Two more people with Covid-19 have died in Northern Ireland, the North's Department of Health reported on Friday.

It brings the total number of fatalities recorded by the Department to 2,068.

A further 166 people have tested positive for the virus.

Hospital Report

On Friday morning 242 people with coronavirus were being treated in the North’s hospitals, with 29 in intensive care.

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Covid-19: Three further deaths in Northern Ireland

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Meanwhile, according to separate figures released earlier on Friday, the number of deaths involving coronavirus has fallen for the sixth week in a row.

The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra), which releases data weekly, recorded 44 deaths linked to Covid-19 in the week ending February 26th.

The number of fatalities has been falling since the week ending January 15th, when 171 deaths were recorded – the highest weekly total since the pandemic began.

In total, Nisra had recorded 2,816 deaths linked to Covid-19 as of February 26th, compared to 2,054 recorded by the department during the same period.

The Nisra figures provide a broader picture of the impact of Covid-19 as they are based on death certificates on which coronavirus has been recorded as a factor by a medical professional, regardless of whether the death took place or whether the patient had tested positive for the virus.

The data released daily by the North’s Department of Health is focused primarily on hospital deaths and includes only people who have tested positive for the virus.

Of the 2,816 deaths recorded by Nisra, 65 per cent – or 1,837 – took place in hospital, with 760 – or 27 per cent – in care homes.

According to Nisra, as of February 26th the deaths of 995 care home residents were linked to coronavirus. The figure represents about 35 per cent of deaths with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.