BREAKING: Second highest daily number of COVID-19 cases with 220 more people diagnosed with virus in NI

By Peter Moor

220  new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Northern Ireland in the past 24 hours - that is the second highest number of cases recorded in one day since the start of the current testing regime.

In the past seven days, the Department of Health has recorded 1,078 new cases of Coronavirus.

It brings the total number of infections here since the start of the pandemic to 9,761.

No more people have died in Northern Ireland having contracted COVID-19 according to the Department of Health.

There has been XXXCOVID-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland according to the Department.

This number mainly covers hospital related deaths unlike the figures released by NISRA on Friday which said 887 people had died in connection with COVID-19.

NISRA uses information based on death certificates whereas the Department of Health only records people who die after testing positive for the virus.

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The Department of Health data also showed 27 care homes here now have confirmed outbreaks of the virus, with 13 having suspected outbreaks.

198 care homes now have closed outbreaks.

The dashboard also provides information on the intensive care bed capacity throughout Northern Ireland

6 patients with COVID-19 are now in intensive care, with 73 ICU beds being occupied by other non-COVID-19 patients.

Therefore, there are now just 11 ICU beds unoccupied across the region's hospitals.