Covid-19: Causeway Coast and Glens's death toll two years on

Hundreds of people in Causeway Coast and Glens have died from coronavirus since the pandemic reached the UK around two years ago.

Marie Curie is commemorating March 23 – two years after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first UK-wide lockdown – as the National Day of Reflection.

The charity is urging people to come together to remember the lives of those lost to Covid-19, and support the millions of people across the UK who are grieving – as figures reveal the extent of the deadly toll in Causeway Coast and Glens.

Figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency show that 368 Covid-19 related deaths were recorded in Causeway Coast and Glens by March 4.

Of these, 181 occurred in 2020 and 168 in 2021, while 19 have occurred so far this year.

The deadliest week of the pandemic so far came in the seven days to November 20 2020, when 16 people lost their lives in Causeway Coast and Glens.

The deaths in the area were among 4,334 registered across Northern Ireland up to March 12.

Claire Collins, Marie Curie's bereavement coordinator, said coming together on March 23 is a way to "reflect on our collective losses in a mindful way".

She added: "There are still millions of people living with the deep trauma of losing a loved one during the last two years and we hope everyone finds comfort and embraces the day, whether you have had a close bereavement or not."

A minute's silence will be held at midday on Wednesday, March 23 to commemorate the day, and people are being encouraged to shine a light at 8pm or display flowers in their window to show support.

Separate figures from the UK coronavirus daily dashboard reveal the rate of deaths in Causeway Coast and Glens within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test – a different measure than that used by the NISRA.

On March 16, the cumulative death rate – which covers the entire pandemic – stood at 179.4 deaths per 100,000 people in the area – compared to 172.1 across Northern Ireland.

The Health Foundation said there have been notably higher excess deaths in the UK over the pandemic compared to the rest of Europe, with some communities particularly hard hit.

Dr Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of the charity, said: "Working age adults in the poorest parts of the country were almost four times more likely to die from Covid-19 than those in the wealthiest areas.

"We owe it to those who lost their lives and their families to understand why, and how to build greater resilience against future threats to our health.

"This means sudden threats like Covid-19 as well as slow burn threats like increasing obesity and mental health conditions."