The latest figures from Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) show that 136 Covid-19 deaths have occurred in Fermanagh and Omagh since the pandemic began. 

For the same period of time, The Department of Health (DoH) recorded 116 deaths in the district. NISRA and the DoH use different recording mechanism with DoH statistics based on testing while NISRA statistics are based on death certificates and take in deaths from hospitals, care homes and residential settings.

NISRA statistics include those who may or may not have tested positive for the virus and include both confirmed and suspected cases where Covid-19 was a contributer to or the main cause of death.

The figures published today by NISRA show that 30 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in the week 2 October to 8 October 2021. The total number of Covid-19 related deaths that occurred up to 8 October 2021 has now reached 3,512. Of these, 2,389 (68 per cent) took place in hospital, 843 (24 per cent) in care homes, 14 (0.4 per cent) in hospices and 266 (7.6  per cent) at residential addresses or other locations. The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health (DoH) to 8 October 2021 was 2,585

Further analysis, which includes deaths of care home residents by place of death, shows that there was a total of 1,106 deaths of care home residents involving Covid-19 (including deaths that took place somewhere other than the care home) occurring between 18 March 2020 and 8 October 2021. This accounts for 31.5 per cent of all Covid-19 related deaths. However, no assumptions can be made in relation to where the deceased contracted the disease.

Persons aged 75 and over accounted for 74.6 per cent of the 3,501 Covid 19 related deaths registered between 19 March 2020 and 8 October 2021.

Over the period of the pandemic, Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon and Mid-Ulster Local Government Districts have had higher proportions of Covid-19 related deaths (12.4 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively) compared with their share of all deaths in Northern Ireland (10.3 per cent and 6.6 per cent respectively). Conversely, Ards & North Down and Fermanagh & Omagh both have relatively low shares of registered Covid-19 related deaths (2.7 and 2.1 percentage points lower respectively than their share of all deaths).