NISRA releases latest Covid-related death figures
The latest figures published today by NISRA show that 28 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in Week 12 ending 25 March 2022.
A spokesperson for NISRA explained that the total number of Covid-19 related deaths that occurred up to 25 March 2022 has now reached 4,435. Of these, 3,082 (69.5%) took place in hospital, 953 (21.5%) in care homes and 400 (9.0%) at residential addresses, hospices or other locations.
The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health (DoH) to 25 March 2022 was 3,302. The DoH count is 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 and therefore include both confirmed and suspected cases, and where Covid-19 was either a contributor to or the main cause of death.
Further analysis, which includes deaths of care home residents by place of death, shows that there was a total of 1,250 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 (including deaths that took place in a hospice, hospital, care home or elsewhere) occurring between 18 March 2020 and 25 March 2022. This accounts for 28.2% of all Covid-19 related deaths. However, no assumptions can be made in relation to where the deceased contracted the disease.
Separate analysis, 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 25 March 2022 (week 12, 2022) was 365, 64 more than in week 11 of 2022 and 50 more than the 5-year average (2017-2021) of 315.
Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 33 (9.0%) of the 365 deaths registered in week 12, eight more than the previous week (25) but which may be related to delayed registrations following the bank holiday in week 11. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths registered since the start of the pandemic is 4,424 up to 25 March 2022.
Persons aged 75 and over accounted for 73.7% of the 4,424 Covid‑19 related deaths registered between 19 March 2020 and 18 March 2022.
Over the period of the pandemic, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon and Mid-Ulster Local Government Districts have had higher proportions of Covid-19 related deaths (12.5% and 8.2% respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.4% and 6.7% respectively). Conversely, Ards & North Down and Fermanagh & Omagh both have relatively low shares of registered Covid-19 related deaths (2.0 and 2.1 percentage points lower than their respective share of all deaths).
Statistics on weekly deaths registered in Northern Ireland can be found at:
