RIGA, April 14 (LETA) - During the first 12 weeks of 2021, the number of deaths in Latvia grew by 29.8 percent against the same period a year ago, according to the Central Statistical Bureau's (CSB) data. 

In the 12-week period between January 4 and March 28, Latvia recorded 8,406 deaths as compared to 6,476 deaths recorded in the first 12 weeks of 2020. 

According to the data released by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), 1,198 of the people who died in the first 12 weeks of this year had been diagnosed with Covid-19. They made up 14.3 percent of all people who died in the first 12 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 and in the 12th week - 9 percent. 

Of the people who passed away in the first 12 weeks of this year, 4,473 were women, which is 27.6 percent more than in the first 12 weeks last year, and 3,933 were men, which is an increase of 32.4 percent.

According to the statistics, 2,530 of the deaths were registered in the Riga region, up 28 percent from a year ago, followed by Latgale region with 1,499 deaths, up 41.8 percent, Pieriga region with 1,320 deaths, up 24.9 percent, Kurzeme region with 1,064 deaths, up 24.7 percent, Zemgale region with 1,057 deaths, up 31.1 percent, and Vidzeme region with 896 deaths, up 28.4 percent.