A further four deaths of patients who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 have been reported by the Department of Health.
It takes the total number of deaths since the pandemic began to 2,885.
Another 1,908 cases of the virus were also recorded.
This morning there were 326 Covid-positive patients in hospital, of whom 30 were in intensive care. Of these, 28 are on ventilators.
Hospitals remain under pressure with bed capacity at 102 per cent.
The figures were released after the Department of Education said there are "no current plans to shut schools early".
A spokesman also said the move had been confirmed by the Executive yesterday despite growing calls for schools to close early ahead of the Christmas holidays.
It comes amid continuing staff shortages due to Covid-related absences with more than 1,000 school staff across the north contracting the virus in the last four weeks.
