By Q Radio News
There have been a further 149 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland in the last 24-hour reporting period, the Department of Health has confirmed.
This brings the total number of cases in the region to 8,780, including 689 in the last seven days.
No further deaths from Covid-19 were reported on Thursday, leaving the death toll recorded by the department standing at 573.
However it comes after the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency revealed the number of deaths primarily due to Covid-19 here has risen to 755.
Official data shows it was the underlying cause in 91% of fatalities that mentioned the disease on the death certificate.
The overall number of deaths in the second quarter of this year, from April to the end of June, was 4,684 – significantly higher than comparable periods in previous years.
The last time that quarterly toll was exceeded was during a difficult flu season at the start of 2018, the Registrar General quarterly report said.
People aged 75 and over accounted for two-thirds of overall deaths and 81% of those registered due to Covid-19 this calendar year up to June 30.
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