Coronavirus: Four deaths linked to virus in NI last week
Four coronavirus-linked deaths were registered in Northern Ireland last week, official figures show.
By Jayne McCormackBBC News NI Political Reporter That is one fewer than the previous week. The NI Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) has released its latest statistics bulletin. It said the virus had featured on 866 people's death certificates in NI by 14 August. The Department of Health's daily figure for the same date was 556 - more than 300 fewer. Its statistics are based on a patient having previously tested positive for the virus. Nisra said that taking into account the four deaths registered in the week up to last Friday, there were also a further three deaths that occurred but they were not registered up until 19 August. Figures released by the department of health on Friday showed it had recorded a further 20 cases of the virus and no further deaths. The Department of Health has said there is always a time lag for registering deaths in the community, with the process taking up to five days. The announcement came as Health Minister Robin Swann said there was a need to "challenge that complacency" which had led to a ten-fold increase in the number of weekly cases since July. From next week, new limits will be placed on indoor and outdoor meetings. He also said more cases are "not to be unexpected" following an outbreak among staff at a meat plant in Cullybackey. On Thursday, it was announced that Cranswick will temporarily close for a deep clean after 35 of its 500 employees tested positive for the virus. Location of deaths Nisra said there have been 456 deaths in hospital (52.7%) - 80 of those people were normally resident in care homes. Taking that figure and the 351 who died in care homes, it means care home residents account for half of all Covid-19-related deaths in Northern Ireland. In the week up to last Friday, two Covid-19 related deaths occurred in a care home. Eight people have died in hospices (0.9%) and 51 at residential addresses or other locations (5.9%). People aged 75 and over account for 80% of all Covid-19-related deaths. In the week ending 14 August, the percentage of all Covid-19 related male deaths was 49.9% and female deaths 50.1%. Excess deaths The provisional number of all deaths between 8 and 14 August was 278 - two fewer than in the previous week (280) and 13 more than the five-year average (265). That five-year death rate is used to compare the number of weekly deaths that would normally be recorded at this time of year. Its measure captures all deaths linked to coronavirus - those involving confirmed infections which feature in the health department's daily figures, as well as the suspected cases in which coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate. Nisra also recorded the number of "excess deaths" registered in the past 20 weeks as 1,048.