NORTHERN Ireland has recorded its highest ever figures for Covid deaths, as Robin Swann warned that restrictions are likely to remain in place beyond the current six-week lockdown.
The Department of Health reported 26 further deaths yesterday, the worst daily total so far, although five were not in the previous 24 hours.
The NI Statistics and Research Agency also said there were 145 Covid-related deaths registered in the first week of 2021, its highest weekly number during the pandemic.
A further 50 deaths were also recorded in the south yesterday, ranging in age from 45 to 96.
The Republic this week recorded the highest infection rate in the world.
Northern Ireland is in the third week of a six-week lockdown, with ministers scheduled to review it next week.
However, health minister Robin Swann last night said it "will be highly unlikely that we will see any great easement of where we currently are".
He said while the R number has now dropped to 0.7, there are still around 1,000 new positive cases a day and more than 840 people are being treated in hospital.
"I wouldn't want to say we will be in this format of this lockdown for another eight to 10 weeks, but will I say that we'll go back to complete normality? No," he said.
It came as the chief medical officers on both sides of the border issued a joint stay-at-home plea.
Dr Michael McBride and Dr Tony Holohan said they are "gravely concerned" about the "unsustainably high level of Covid-19 infection" across the island.
They said the public should avoid all unnecessary journeys, including cross-border travel.
