A closer look at coronavirus deaths in NI during lockdown

Covid-19 was the leading cause of deaths among male care home residents in England and Wales.

Northern Ireland recorded the highest percentage of Covid-related deaths in care homes in the United Kingdom between March and April.

The figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 43.7% of coronavirus-related deaths in Northern Ireland took place in care homes.

The statistics also show that Northern Ireland had the lowest coronavirus-related mortality rate in the UK in the same two month period, with a rate of 185.9 deaths per 100,000 people.

In comparison, England recorded the highest death rate with 363.8 deaths per 100,000 people - almost twice as high as Northern Ireland.

It comes as statistics released by the Northern Ireland and Statistics Research Agency (NISRA) reveal the region's death toll has fallen for a sixth consecutive week.

The latest figures, which give a fuller picture of Covid-related deaths than the daily Department of Health updates, show there were 19 deaths involving Covid-19 in the week to June 5.

The NISRA statistics also show that the total death toll up to May 29 was 779, compared to the 537 which had been reported by the Department of Health on the same day.

Of those 779 deaths reported by NISRA:

  • 395 (50.7%) took place in hospital

  • 334 (42.9%) in care homes

  • eight (1%) in hospices and 42 (5.4%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The 342 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 78 separate establishments.

NiISRA also provides an analysis around the number of care home residents who have died, whether in their home or in hospital having been transferred for treatment.

It shows that to June 5, the deaths of 404 care home residents involved Covid-19 as a factor, 70 of which occurred in hospital.

That means almost 52% of all coronavirus-linked deaths in the region were care home residents.

With regard to comparative death statistics in 2019, the overall number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland in the week to June 5 was 304 - 33 more than the five year average of 271.

Over the last 10 weeks, 973 "excess deaths" have been registered in Northern Ireland. Excess deaths are deaths above the average for the corresponding period in previous years.

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know