Northern Ireland

No further deaths linked to Covid-19 as 115 new cases recorded

<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: sans-serif, Arial, Verdana, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;; ">Bed occupancy in the north's hospitals is at 101 per cent or 42 beds over capacity</span>
Bed occupancy in the north's hospitals is at 101 per cent or 42 beds over capacity Bed occupancy in the north's hospitals is at 101 per cent or 42 beds over capacity

No further deaths of patients who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 have been recorded by the Department of Health.

There were another 115 confirmed cases of the virus recorded in the department's daily update.

This morning, there were 15 confirmed Covid-19 inpatients in hospital, none of whom were in intensive care.

Bed occupancy in the north's hospitals is at 101 per cent or 42 beds over capacity. Five hospitals are operating beyond capacity; Antrim Hospital, the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, the Royal Victoria Hospital in west Belfast and the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald.

The average seven-day infection rate per 100,000 is 38.4. The area with the highest rate remains Derry and Strabane on 89.6, while the lowest remains Ards and North Down on 18.0.

There are two outbreaks in care homes.

Latest vaccination statistics show 1,872,692 jabs have been administered; 1,115,237 first doses and and 757,455 second doses.

Yesterday, new data suggested the Delta variant of Covid-19 first identified in India is associated with about double the risk of hospital admission compared with the Kent variant.

Meanwhile, there have been an additional 283 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland, the Department of Health has said.

There are currently 60 people in hospitals with the disease, of whom 23 are in intensive care units.

Daily case numbers may change due to future data review, validation and update, owing to the cyberattack on the HSE.