THE UK GOVERNMENT has pledged a further £50 million (around €57.5 million) of funding to support the Northern Ireland Executive’s bid to tackle coronavirus.

This takes the total funding the UK government has made available to Stormont to almost £1.2 billion (around €1.38 billion).

“From the outset of this coronavirus crisis, the UK government has committed to doing whatever it takes to support the devolved administrations in their fight to defeat this virus,” Secretary of State Brandon Lewis said.

“The additional £50 million for the Northern Ireland Executive announced today will help bolster vital public services as they respond to the challenges of Coronavirus.

“Today’s funding, in addition to the support offered to people and businesses across Northern Ireland through UK-wide initiatives, reinforces our commitment to ensuring that everyone in Northern Ireland is able to access the resources and support they need at this incredibly challenging time.”

It was confirmed this afternoon that a further 17 people in Northern Ireland have died in hospital settings after being diagnosed with Covid-19 in the past day. This brings the total number of confirmed deaths in hospital settings in the North to 193.

The Public Health Agency also confirmed that a further 148 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, bringing the total number of confirmed cases there to 2,486. 

The UK’s official Covid-19 death toll today surpassed 15,000 after a total of 888 new fatalities were confirmed. 

Includes reporting by Press Association