BREAKING: 8 new deaths linked to COVID-19 in Northern Ireland

By Peter Moor.

8 new deaths linked to COVID-19 has been announced by the Department of Health.

Just 2 of these have occurred since yesterday.

The Department of Health data shows that five hundred and thirty four people have now died as a result of COVID-19.

This figure is lower than figures released last Friday the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)

They reported 718 COVID-19 related deaths here.

NISRA figures relate to information entered on death certificates, completed by medical professionals.

They may or may not have previously tested positive for the virus.

Whereas. Department of Health figures are based on mainly hospital patients having previously tested positive for the virus.

Today's Department of Health figures also show that a total of 4,740 people have tested positive for Coronavirus in the region.

8 of these are newly diagnosed cases.

The data from the Department of Health dashboard also revealed 68 care homes currently have confirmed outbreaks of COVID-19.

37 care homes have suspected outbreaks and 64 have closed outbreaks of the virus.

The figures also provide detail of capacity in Northern Ireland's hospitals.

It revealed that out of Northern Ireland's 98 intensive care unit beds, only 6 are occupied by patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19.

Another 69 of the beds are taken up by non COVID-19 related patients, providing 23 spare ICU beds.