22 more coronavirus-related deaths recorded in NI
Twenty-two more people who tested positive for coronavirus in Northern Ireland have died, according to the Department of Health – 18 of them in the last 24-hour reporting period.
It brings the official death toll as reported by the department to 1,814, although that figure is expected to increase significantly when deaths in all community settings have been accounted for.
The latest figures also show there have been 669 new positive cases, out of 3,506 individuals tested.
In the last seven days, there have been 3,991 positive cases.
There are currently 745 people with Covid-19 being treated in hospitals across Northern Ireland – 67 of them in intensive care and 54 on ventilators.
Bed occupancy is at 92%.
There are also 127 confirmed and active outbreaks in care homes.
The latest figures come amid the ongoing roll-out of the vaccination programme in Northern Ireland.
First Minister Arlene Foster and DUP colleagues from the health commit, MLAs Pam Cameron and Jonathan Buckley, also met remotely with representatives of vaccine provider AstraZeneca on Friday morning.
Mrs Foster said discussions explored evidence behind protection with an interval of up to 12 weeks for second doses, and efficacy in over 65s, pregnant women, and groups resistant to vaccination.
“Like many others, AstraZeneca also raised concern about the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol and the supply of medicines to Northern Ireland from next year,” the DUP leader added.
“There is currently a derogation, but Government must be awake to this challenge and explain how they are going to get medicines to Northern Ireland from Jan 2022.
“I assured AstraZeneca that we were already raising these matters with the Government and I would be meeting Michael Gove in the coming days, where we would again be raising this issue as well as others.”
AstraZeneca has committed to providing 100 million doses of its vaccine for the UK.
“I was encouraged that they have established 20 independent supply chain arms for different parts of the world and believe their UK supply line is extremely robust, as it is now extensively an internal UK operation,” Mrs Foster said.