Another 15 Covid-linked deaths recorded in latest weekly update

Fifteen deaths linked to Covid-19 have been recorded in Northern Ireland in the latest weekly update.

The fatalities, which occurred in the week ending April 29, take the total number of coronavirus-linked deaths recorded by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) to 4,572.

The figure is drawn from different data sources and is always higher than the Department of Health’s total as it provides a broader picture of the impact of Covid-19.

On April 29, the department had reported 3,421 deaths.

The department’s statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and only include people who have tested positive for the virus.

Nisra obtains its data from death certificates on which Covid-19 is recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of where the death took place or whether the patient tested positive.

The statistics agency reports its Covid data with a week’s lag.

The Nisra figure includes 3,182 deaths in hospital, 974 in care homes, and 416 at residential addresses, hospices or other locations.

Nisra reported that up to April 29, the deaths of 1,277 care home residents were linked to Covid-19, 27.9% of all coronavirus-related deaths.

Covid-19 was also mentioned on the death certificate of 28 of the 365 deaths registered in the week to April 29.

Some of the deaths registered in the week ending April 29 could have taken place before that week as fatalities can take days to register.

Those aged 75 and over account for 73.9% of the Covid-related deaths registered between March 19 2020 and April 29 2022.