Latest figures published today by NISRA show that 115 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in the week  Decemeber 19 to 25 December 2020, with a further 91 deaths occurring last week from December 26 2020 to January 1 2021. The total Covid-19 related deaths figure has now reached 1,895.

Eight of these deaths occured in Fermanagh and Omagh bringing the total nunber of deaths recorded by NISRA in the reigon to 52.

Of this total, 1,150 (60.7) deaths took place in hospital, 607 (32%) in care homes, 10 (0.5 percent) in hospices and 128 (6.8 percent) at residential addresses or other locations. The 617 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 146 separate establishments.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to January 1 2021 was 1,349. 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 775 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 in 2020 (including January 1 2021) , 78.3 percent (607) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 168 occurring in hospital. On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 40.9 percent 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 December 25 2020 (week 51) was 310, 40 less than in week 50 and 29 more than the 5-year average of 281. For the week ending January 1 2021 (week 52), 333 deaths were registered, 23 more than week 52 and 53 more than the 5-year average of 280. The number of deaths registered in these weeks will have been impacted by the Christmas and New Year holidays. Over the last 40 weeks in total (since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic), 1,987 ‘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 2020 totalling 1,728.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 88 (28.4 percent) of the 310 deaths registered in week 51, and 93 (27.9 percent) of the 333 deaths registered in week 52. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered in 2020 has reached 1,830.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for two-thirds (65.5 percent) of all deaths and 77.7 percent of Covid‑19 related deaths registered in 2020