More than 200 new Covid-19 cases reported in one day in NI

By Q Radio news

More than 200 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the last 24 hours in Northern Ireland.

It is one of the biggest daily increases in the region since the start of the pandemic.

According to the Department of Health’s daily figures on Saturday, there were a further 222 new confirmed cases of the virus.

This brings the total number of cases in the region to 9,165, including 913 in the last seven days.

There have been 575 deaths with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, according to the department’s figures.

The current estimate of the virus’s reproductive rate is 1.2.

The rise in the number of cases comes as further restrictions have been introduced in a number of areas in Northern Ireland.

The BT60 postcode, which covers sections of Co Armagh, on Friday evening became the latest area to face more curtailments, including discouraging indoor visits, with no more than six people from two households allowed to gather in a private garden.

Those restrictions already apply to the greater Belfast area, Ballymena, BT29, BT28 and BT43.

Meanwhile the Stormont Executive last week agreed that drink-only pubs can reopen from Wednesday September 23.