Coronavirus has claimed the lives of a further 15 people who had tested positive for Covid-19, the Department of Health has confirmed.
The total number of deaths of confirmed Covid-19 patients is now 469.
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) released its weekly bulletin this morning and confirmed that up to May 8 it had recorded 599 deaths of people who had either tested positive or had coronavirus noted on their death certificate.
Nine of the 15 deaths reported by the Department Health occurred in the 24 hours up to 10am today and the remaining six occurred earlier.
There are currently 625 people receiving treatment at 19 hospitals for suspected or confirmed Covid-19, the vast majority of whom are over 60 years of age. Of these 625 patients, 20 are in an intensive care unit (ICU).
The South Eastern health trust has the highest number of hospital patients (209), followed by the Northern trust (145), while Belfast trust has the fewest, with 92 inpatients.
The majority of these inpatients are being cared for in Ulster Hospital in Dundonald (164), followed by Craigavon hospital (114).
To date 37,221 people have been tested, of whom 4,317 people received a positive diagnosis.
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area continues to have the lowest number of positive tests per 100,000 of the population (67) while Belfast City Council area has the highest at 371.
