Covid-19: Northern Ireland records 8 more deaths and 595 new cases

Eight more people have died with coronavirus in Northern Ireland, the North's Department of Health reported on Friday.

It brings the total number of fatalities recorded by the department to 760.

A further 595 people tested positive for the virus in the last 24 hours and there were 4,160 confirmed cases in the last seven days. In the North, 41,969 people have tested positive for Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

A total of 407 people with Covid-19 are currently being treated in the North’s hospitals, with 49 in intensive care, and there are outbreaks in 126 care homes.

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Meanwhile, according to separate data released on Friday by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra), more than 1,000 coronavirus-related deaths have now been recorded in the North.

The figures published by Nisra also showed the week ending October 30th had the highest number of coronavirus-related hospital deaths - 53 - since mid-April.

In the same week there were 10 deaths related Covid-19 in care homes, which Nisra said compared to totals last seen at the end of May.

The data published weekly by Nisra includes all deaths where coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate by a medical professional, but the individual may or may not have tested positive for the virus.

Their figures are higher than those recorded in the Covid-19 bulletin released daily by the department, which includes only those who have tested positive for Covid-19.

The number of coronavirus-related fatalities reported by the department in the same period was 706.

Of the 1,053 deaths reported by Nisra until October 30th, 605 of these - 57.5 per cent - took place in hospital and 375 - 35.6 per cent - in care homes.

There were 384 deaths in care homes and hospices, involving 90 separate establishments.

Nisra recorded a total of 469 deaths involving Covid-19 among care home residents until October 30th, of which 80 per cent (375) took place in care homes and 94 in hospital.

On this basis, Nisra said, the deaths of care home residents account for 44.5 per cent of all Covid-19 related deaths.

So far this year 1,219 “excess deaths” , defined as deaths above the average for the corresponding period in previous years , have been recorded in Northern Ireland, Nisra said.

People aged 75 and over accounted for two-thirds or 64.8 per cent of all deaths and 78 per cent of Covid-19 related deaths registered in the year until October 30th.

Of the 1,023 coronavirus-related deaths registered in the year until October 30th, 27.1 per cent (277) were in the Belfast area.