THERE was an increase in the number of Covid-positive inpatients in hospital in Northern Ireland last night.
Figures from the Department of Health revealed there were 60 people in hospital with the virus - a rise of 12 on the previous day.
One person was in intensive care.
A further 605 positive cases were also confirmed. In the past week there has been 3,432 positive cases - up from 2,324 in the previous seven days.
There were no further coronavirus-linked deaths reported in the past 24 hours with the death toll remaining at 2,156.
To date 2,107,863 vaccines have been administered in Northern Ireland.
The figures show 1,181,008 people have received their first dose, while 926,855 have been given their second.
It comes as figures released yesterday by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) show there was one death linked to the virus in the latest week to be analysed.
The fatality in the week June 26 to July 2 took the total number of coronavirus-related deaths recorded by agency to 2,983. The data provides a broader picture of the impact of Covid-19 than the death toll reported by the Department of Health.
The department's statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and only include people who have tested positive for the virus.
Nisra obtains its data from death certificates on which Covid-19 is recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of where the death took place or whether the patient tested positive.
The statistics agency reports its Covid-19 data with a week lag.
Of the 2,983 deaths recorded by Nisra by July 2, 1,975 occurred in hospitals, 777 in care homes, 14 in hospices and 217 at residential addresses or other locations.
Nisra reported that up to July 2, the deaths of 1,013 care home residents were linked to Covid-19.
The figure includes 777 deaths in care homes, and a further 236 care home residents who died in hospital having been taken there for treatment.
Care home residents make up about 34 per cent of deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, according to Nisra.
In the week to July 2, one coronavirus-linked death was officially registered in Northern Ireland. It could have occurred before that week as deaths can take a number of days to register.
Meanwhile, there were a further 631 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in the Republic yesterday.
But there was a reduction in the number of patients with coronavirus in hospital - down 10 to 50 since Thursday.
There were 15 people in intensive care, two less than the previous day.
