Coronavirus: More than 7,000 positive tests in NI

The Department of Health figures also show there have been 15 outbreaks of the virus in care homes

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Northern Ireland has passed 7,000, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

The daily update revealed there have been 85 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number to 7,049.

The Department of Health figures also show there have been 15 outbreaks of the virus in care homes.

There are 17 people in hospital with Covid-19, with two patients in an intensive care unit.

Meanwhile, three gyms in Lurgan have closed due to positive tests from either customers or staff.

The gyms have confirmed they will now be carrying out the recommended procedures to ensure the facilities are safe to use before reopening.

There were two confirmed outbreaks at Craigavon Area Hospital during the week

At Craigavon Area Hospital, there have been further confirmed cases among patients and staff on the Haematology Ward.

Ten patients and 11 staff at Craigavon Area Hospital are now confirmed to have Covid-19, after two clusters were identified on the site.

On the Haematology Ward, where blood disorders are treated, ten of the 12 ward patients have tested positive.

Eight members of staff on the ward have also tested positive. They are off work and self-isolating.

All other staff members on the ward are being tested again as a precaution.

An investigation into the clusters is continuing.

Nisra stats

Earlier, government statistics agency Nisra released their weekly update.

It revealed that Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificates of six people last week.

That is two more than the previous week meaning that up to last Friday, there has been a total of 871 Covid-19 related deaths.

The Nisra measure captures all deaths linked to coronavirus.

It includes confirmed infections and suspected cases in which coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate.

The Department of Health's daily figure for the same date, based on positive test results, was 559.

Under Nisra's measure, there have been 460 deaths in hospital (52.8%), which includes the deaths of 80 people normally resident in care homes.

Taking that number, and the 351 (40.3%) who died in care homes, the deaths of care home residents account for just under half (49.5%) of all Covid-19 related deaths.

Eight people (0.9%) have died in hospices and 52 people (6%) have died at residential addresses or other locations.

People aged 75 and over account for 79.6% of all Covid-19 related deaths.

People with addresses in the Belfast council area account for 248 or 28.5% of all coronavirus-related deaths.

The provisional number of all deaths up to Friday 21 August was 313 - 35 more than in the previous week and 50 more than the five-year average (263).

That five-year death rate is used to compare the number of weekly deaths that would normally be recorded at this time of year.

Nisra also recorded that the number of "excess deaths" registered in the past 21 weeks was 1,098.

Clusters and contact tracing

The Nisra update came as official figures showed five new Covid-19 clusters were reported in the week leading up to 26 August.

The latest figures from the Public Health Agency (PHA) show that, in total, 11 clusters of more than five people have been identified:

• Newry, Mourne and Down - 4

• Mid and East Antrim - 3

• Antrim and Newtownabbey - 1

• Ards and North Down - 1

• Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon - 1

• Causeway Coast and Glens - 1

There have been 29 additional clusters across Northern Ireland involving fewer than five people.

A cluster is two or more confirmed cases. Recent clusters have been linked to workplaces, house parties and sport settings.

Covid-19 transmission is most common in household settings, so clusters of cases confined to one household are not reported.

Testing is increasing in response to localised clusters, but less than two percent of tests return a positive result.

The data also shows the infection rate in the 10% most deprived areas (379 per 100,000 population) is a fifth higher than in the 10% least deprived areas (317/100,000 population).

The hospital admission rate in the most deprived areas is almost double that of the least.

Northern Ireland's contact tracing scheme has completed work on 273 positive cases.

Up until 25 August, 375 positive tests had been reported to the scheme, with 313 transferred to the system.

From those, 856 contacts have been identified, with tracing work completed on 819.

Meanwhile, the R number - or reproduction rate - of coronavirus in Northern Ireland is currently highest of the four UK nations.

Stormont's Department of Health revealed on Thursday that it is estimated to be between 1.0 and 1.6.

That is also higher than any of the English regions, according to the latest UK wide figures government figures.

The Department said the R number's increase was "likely to be strongly influenced by a meat factory outbreak in Mid and East Antrim".

In the Republic of Ireland on Friday, there were no new coronavirus-linked deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

It says there have been a total of 1,777 Covid-19 related deaths.

As of midnight on Thursday 27 August, it says it has been notified of 127 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

It says there is now a total of 28,578 confirmed cases in the Republic of Ireland.