Six more coronavirus-related deaths recorded in NI

NI remains under tight lockdown restrictions to try to slow the spread of Covid-19 and ease pressures on the health service. Credit: PA

Six more people who tested positive for coronavirus in Northern Ireland have died in the last 24-hour reporting period, according to the Department of Health.

It brings the official death toll as recorded by the department to 2,015, 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 297 new positive cases, out of 1,829 individuals tested.

In the last seven days, there have been 2,047 positive cases.

There are currently 434 people with Covid-19 being treated in hospitals across Northern Ireland – 53 of them in intensive care and 45 on ventilators.

Bed occupancy is at 97%, with Altnagelvin, the Royal Victoria, the South West Acute, and the Ulster Hospital all operating beyond capacity.

There are also 53 confirmed and active Covid-19 outbreaks in care homes – down by 30 in the last seven days.