The weekly coronavirus death toll continues to fall in Northern Ireland, latest figures have indicated.

Statistics published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) show there were 36 deaths involved Covid-19 in the week to May 29.

That was 11 fewer than the week before, continuing a downward trend for five weeks.

The Nisra figures give a fuller picture of Covid-19 deaths than the daily figures released by the Department of Health, which focus primarily on hospital deaths.

Nisra obtains its statistics using death certificates in which Covid-19 is mentioned as a cause, regardless of where the fatality occurred.

They show that the death toll up to May 29 was 757.

That compares to 528 reported by the Department of Health on that day.

Of the 757 deaths reported by Nisra, 381 (50.3%) took place in hospital, 328 (43.3%) in care homes, eight (1.1%) in hospices and 40 (5.3%) at residential addresses or other locations.

The 336 deaths which occurred in care homes and hospices involved 78 separate establishments.

Nisra also provides an analysis around the number of care home residents who have died, whether in their home or in hospital having been transferred for treatment.

It shows that to May 29, the deaths of 396 care home residents involved Covid-19 as a factor, 68 of which occurred in hospital.

That means over 52% of all coronavirus-linked deaths in the region were care home residents.

In regard to comparative death statistics in 2019, the overall number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland in the week to May 29 was 316 – 37 more than the five year average of 279.

Over the last nine weeks, 939 “excess deaths” have been registered in Northern Ireland. Excess deaths are deaths above the average for the corresponding period in previous years.