Latest figures published today, Friday, July 24 by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) show that five deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in the last week, from July 11 to 17, bringing the total of Covid-19 related deaths to 850.

For Covid-19 related deaths, those with an address in Fermanagh and Omagh Local Government District (LGD) accounted for 17 of the 844 deaths registered in the calendar year to July 17.

Of this total, 446 (52.5 per cent) took place in hospital, 347 (40.8 per cent) in care homes, eight (0.9 per cent) in hospices and 49 (5.8 per cent) at residential addresses or other locations. The 355 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 81 separate establishments.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to July 17 was 556. 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.

Further analysis, which includes deaths of care home residents in hospital, shows that of the 427 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 in the year to date to July 17, 81.3 per cent (347) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 80 occurring in hospital. On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 50.2 per cent 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 July 17 (week 28) was 240, 35 less than in week 27 and 24 less than the 5-year average of 264. Over the last 16 weeks in total, 997 ‘excess deaths’ (deaths above the average for the corresponding period in previous years) have been registered in Northern Ireland, with the number of ‘excess deaths’ in the year to date to July 17 totalling 738.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate for two (0.8 per cent) of the 240 deaths registered in week 28. This is seven fewer than last week (week 27) and brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in the calendar year 2020 to 846.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for two-thirds (65.7 per cent) of all deaths and 79.9 per cent of Covid‑19 related deaths registered this calendar year up to July 17.

For Covid-19 related deaths, those with an address in Belfast Local Government District (LGD) accounted for 243 (28.7 per cent) of the 846 deaths registered in the calendar year to 17th July.

Differences between NISRA’s death registration statistics and the daily totals reported via the Department of Health are as follows:

  • The daily updates provided by the Department of Health (DoH) count the number of deaths reported by Trusts, where the deceased had a positive test for Covid-19 and died within 28 days, whether or not Covid-19 was the cause of death. DoH figures will not capture all deaths that do not meet this definition. These data are important because they are available earlier, and therefore give a quicker indication of what is happening day by day and are broadly comparable with the figures released daily in other parts of the United Kingdom (UK). The DoH reported 556 deaths associated with Covid-19 by July 17, 2020 (including revisions up to July 22).
  • NISRA weekly, provisional death statistics, which are based on death registration information collected by the General Register Office, count all deaths where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate by the doctor who certified the death, whether or not Covid-19 was the primary underlying cause of death. The figures include cases where the doctor noted that there was suspected or probable coronavirus infection involved in the death. As a result the weekly totals will usually be higher than the relevant daily figures - because the DoH daily updates only include those who have tested positive for the virus.