THE number of coronavirus vaccines administered in Northern Ireland has passed the 220,000 mark, the Department of Health confirmed last night.
First doses have been delivered in all the north's care homes while 83 per cent of the over-80s have received their jab.
GP practices are currently working through the 70-79 group, as an online booking system for the over-65s went live during the week - and was inundated with people trying to book slots with complaints from those unable to do so.
The department said it recognised there were "teething problems" linked to "high levels of demand" and that "intensive work" was ongoing to address this.
In the first 30 hours of the online portal, 39,825 people booked their jabs, which will carried out across the north's seven dedicated vaccination centres.
Concerns have been expressed about the 'twin-track approach', and the potential for the over-65s to receive the vaccination before older pensioners and younger people who are clinically vulnerable and shielded throughout the pandemic.
A further "significant consignment" of the Astra Zeneca vaccine is due to be delivered next week, for immediate distribution to GPs.
A spokesman said that 196,131 first doses and 24,070 second doses had been administered, bringing the overall total to 220,201.
Separately, figures released yesterday showed the north had the second-highest weekly coronavirus death toll since the pandemic, with 150 lives lost to coronavirus in the seven days to January 22.
Data from from the Northern Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) also showed that January 17 saw the highest number of fatalities occurring in any one day, with 34 reported.
As of last Friday, the Nisra figures show the overall death tally is now at 2,355.
The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to January 22 was 1,716. These figures are based on hospital patients who previously tested positive for the virus.
The department yesterday confirmed a further 22 deaths and 669 new Covid cases.
A breakdown by postcode has also revealed the highest infection rate is in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon - on 381.9 per 100,000 of the population.
Derry and Strabane, which last October had record high levels of cases and was subjected to stringent Stormont restrictions, now has the lowest rates at 97.6 per 100,000 of the population.
In the Republic, a further 48 coronavirus-related deaths and 1,254 new cases of the disease were confirmed,
As the rollout of the Pfizer and AstraZenaca vaccination programme continues, it emerged that a breakthrough in a third Covid vaccine has links to Northern Ireland.
Queen's University Belfast (QUB) researchers said almost 500 people in the north took part in UK-wide clinical trial for Novavax - which has shown to be almost 90 per cent effective. Crucially, it also protects against the more infectious Kent variant.
Doses of the Novavax jab are expected to be delivered from July if approved for use by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The QUB researchers and Belfast trust helped to bring a large group of GPs, nurses and co-ordinators together in what was the first trial of its kind to take place in the north.
And in another development, Johnson & Johnson has said that its single-dose vaccine was 66 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19 in a large trial against multiple variants across three continents.
