TWO coronavirus deaths and 181 new cases were confirmed in Northern Ireland over the weekend as hospital admissions continue to fall.
Almost a week after Belfast's Nightingale facility was officially de-escalated, there was a total of eight patients in intensive care beds across the north.
On Saturday, a further 99 new cases were reported by the Department of Health. Two people died after testing positive for the virus.
The seven-day infection rate rose to 42.3 per 100,000 of the population on Saturday, with Derry and Strabane have the highest rate.
A rise in rates was expected following the Easter break.
The department dashboard also showed a further 88 positive cases yesterday. No Covid related deaths were reported.
Meanwhile, in the Republic there were a further 420 new cases of Covid-19 reported by health officials on Saturday, as well as four further deaths.
All four of the deaths reported today occurred in April.
Almost three-quarters of the cases reported involve people under the age of 45, while the median age is 32 years old.
The five-day average for new cases is 386.
There are 183 people with Covid-19 being treated in hospitals, with 50 of these receiving intensive care.
