Covid-19: Deaths in Northern Ireland fall to lowest level since October

Two further deaths and 113 new cases of the virus reported in the North on Friday

Two further deaths linked to Covid-19 have been recorded in the North on Friday, bringing the total number since the pandemic began to 2,125.

There were another 113 new cases identified, with the overall number of positive cases to date totalling 118,032.

Latest figures also show more than 9,000 people were vaccinated over a 24 hour period to Friday. More than half the entire population (987,819) have been administered at least one jab, with more than 180,000 having received both doses.

Deaths linked to Covid-19 have fallen to their lowest number in the North since the start of October, newly released figures disclose.

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There were 10 virus-related deaths in the week up to April 2nd, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

The agency's figures, reported with a week's time lag, are based on information from medical staff on death certificates, compared to Department of Health figures, which are based on patients having previously tested positive for Covid-19.

NISRA says its figures include both confirmed and suspected cases, and where Covid-19 was either a contributor to or the main cause of death.

While the Department reported an overall 2,116 virus-related deaths in the North since the start of the pandemic to April 2nd, NISRA puts the overall figure at closer to 3,000 (2,919).

Of those deaths, around two thirds (1,920) occurred in hospitals, more than a quarter (770) in care homes, with 14 happening in hospices and 215 at residential addresses or other locations.

NISRA also analysed the number of deaths of care home residents that took place in hospital.

It found that of the 1,006 Covid-linked deaths of care home residents, more than three quarters (770) took place in a care home, while 236 occurred in hospital.

“On this basis, deaths of care home residents account for 34.5 per cent of all Covid-19 related deaths,” the agency said in a statement.

However, it stressed no assumptions could be made on where or when the deceased contracted the disease.

Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate of 12 of the 288 overall deaths registered in the North in the week to April 2nd, down 7 from the previous week’s 19.

Around three quarters of all Covid-related deaths were people aged 75 and over.