Coronavirus: Number of positive Covid cases in NI passes 10,000

In the last seven days, there have been 1,236 positive test results in Northern Ireland

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Northern Ireland has passed 10,000, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

There have been 273 new cases in the past 24 hours - that is the highest number of people testing positive under the current testing system.

It takes the number of people diagnosed with Covid-19 since the start of testing to 10,223.

In the last seven days there have been 1,236 positive test results.

Earlier, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) reported there were eight coronavirus-linked deaths registered in NI last week.

That is one more than the previous week, according to the latest bulletin from the agency.

The Department of Health's daily dashboard reported no new deaths on Friday.

There are 46 people in hospital with Covid-19, with five patients in an intensive care unit.

'Covid tightrope'

In a written statement to the NI Assembly, the Health Minister Robin Swann said he had been advised "further interventions may be required to prevent an exponential rise in the virus".

Addressing the rise in cases and hospital admissions, Mr Swann said the executive continued to make public health a priority, while also "recognising the importance of keeping society and the economy as open as possible".

"There is a tightrope to walk and, as I have told members many times before, no easy or pain-free solutions are available," he said.

"I would urge members to continue to promote widespread public compliance with the coronavirus regulations.

"The best way to avoid further restrictions on our lives is to follow the ones we now have in place now and strictly follow public health advice on social distancing, hand-washing and face coverings.

Mr Swann also said there was early evidence to suggest localised restrictions placed on a number of postcodes across Northern Ireland in recent weeks may have had "some impact on reducing transmission" of the virus.

Nisra said the virus had featured on the death certificates of 891 people in total by 18 September.

The Department of Health's daily figure for the same date was 575 - more than 300 fewer.

Its statistics are based on a patient having previously tested positive for the virus.

Nisra said there have been 479 deaths in hospital (53.5%) - 81 of those people were normally resident in care homes.

Taking that figure and the 355 who died in care homes, it means care home residents account for almost 49% of Covid-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland.

In the week up to last Friday, three Covid-19 related deaths occurred in a care home.

Excess deaths

Eight people have died in hospices (0.9%) and 54 at residential addresses or other locations (6.1%).

People aged 75 and over account for 80% of all Covid-19-related deaths.

In the week ending 18 September, the percentage of all Covid-19 related male deaths was 49.1% and female deaths 50.9%.

Those with an address in the Belfast council area account for 253 (28.4%) of the 891 deaths registered by last Friday. Fermanagh and Omagh has recorded the fewest (17).

The provisional number of all deaths between 12 September and 18 September was 322 - 26 more than in the previous week (296) and 40 more than the five-year average (282).

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 the number of "excess deaths" registered in the past 25 weeks as 1,181.