Derry records third-lowest Covid rate figures in the North

Derry & Strabane no longer have the highest Covid rate in the North as latest figures show a sharp drop in cases.

For a number of weeks, the area had the unwanted position of the most cases per 100,000 people.

However, Department for Health statistics show that due to the number of those testing positive for the virus falling, Derry & Strabane now has the third lowest figure in the North with a rate of 1075.4 cases per 100,000.

The lowest figure is held by Fermanagh & Omagh (952.8) while the highest rate is held by Newry, Mourne & Down (1739.4).

The overall rate for the North of Ireland is 1362.3 per 100,000.

Regarding Derry's postcodes, BT48 recorded a rate of 1124.7 per 100,000 while BT47 had a figure of 1231.5.

Altnagelvin Hospital's ICU bed occupancy rate saw 45.45 per cent of beds occupied by Covid patients with 54.55 per cent of ICU beds taken by non-Covid patients.

Rates for all the beds occupied at Altnagelvin are as follows: 11.24 per cent were occupied by Covid patients, 82.02 were occupied by non-Covid patients, 6.74 of patients were awaiting admission while the hospital itself was running at 1.97 per cent over-capacity.