NI Covid deaths reach 77 in week with just under half in care homes
A total of 77 deaths involving Covid-19 occurred in the last week in Northern Ireland, the latest data shows.
Of these, 37 occurred in hospitals, 36 in care homes, one in a hospice and three at residential addresses, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency added.
Up to the period ending May 8, 599 deaths involving Covid 19 occurred: 294 (49.1%) of which took place in hospital, 269 (44.9%) in care homes, five (0.8%) in hospices and 31 (5.2%) at residential addresses or other locations.
The 274 deaths in care homes and hospices involved 71 separate establishments.
Extra measures have been put in place to bolster care homes, which have seen clusters of coronavirus threatening the most vulnerable, health minister Robin Swann has said.
The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to May 8 was 432.
These figures are based on patients having previously tested positive for the virus, whereas Nisra figures relate to information entered on death certificates, completed by medical professionals.
They may or may not have previously tested positive for the virus.
Based on the date of death registration, Nisra figures show the provisional number of total deaths registered in Northern Ireland in the week ending May 8 (week 18) was 336, 91 fewer than in week 17 but 62 more than the five-year average of 274.
Over the last six weeks, 766 excess deaths - fatalities above the average for the corresponding period in previous years - have been registered in Northern Ireland.