15 new cases of COVID-19 and no new coronavirus-related deaths for eleventh day running

By Peter Moor

For the eleventh day running, no new COVID-19 deaths were announced on Friday by the Department of Health here.

The department's death toll therefore remains at 556.

This figure is lower than the number of fatalities linked to virus, as released by NISRA on Friday morning. 

Its data suggests 850 coronavirus-related deaths had been recorded in Northern Ireland up until the 17th of July. 

The comparative number of deaths reported daily by the Department of Health to 17th July was 556.

These figures are based on patients having previously tested positive for the virus, whereas the NISRA figures are based on the information entered on death certificates, completed by medical professionals.

They may or may not have previously tested positive for the virus.

The data from the Department of Health dashboard also revealed 15 more people tested positive for the virus here, since Thursday.

There have now been 5,891 positive lab tests for COVID-19 in Northern Ireland.

The figures also show five care homes currently have confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19.

Eight care homes have suspected outbreaks and 167 homes have closed outbreaks of the virus.

The figures also provide detail of capacity in Northern Ireland's hospitals.

It revealed that out of Northern Ireland's 93 intensive care unit beds, two are now occupied by a patient with COVID-19.

74 of the beds are taken up by non COVID-19 related patients, providing 17 spare ICU beds.