Latest figures published today by NISRA show that 10 deaths involving COVID-19 occurred in the last week, from 27th June to 3rd July, bringing the total of COVID-19 related deaths to 839.
Of this total, 437 (52.1%) took place in hospital, 345 (41.1%) in care homes, eight (1.0%) in hospices and 49 (5.8%) at residential addresses or other locations.
The 353 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 80 separate establishments.
The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to 3rd July was 554. 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 423 deaths of care home residents involving COVID-19 in the year to date to 3rd July 2020, 81.6% (345) occurred in a care home, with the remaining 78 occurring in hospital. On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 50.4% 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 3rd July 2020 (week 26) was 289, six less than in week 25 and one more than the 5-year average of 288. Over the last 14 weeks in total, 1,001 ‘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 3rd July totalling 742.
COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate for 11 (3.8%) of the 289 deaths registered in week 26. This is one fewer than last week (week 25) and brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths registered in the calendar year 2020 to 835.
Persons aged 75 and over accounted for two-thirds (65.9%) of all deaths and 80.0% of COVID‑19 related deaths registered this calendar year up to 3rd July.
For COVID-19 related deaths, those with an address in Belfast Local Government District (LGD) accounted for 242 (29.0%) of the 835 deaths registered in the calendar year to 3rd July.
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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 554 deaths associated with COVID-19 by 3rd July 2020 (including revisions up to 8th July.
• 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.