Total number of COVID-19 cases passes 7,000 in NI with 85 new cases

By Peter Moor

85 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the past 24 hours in Northern Ireland by the Department of Health.

There has now been more than 7,000 cases diagnosed here since the start of the pandemic with today's new cases bringing the total to 7,049.

Of these, 431 were diagnosed in the last seven days.

A number of these new infections in the past week are thought to be amongst patients and staff at Craigavon Area Hospital.

In the last 48 hours, four patients on the haematology ward have been tested positive for the virus.Six patients had previously tested positive for the virus.

Eight staff members on the ward have now tested positive for COVID-19 and are now self-isolating.

A spokesperson for the Trust said the ward remains closed to new admissions and that detailed investigation into the outbreak is ongoing.

Meanwhile, a cluster at the hospital's respiratory emergency department has meant three staff members have tested positive for the virus.

As a result 21 staff members in the department are isolating with this also affecting staffing numbers in the trauma and orthopaedic theatres at the hospital.

In a statement, a Southern Trust spokesperson said: "As a result of reduced staffing levels, the theatre department is unable to provide double trauma lists daily to meet with demand.  A planned Orthopaedic surgical list on Wednesday 2nd September has been cancelled to ensure there is trauma list provision."

Craigavon Area Hospital

The news of these new infections come amidst warnings from health officials yesterday that Northern Ireland now has the highest rate of the virus per 100,000 people in the last 14 days, compared to the UK as a whole or the Republic of Ireland.

The R rate of the virus is now likely to be between 1.0 and 1.6.

The latest testing data from the Department of Health comes alongside news that no new deaths related to COVID-19 have occurred here

The Department's death toll therefore remains at 560.

However, this number is mainly based on hospital deaths and is lower than the death toll announced earlier today by NISRA who said 871 deaths occurred here up to the end of last week.

These NISRA figures are based on the information entered on death certificates, completed by medical professionals.

Those patients may, or may not, have tested positive for the virus.

However those figures from the Department of Health are based on patients having previously tested positive for the virus.

The Department of Health data also showed 15 care homes here now have confirmed outbreaks of the virus, with 6 having suspected outbreaks.

180 care homes now have closed outbreaks.

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

Two patients with COVID-19 are now in intensive care, with 74 ICU beds being occupied by other non-COVID-19 patients.

Therefore, there are now 18 ICU beds unoccupied across the region's hospitals.