THERE HAVE BEEN 1,066 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland in the past 24 hours, its Department of Health has announced.

One further death has also been reported.

The situation across the island of Ireland has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks. Between both jurisdictions, nearly 2,000 new cases were announced yesterday.

In Northern Ireland yesterday, 902 cases of the virus were recorded. On Friday, a record-breaking 1,080 new cases were confirmed.

Derry and Strabane remains the worst-affected area across the six counties of Northern Ireland. 

It appears likely that tougher restrictions will be brought into effect to try to stem the ever-worsening situation in Northern Ireland. 

On Friday, the UK Treasury announced new job support measures that would support businesses forced to close by new, local restrictions. 

The decision suggests that the Northern Ireland Executive may now consider further action to tackle the virus. 

Earlier this week, The Explainer podcast delved into how Northern Ireland got to this stage, and the complications inherent in trying to deal with it politically.

The Explainer / SoundCloud

With reporting from Dominic McGrath