No new COVID-19 related deaths and 88 new cases, according to Department of Health

By Peter Moor

No further people have died having contracted Coronavirus in Northern Ireland according to the Department of Health.

There's now been 568 COVID-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland according to the Department.

This number mainly covers hospital related deaths unlike the figures released by NISRA today which said 877 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.

Meanwhile, 88 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 577 new cases of Coronavirus.

It brings the total number of infections here since the start of the pandemic to 8,123.

Meanwhile, all visiting at the Southern Health and Social Care Trust is to be temporarily suspending visiting on all sites and facilities from 6pm on Friday (11th September).

In a statement the Trust says the move was to "protect visitors, patients and staff given the increased level of COVID-19 currently circulating in this area."

Instead, the Trust is encouraging virtual visiting. However, there will be exceptions for patients receiving end of life care and for maternity patients.

Craigavon Area Hospital

In particular, birthing partners will be allowed onto Trust premises for the dating scan, anomaly scan and for active labour and birth.

The changes to the rules following rising rates of the virus in the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon area, as well as Newry, Mourne and Down - with both areas being in the Southern Trust area.

In recent weeks, Craigavon Area Hospital has seen three separate clusters of COVID-19 in which four haematology patients died after contracting the virus whilst on a ward there.

Department of Health logo

The Department of Health data also showed 22 care homes here now have confirmed outbreaks of the virus, with 8 having suspected outbreaks.

188 care homes now have closed outbreaks.

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

1 patients with COVID-19 is now in intensive care, with 82 ICU beds being occupied by other non-COVID-19 patients.

Therefore, there are now 13 ICU beds unoccupied across the region's hospitals.