21 deaths and 787 Covid-19 cases reported in the North

Of the 21 deaths reported today, 12 people died with the virus in the past 24 hours.

Another 787 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, and there are a further 21 deaths.

Of the deaths reported today, 12 people died with the virus in the past 24 hours.

There was a delay in reporting the other nine deaths.

Hospitals in the North are operating at 100% capacity.

There are 451 people in hospital with Covid-19, 31 of which are in intensive care.

Today, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald repeated calls for an all-island approach to Covid restrictions.

When asked if shops in the Republic should remain closed after Christmas as will be the case in the North, Ms McDonald said it made sense for the country to operate as a single unit when it comes to public health, to have the same measures for the island as a whole.

When asked again if non-essential retail in the Republic should be closed from Saturday, Ms McDonald said that “from the very beginning” (of the pandemic) she had been asking ”the Dublin Government” to spearhead an all-island approach.

It would be far better to have a single approach, not one approach for the north and another approach for the south, she said.