Coronavirus: Nisra records 42 deaths in past week

Forty-two Covid-19-related deaths were registered in Northern Ireland in the week up to last Friday, official figures show. 

That is 25 more than the previous week, according to the latest bulletin from the government statistics agency, Nisra. 

It is the highest weekly number of deaths recorded by the agency since May.

Its death toll now stands at 972 up to 23 October, including 547 in hospital.

Nisra counts deaths where the virus is mentioned on a death certificate. 

The comparative Department of Health figure for the same date was 643.  Its measure is based on a positive test result having been recorded.  

It also details the deaths of 88 people normally resident in care homes. 

Taking that figure into account, and the 363 people who died in care homes, it means care home residents account for almost half of all Covid-19-related deaths in NI (46.1%). 

In the week to last Friday, six Covid-related-deaths occurred in a care home.

Eight people died in hospices (0.8%) and 61 at residential or other locations (6.2%). 

People aged 75 and over account for 79% of all Covid-19-related deaths, with 28% of people who have died having a Belfast council area address.

The provisional number of all deaths for the week ending 23 October was 391.

That is 113 more than in the previous week (278) and 105 more than the five-year average of 286.

Excess deaths are those above what would normally be expected at the time of year, averaged over five years. 

Nisra found 1,393 excess deaths have been registered in the past 30 weeks.