Four coronavirus deaths recorded in NI in latest weekly analysis
Four coronavirus-linked deaths occurred in Northern Ireland in the latest week subjected to statistical analysis.
The fatalities in the period August 1 to 7 took the total recorded by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) to 859.
In the same week the Department of Health recorded no new Covid-19 deaths.
The Nisra data gives a fuller picture of Covid-19 fatalities than the daily figures released by the Department, which focus primarily on hospital deaths and only include people who have tested positive for the virus.
Nisra obtains its statistics using death certificates in which Covid-19 is recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of where the fatality occurred. The person may or may not have tested positive for the virus.
859 COVID-19 related deaths had occurred up to week ending 7th August. DoH figures for the same period show a total of 556 deaths. https://t.co/KmdVrvPf6p pic.twitter.com/cluEeBOqeV
— NISRA (@NISRA) August 14, 2020
The comparative total number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health on August 7 was 556.
Of the 859 deaths recorded by Nisra, 452 (52.6%) occurred in hospital, 349 (40.6%) in care homes, eight (0.9%) in hospices and 50 (5.8%) at residential addresses or other locations.
The 357 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 81 separate establishments.
Nisra also provides an analysis around the total number of care home residents who have died, whether in their home or in hospital having been transferred for treatment.
Up to August 7, the deaths of 429 care home residents were linked to coronavirus, 80 of which occurred in hospital.
Care home residents make up just under 50% of all Covid-19-linked deaths in Northern Ireland.
In the week July 1-7, five deaths were officially registered – some of which might have occurred prior to that week as fatalities can take a number of days to register.
The number of registrations was up four on the previous week.