Northern Ireland

Rise in number of Covid related registered deaths

There has been a rise in Covid related deaths registered in Northern Ireland
There has been a rise in Covid related deaths registered in Northern Ireland There has been a rise in Covid related deaths registered in Northern Ireland

A RISE in the number of Covid related deaths registered in Northern Ireland has been reported by a government statistics agency.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) said the virus was mentioned on the death certificates of 38 people, up to last Friday, October 15.

That is 10 more than the previous week and brings the agency's total to 3,539.

The Department of Health total for the same date is 2,614. These figures mainly relate to deceased patients who previously tested positive in hospital.

Nisra's figures are higher, because it records mentions of the virus on death certificates, where it may or may not have been confirmed by way of a test.

People aged 75 and over account for three-quarters of all virus related registered deaths (74.5 per cent) between 19 March 2020 and 15 October 2021.

Meanwhile, seven further deaths of patients were reported yesterday by the Department of Health.

Another 1,355 cases of the virus were confirmed.

On Friday morning there were 358 Covid-positive patients in hospital, of whom 33 were in intensive care.

To date 2,606,061 vaccines have been administered.

In the Republic, there were 2,466 new Covid-19 cases reported - the highest number of daily infections reported since January 21, when 2,608 people were confirmed to have coronavirus.

The number of people in hospital who had tested positive for the disease is 457. Of these, 90 were receiving treatment in intensive care, an increase of two overnight.