No new COVID-19 linked deaths for second day running, and only one new case

By Peter Moor.

For the second day running, no new deaths related to COVID-19 have been announced here by the Department of Health.

The death toll linked to the virus therefore remains at 545..

This figure is lower than figures released on Friday by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)

They reported 802 COVID-19 related deaths here up to 12th June.

NISRA figures relate to information entered on death certificates, completed by medical professionals.

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

Whereas. Department of Health figures are based on mainly hospital patients having previously tested positive for the virus.

The data from the Department of Health dashboard also revealed just one more person has been tested positive for the virus here.

On Saturday, there were no new cases of the virus announced on the dashboard, for the first time since 10th March,

There have now been 4,871 positive lab tests for COVID-19 in Northern Ireland.

The figures also show 47 care homes currently have confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19.

19 care homes have suspected outbreaks and 106 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 100 intensive care unit beds, only 2 are occupied by patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, with both of these patients being on ventilators. 

Another 67 of the beds are taken up by non COVID-19 related patients, providing 31 spare ICU beds.