Covid-19: Another 5,109 PCR-confirmed cases recorded, and 4,482 positive antigen tests

Another 5,109 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the State, while 4,482 more people have registered a positive antigen test through the HSE portal.

These figures were among the latest Covid-19 data reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Friday evening.

As of 8am on Friday, 707 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised in the State, of which 69 were in ICU. The number in hospital with Covid-19 had decreased by one on the hospitalisation figure reported on Thursday.

Meanwhile, another eight people who had previously tested positive recently for Covid-19 have died in Northern Ireland, the North's Department of Health has said.

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Another 3,737 confirmed cases of the virus have also been notified in the North in its latest 24-hour reporting period.

On Friday morning, there were 363 Covid-19 inpatients in the North’s hospitals, 22 of whom were being treated in ICU.

Also on Friday, another 36 deaths linked to Covid-19 in Northern Ireland were reported in the latest weekly update from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra). This total is the same as was recorded in the week prior, according to data compiled by Nisra.

The latest deaths, registered in the week ending January 21st, take the total number of coronavirus-linked fatalities recorded by Nisra to 4,142. The Nisra figure is drawn from different data sources than and is always higher than the Department of Health’s total. The department’s statistics focus primarily on hospital deaths and only include people who had tested positive for the virus. Nisra obtains its data from death certificates on which Covid-19 is recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of where the death took place or whether the patient tested positive.

The statistics agency reports its Covid data with a week lag.

The Nisra death toll includes 2,896 deaths in hospital, 881 in care homes, 16 in hospices and 349 at residential addresses or other locations.

By January 21st, the department had reported 3,065 deaths in total. Additional reporting: – PA