There have been twelve further Covid-related deaths reported by the Department of Health today (Friday).
Eleven of these occurred in the last 24 hours, with the other one just outside this timeframe – according to the official dashboard – which has the overall total now at 1,166.
There have been three further deaths in the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon borough, where the total number of lives lost is now 117. The death toll in the Newry, Mourne and Down district is now at 79 – up five. A total of 97 – up one – people have died in the Mid Ulster region.
There were a further 510 cases reported in that timeframe, with 81 in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon (highest in NI) and a further 53 in Newry, Mourne and Down. There were 50 cases in Mid Ulster.
A total of 3,035 individuals were tested.
There are 425 – down 15 – people now in hospital as a result of the virus, 31 – down one – of whom are in intensive care units.
There are currently 20 – down one – ICU beds available in Northern Ireland.
Sixty-six – up three – patients are in Craigavon. To date, 654 patients have been discharged from the Co. Armagh hospital.
There are 12 Covid patients in Daisy Hill, with nine – down three – in Lurgan Hospital, while there are three – down one – in south Tyrone hospital.
The latest figures come as Stormont’s chief scientific adviser, Professor Ian Young, said Northern Ireland would have witnessed thousands of Covid-19 deaths if no action had been taken to suppress the virus.
“Of all of the things that we look at in terms of modelling, the number of deaths is the one that is most difficult to predict. It would, if no action were taken – which is inconceivable – have been very large, certainly within the thousands, if no action was taken,” he said.
