BREAKING: 49 new cases of COVID-19 in Northern Ireland

By Peter Moor

49 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 461 new cases of Coronavirus.

It brings the total number of infections here since the start of the pandemic to 7,294.

No new Coronavirus related fatalities were announced today in the latest release by the Department of Health.

The total death toll since the start of the pandemic in Northern Ireland therefore remains at 560.

This number mainly covers hospital related deaths unlike the figures released by NISRA on Friday which said 871 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 18 care homes here now have confirmed outbreaks of the virus, with 6 having suspected outbreaks.

180 care homes now have closed outbreaks.

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

3 patients with COVID-19 are now in intensive care (up from 2 yesterday), with 73 ICU beds being occupied by other non-COVID-19 patients.

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