Covid-19: Nisra records highest weekly death toll since February

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificates of 53 people, up to last Friday 27 August.

That is 10 more than the previous week, and the highest weekly death toll recorded by the government statistics agency Nisra since the end of February.

The agency's total death toll now stands at 3,182.

The Department of Health's total number of deaths for the same date, based on a positive test result being recorded, was 2,340.

Nisra's figures are higher because it records mentions of the virus on death certificates, where it may or may not have been confirmed by way of a test.

On the agency's measure, about two-thirds of Covid-19 related deaths have occurred in hospital (2,144).

Care home residents account for almost a third (32.8%) of all Covid-19 related deaths.

The majority of care home residents (802) died in care home facilities.

Covid-19 related deaths were also recorded in hospices (0.4%) and other residential locations (7.5%).

People aged 75 and over account for more than three-quarters of all Covid-19 related registered deaths (75.9%) between 19 March 2020 and 27 August 2021.

Armagh City Banbridge & Craigavon (12.2%) and Mid-Ulster (8.2%) local government districts have now recorded higher proportions of all Covid-19 related deaths, compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.3% and 6.5% respectively).

The provisional number of deaths from all causes registered in the week ending 27 August was 299.

That is 44 less than the previous week, and 29 more than the 5-year average for the time of year of 270.