The number of Covid-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland has now surpassed 2,000, according to the latest figures from the Northern Ireland Research and Statistics Agency (Nisra).

The Nisra figures published on Friday showed that since the beginning of the pandemic and up to last Friday, January 8th, the number of coronavirus-related deaths reached 2,019.

The comparative number of deaths up to the same date recorded by the North’s health department was 1,438.

Hospital Report

On Friday, the North’s heath department reported a further 1,052 people had tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours. An additional 26 deaths were also reported, five of which occurred outside of the last 24 hours.

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That difference of close to 600 is explained by the fact that health department figures mainly relate to deaths in hospital and patients who had previously tested positive for the virus.

Nisra’s figures go deeper in that they relate to death certificates in the wider community where Covid-19 was recorded as a factor in the death. The Nisra figures relate to people who may or may not have previously tested positive for the virus.

Nisra also said that Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 145 (25.5 per cent) of the 568 deaths registered in the first week of 2021.

“This is the highest weekly number of Covid-19 related death registrations since the start of the pandemic. However, delays in death registrations being made due to the Christmas period may have impacted on this figure,” it said in a statement.

‘No assumptions’

Nisra in its statistics also reported that on Thursday, January 7th, 25 Covid deaths were reported – this was the joint highest number of deaths recorded in one day during the pandemic, the same number of deaths also reported on April 9th last year.

Of the 2,019 Covid-19 related deaths, 1,247 (61.8 per cent) took place in hospital, 622 (30.8 per cent) in care homes, 12 (0.6 per cent) in hospices and 138 (6.8 per cent) at residential addresses or other locations.

The 634 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 149 separate establishments.

Further analysis by Nisra, which also considered deaths of care home residents in hospital, found that care home residents accounted for 39.7 per cent of all Covid-19 related deaths. Nisra said that “no assumptions can be made in relation to where or when the deceased contracted the disease”.

People aged 75 and over accounted for more than three-quarters of all coronavirus related deaths, Nisra also reported.

Meanwhile, the North’s health department in its daily afternoon bulletin on Friday reported 26 more Covid-19 deaths taking its death toll to 1,559.

There were 121 more deaths in the past compared seven days compared with 86 deaths in the previous week.

Hospital bed occupancy is at 97 per cent. There are 840 patients receiving Covid treatment in Northern Ireland hospitals with 63 in intensive care and 47 on ventilators.