Covid-19: 10 further deaths and 507 more cases confirmed in the State

A further 10 Covid-19 deaths have been reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Friday.

Nine of the deaths occurred in March and the date of the other death remains under investigation.

The median age of those who died was 75 and the age range was 45 to 88 years.

This brings to 4,576 the total number of Covid-19 deaths in the pandemic.

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Nphet also reported 507 new cases of the disease, bringing the total number of cases to 229,306.

Of the new cases, 216 were in Dublin, 40 in Kildare, 29 in Galway, 24 in Offaly and 18 in Tipperary, with the remaining 180 cases spread across 20 other counties.

The median age as 33 years and 70 per cent were under 45 years.

The 14-day incidence is 150.5 cases per 100,000 people, the lowest in the EU. Offaly and Longford have the highest county incidence; Leitrim has the lowest.

On Friday morning, 336 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, of which 87 were in ICU. There were 43 additional hospitalisations in the previous 24 hours.

Up to Tuesday, 632,359 doses of vaccine had been administered:463,500 people first doses and168,859 people second doses.

North

Earlier on Friday, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra), on the first anniversary of the first recorded Covid-19 death in the North, has reported that its death total now stands at 2,877.

Of these, 1,000 were care-home residents.

Nisra also reported that in the week to last Friday, March 12th, there were 30 coronavirus-linked deaths in Northern Ireland.

Of the 2,877 Covid-19 related deaths, 1,891 (65.7 per cent) took place in hospital, 764 (26.6 per cent) in care homes, 14 (0.5 per cent) in hospices and 208 (7.2 per cent) at residential addresses or other locations.

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to March 12th was 2,098.

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, 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 by Nisra, which included deaths of care home residents in hospital, shows that of the 1,000 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19, which occurred between March 18th 2020 and March 12th this year, 76.4 per cent (764) occurred in a care home.

The remaining 236 occurred in hospital. On this basis, deaths of care home residents accounted for 34.8 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.

It also reported that people aged 75 and over accounted for 76.6 per cent of coronavirus deaths in the past year.

The Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, and the Mid-Ulster local government districts have had highest proportions of Covid-19 related deaths while the Ards and North Down, and Fermanagh and Omagh councils had the lowest.

The North’s health department in its daily afternoon figures on Friday reported three more deaths taking its death toll to 2,103.

There were 137 new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total to 115,648.

Hospital bed occupancy is at 98 per cent. There are 16 patients receiving Covid-19 treatment in Northern Ireland hospitals with 16 in intensive care and 14 on ventilators.

Noting that Friday was the first anniversary of the first reported coronavirus death in Northern Ireland the Minister for Health Robin Swann said the people of the North stood in solidarity with all those who died and were bereaved.

“We are all very aware of the devastation caused by Covid-19 in the past year. Our thoughts are very much with the families and friends of those who have died. I know I speak for people across Northern Ireland in saying that,” he said.

Mr Swann added, “We can see better days ahead in the battle against the virus, but we must never forget the pain and loss it has caused. Nor can we ever overlook its capacity to inflict more suffering. We must remain vigilant and keep taking the steps that we know will stop Covid-19 spreading.”