continues to rise

The weekly Covid-19 death toll has risen for the second week in a row Picture: Liam McBurney/PA

The weekly Covid-19 death toll has risen for the second week in a row.

There were 37 Covid-19 related deaths recorded by the region’s statistics agency, up from 27 the previous week.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) bulletin, which reports with a week lag, put the death toll at the end of last week at 979.

The 37 deaths occurred in the week October 17 to 23.

The comparative total number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health stood at 643 on October 23.

The Nisra data gives a fuller picture of Covid-19 fatalities than the figures released by the department.

The department’s statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and only includes people who have tested positive for the virus.

Nisra obtains its data from death certificates in which Covid-19 is recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of where the death took place.

The person may or may not have tested positive for the virus.

Of the 979 deaths recorded by Nisra by October 23, 547 (55.9%) occurred in hospital, 363 (37.1%) in care homes, eight (0.8%) in hospices and 61 (6.2%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The 371 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 88 separate establishments.

Nisra also analyses the total number of care home residents who have died, whether in their home or in hospital, having been transferred for treatment.

Up to October 23, the deaths of 451 care home residents were linked to Covid-19, 88 of which occurred in hospital.

Care home residents make up about 46.1% of all deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.

Meanwhile, Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 42 (10.7%) of the 391 deaths registered in week 42.

This is 25 more than the previous week and brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in the calendar year up to October 23 to 972.