Northern Ireland

No further deaths linked to Covid-19 as 84 new cases confirmed

<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;; ">The total number of fatalities linked to Covid-19 recorded by the D</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;; ">epartment of Health remains at 2,152</span>
The total number of fatalities linked to Covid-19 recorded by the DThe total number of fatalities linked to Covid-19 recorded by the Department of Health remains at 2,152

No further COVID19 deaths have occurred in Northern Ireland over the past 24 hours, the Department of Health has said.

It means the total number of fatalities recorded by the department remains at 2,152.

However another 84 coronavirus cases of the virus were confirmed.

This morning there were 27 Covid-positive patients in hospital, of whom two were in intensive care with one on ventilation.

Hospitals are currently 76 beds over capacity. Seven of the north's hospitals are operating beyond capacity; Antrim Hospital, Belfast City Hospital, the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, the Royal Victoria Hospital in west Belfast, the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen and the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald.

There are four confirmed outbreaks in care homes.

The seven-day infection rate for Northern Ireland is 27.9 - the lowest it has been since September last year. The area with the highest rate remains Derry and Strabane on 62.4 while the lowest remains Ards and North Down on 5.6.

The total number of vaccines administered to date is 1,660,981. Of those, 1,030,811 were 1st doses while 630,170 people have received their second jab.

Meanwhile, in the Republic there have been just eight deaths linked to Covid-19 in the last two weeks, the HSE has said.

The daily death figure has not been reported over the last two weeks as a result of the cyber attack on the HSE.

Chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said: "In the last two weeks, it's a very small number.

"We've seen a collapse in the number of deaths, particularly in older people. It was eight in a two-week period."

The figure relates to deaths recorded as of yesterday.

There have been an additional 436 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and there are currently 101 people in hospital with the disease, with 39 of those in intensive care units.

Daily case numbers may change due to future data review, validation and update, as a result of the HSE cyber attack.