12 more covid-19 related deaths in NI and 510 further cases confirmed

by Q Radio News

12 more people have died in Northern Ireland after contracting COVID-19 according to the Department of Health.

It brings the death recorded by the Department to 1,166. 

This number mainly covers hospital related deaths unlike the figures released by NISRA earlier, which said 1,594 people had died in connection with coronavirus up until 11th December.

The Statistics and Research Agency said 86 deaths occurred here in the week from 5th-11th December.

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

Meanwhile, 510 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Northern Ireland in the past 24 hours.

In the past seven days, the Department of Health has recorded 3,539. positive cases.

It brings the total number of infections here since the start of the pandemic to 60,797.

BREAKING:

📍12 new deaths in NI @healthdpt

📍1,166 deaths in total

📍510 new COVID cases in NI

📍445 COVID inpaatients

📍31 in ICU - 26 on ventilators pic.twitter.com/mF6Wshttjf

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) December 18, 2020

445 people with COVID-19 are in hospitals across Northern Ireland with 31  being in intensive care beds and 26 being on ventilators.

116 ICU beds are being occupied by other non-COVID-19 patients.

Therefore, there are now 20 ICU beds unoccupied across the region's hospitals.