Covid-19: NI records 17 more coronavirus-related deaths

A further 17 Covid-19-related deaths have been recorded by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.

Its coronavirus death toll now stands at 1,878.

The latest figures, released on Tuesday, also recorded 447 new positive cases of the virus.

In the Republic of Ireland there have been 101 further coronavirus-related deaths bringing the total to 3,418, while a total of 879 new cases have been recorded.

University Hospital Waterford is dealing with 98 Covid-19 patients, the largest number of any public hospital in the country.

In Northern Ireland there are 716 people being treated with Covid-19 in hospital, with 66 of them in intensive care units (ICU).

Some 58 people are being ventilated.

Initial indications have suggested that NI is beginning to come out of the current peak of the coronavirus pandemic.

The death rate is high, but has been falling slowly and hospital admissions have also dropped.

No cases of the South African variant of the virus have been detected in Northern Ireland, but Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said it was only a matter of time.

He said the variant has already been detected in the Republic of Ireland, while the UK government is expected to announce surge testing in areas of Bristol and Liverpool.

He said: "I think we're going to have to live with new variants of this virus emerging and we will be playing cat and mouse with this virus for some many months."

Dr McBride said travel restrictions and quarantine would only delay, but not prevent, new variants from entering, adding: "These variants will out compete and will replace other viral strains and become predominant".

As of Tuesday, 258,311 vaccines had been given out in Northern Ireland.

Of those 233,429 were first doses and 24,882 were second doses.

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Those aged 70 and over are receiving the AstraZeneca jab from their GPs while those aged 65 and over are invited to book an appointment at one of seven regional vaccination centres for the Pfizer vaccination.

The Department of Health said people who have had vaccine jabs need to "keep strictly following all the measures that keep themselves and others safe from the virus."

"That includes staying at home and keeping their distance from people outside their households," they said.