THE number of hospital inpatients with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland has increased significantly in the past week, new figures revealed last night.
A total of 869 patients are in hospitals with the virus, up 277 from last week.
Figures also show that in the past 24 hours, there were a further 84 inpatients.
The Department of Health last night said there were 56 people in intensive care, with 40 on ventilators.
Hospitals were operating at 99 per cent occupancy.
It comes as further 19 people have died with coronavirus in the north, bringing the death toll to 1,517.
Another 1,145 people tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of infections since the pandemic began to 91,809.
A total of 142 care homes are dealing with outbreaks of the virus.
In the Republic, figures last night revealed that there had been a further 63 more Covid-related deaths.
A total of 2,460 people have died from coronavirus in the Republic during the pandemic.
There were also another 3,569 positive cases of the virus, bring the total of confirmed cases to 159,144.
Figures also revealed that 133 people were hospitalised in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of patients in hospital to 1,770.
There were 172 patients in intensive care - up 14 from the previous day.
