Northern Ireland

No further Covid-19 deaths but 179 daily cases recorded

There have been no further deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland in the past 24 hours
There have been no further deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland in the past 24 hours There have been no further deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland in the past 24 hours

There have been no further deaths linked to Covid-19, the Department of Health has said in its daily update on the pandemic.

It means the death toll remains at 2,155.

179 positive cases were recorded - the highest daily figure since March this year.

There are 16 hospital inpatients who have tested positive for coronavirus, with none in ICU.

Bed occupancy in hospitals is 102 per cent or 70 beds over capacity. Five hospitals are operating beyond capacity; Antrim Hospital, the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, the Royal Victoria Hospital in west Belfast, the South West Acute Hospital in Coleraine and the Mater Hospital in north Belfast.

There are three outbreaks in care homes.

Latest vaccination statistics show 1,911,239 jabs have been administered; 1,128,670 first doses and 782,569 second doses.

The seven-day infection rate per 100,000 is 45.0. Derry and Strabane remains the area with the highest rate at 135.4 while Ards and North Down remains lowest at 17,4.

Department of Health modelling released yesterday has suggested Northern Ireland could be recording more than 1,000 Covid-19 cases a day by the end of the summer.