Latest figures published today by NISRA show that 79 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in the last week, from November 7 to 13 and the total Covid-19 related deaths figure has now reached 1,227. Of this total, 715 (58.3 per cent) deaths took place in hospital, 423 (34.5 per cent) in care homes, nine (0.7 per cent) in hospices and 80 (6.5 per cent) at residential addresses or other locations. The 432 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 105 separate establishments.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to November 13 was 844. 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 525 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 in the year to date to November 13, 2020, 80.6 per cent (423) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 102 occurring in hospital. On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 42.8 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 November 13, 2020 (week 45) was 406, 20 more than in week 44 and 109 more than the 5-year average of 297. Over the last 33 weeks in total, 1,676 ‘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 November 13 totalling 1,417.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 96 (23.6 per cent) of the 406 deaths registered in week 45. This is the sixth consecutive weekly increase in registered Covid-19 related deaths and is similar to numbers last reported in early May 2020. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in the calendar year up to November 13 has reached 1,201.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for two-thirds (65 per cent) of all deaths and 78 per cent of Covid‑19 related deaths registered this calendar year up to November 13.

For Covid-19 related deaths, those with an address in Belfast Local Government District (LGD) accounted for 314 (26.1 per cent) of the 1,201 deaths registered in the calendar year to November 13.