NORTHERN IRELAND has confirmed a further 420 cases of Covid-19 in its latest update this afternoon.

Additionally, seven more people have died with Covid-19 in the North, bringing the total number of Covid-19 deaths in the North to 781.

The standing total of Covid-19 cases since the first outbreak of the virus in the North is 42,917.

Currently, there are 396 Covid-19 patients in hospital in Northern Ireland, with 55 patients testing positive for Covid-19 in ICU.

The Department of Health has reported 126 active Covid-19 outbreaks in care homes in the North.

Between 1 November and 7 November, a total of 3,909 individuals have tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, including 763 people in Belfast, 421 in Derry City and Strabane, 415 in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, and 404 in Mid Ulster.

On Friday, Northern Ireland’s Health Minister Robin Swann said that the health and social care system is “facing into its most challenging ever winter”.

“Thankfully hospital admissions have begun to decline slowly over the last week, but remain much higher than the peak ever experienced in wave one,” Swann said.

“The best way to navigate through these dark days is to strictly follow public health advice – for the sake of ourselves and others and for the sake of the health service and its workforce,” he said.

“There are no quick fixes, easy solutions or overarching strategies that are going to make this virus go away. My priority will be to ensure that the health service is not overwhelmed, with all the consequences that will entail.”