Covid-19 in NI: Nine further deaths and 566 new cases confirmed

A nurse disinfects work surfaces at the Mater Hospital Covid-19 recovery ward in Belfast.

There have been nine further Covid-19-linked deaths in Northern Ireland and 566 new cases of the virus, the Department of Health has announced.

The death toll recorded by the department now stands at 697.

There have been 37,782 confirmed cases in Northern Ireland.

There are currently 354 patients with Covid-19 being treated in hospital, with 43 in intensive care.

Earlier it was reported, the weekly Covid-19 death toll has risen for the second week in a row.

There were 37 Covid-19 related deaths recorded by the region’s statistics agency, up from 27 the previous week.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) bulletin, which reports with a week lag, put the death toll at the end of last week at 979.