RIGA, May 5 (LETA) - During the first 15 weeks of 2021, the number of deaths in Latvia grew by 24.6 percent against the same period a year ago, according to the Central Statistical Bureau's (CSB) data.

In the 15-week period between January 4 and April 18, Latvia recorded 10,133 deaths as compared to 8,134 deaths recorded in the first 15 weeks of 2020.

According to the data released by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), 1,373 of the people who died in the first 15 weeks of this year had been diagnosed with Covid-19. They made up 13.5 percent of all people who died in the first 15 weeks of this year. In the first week of this year the share of Covid-19 related deaths was 20.2 percent, in the second week - 15.8 percent, in the third week - 16.9 percent, in the fourth week - 10.8 percent, in fifth week - 19.1 percent, in the sixth week - 16.1 percent, in the seventh week - 13.4 percent, in the eighth week - 11.5 percent, in the ninth week - 13 percent, in the 10th week - 11.9 percent, in the 11th week - 9.5 percent, in the 12th week - 9 percent, in the 13th week - 8.9 percent, in the 14th week - 10.1 percent, but in the 15th week - 11.4 percent.

Of the people who passed away in the first 15 weeks of this year, 5,390 were women, which is 22.7 percent more than in the first 15 weeks last year, and 4,743 were men, which is an increase of 26.8 percent.

According to the statistics, 3,048 of the deaths were registered in the Riga region, up 21.8 percent from a year ago, followed by Latgale region with 1,817 deaths, up 35.1 percent, Pieriga region with 1,611 deaths, up 24.6 percent, Kurzeme region with 1,260 deaths, up 18.5 percent, Zemgale region with 1,241 deaths, up 23.1 percent, and Vidzeme region with 1,105 deaths, up 25.1 percent.