Coronavirus: North’s death rate has risen by almost a fifth during pandemic

THE death rate in the North of Ireland over the course of the Coronavirus pandemic has been almost 20 per cent higher than average according to new figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra).

The new statistics indicate that the death rate between 1 March and 30 June was 17.4% higher than what would have been expected.

Deaths above the five-year average are labelled as “excess deaths” by statisticians.

In the Derry City and Strabane District Council area the excess death rate was up by 8.1 per cent

In the 1 March to 30 June period, there were 885 excess deaths in the North of Ireland.

According to Nisra, 837 of these were Covid-related deaths.

The vast majority of excess deaths (78.4%) were in people aged 75 and over.

And more than half of those deaths have taken place in residential care homes.

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