Seventeen Covid-19 deaths in Northern Ireland as positive cases continue to rise despite lockdown

This brings the toll in the Province to 1,831 as hospitals remained under pressure on Saturday, caring for 713 Covid-positive patients, including 69 in ICU.

While strict lockdown measures remain in force across Northern Ireland, the number of new cases continues to rise each day.

On Saturday, the Department of Health confirmed another 455 positive cases.

There have been 3,841 new cases across the last seven days and 103,534 across the pandemic to date.

Meanwhile, more than 220,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered so far.