BREAKING: Number of COVID-19 cases passes 10,000 as highest number of new infections announced

By Peter Moor

Over 10,000 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic.

The marker was reached with 273 more people here testing positive for Coronavirus since yesterday - that is the highest daily figure diagnosed under the current regime of testing.

In the past seven days, the Department of Health has recorded 1,128 new cases of Coronavirus.

No more people have died in Northern Ireland having contracted COVID-19 according to the Department of Health.

There has been 577 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 896 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 27 care homes here now have confirmed outbreaks of the virus, with 12 having suspected outbreaks.

201 care homes now have closed outbreaks.

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

5 patients with COVID-19 are now in intensive care, with 75 ICU beds being occupied by other non-COVID-19 patients.

Therefore, there are now 15 ICU beds unoccupied across the region's hospitals.