NORTHERN IRELAND HAS announced that 1,112 further cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed.

In its latest update this afternoon, Northern Ireland’s Department of Health said that 17 more people have died with Covid-19.

Two of the deaths occurred outside of the last 24 hour reporting period.

Today’s figures bring the total number of cases confirmed in the North to 88,700 and the number of people who have died to 1,460.

Hospitals in Northern Ireland are currently operating at 94% occupancy and there are 703 patients with a confirmed case of Covid-19 in hospital.

There are 53 Covid-19 patients in ICU in the North and 137 active outbreaks of the virus in care homes.

Of the cases reported today, 185 are in Belfast and 183 are in the district of Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon.

140 of the cases are in Newry, Mourne and Down, while 130 are in Mid Ulster.

In a statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly on Friday, Minister for Health Robin Swann said hospitals were facing “unprecedented pressures”. 

“I am assured that every attempt will continue to be made to protect the most urgent surgery where this is achievable, and that postponed operations will be rescheduled as quickly as possible,” Swann said.

“The unfortunate reality is that a health service that struggles to cope in normal times is not built to withstand a pandemic of this scale,” he said.

Swann said that the peak of the current surge is expected in the third week of January.

Yesterday, Northern Ireland confirmed nine deaths and 1,442 new cases of Covid-19.