NORTHERN IRELAND HAS recorded an additional 570 Covid-19 cases, the highest daily figure in five months. 

No further deaths have been recorded. 

This is the highest daily figure since 28 January, when 592 cases of Covid-19 were recorded. 

3054 cases have been recorded over the last seven days, up from 1899 the previous week. 

47 people are being treated in hospital for Covid-19, an increase of nine on yesterday. Four people are being treated in intensive care units, down from five yesterday. 

It comes as the number of people in hospital here has increased. 

60 patients in Ireland are now being treated in hospital for the virus, an increase of six in the last 24 hours. There are 17 patients in intensive care units, an increase of one. 

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said yesterday that Ireland is seeing a “small but concerning increase in hospitalisations in recent days, coming 10-14 days after the five day moving average of daily case numbers began to increase”.

“This is a cause for concern and we will be monitoring it closely in the days and weeks ahead,” Dr Holohan said.

He stressed the need for full vaccination to protect against Covid-19, including the Delta variant, and urged those waiting on their second dose to come forward as soon as it is offered. 

On Thursday, Dr Cillian de Gascun said that the Delta variant now accounts for approximately 70% of coronavirus cases in the Republic. North of the border, 75% of all cases are now Delta. 

He also said that the variant will “almost certainly” be the dominant coronavirus strain in Ireland by the middle of this month. 

Evidence suggests the Delta variant is between 40% and 60% more transmissible than the Alpha strain of the coronavirus, which has been dominant in Ireland for the last five months.

The Department of Health reported 397 Covid-19 cases yesterday.