Coronavirus NI: Death toll rises to 1,385 after 18 more die - 1,378 new cases - 577 in hospital with COVID-19 and 45 in ICU

The stats tell us that 11 people died within the last 24 hours and the remaining seven died outside that time period.

Another 1,378 have tested positive for Coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

This means that 12,487 have tested positive in the last seven days.

A total of 81,251 have now tested positive in NI.

The dashboard also reveals that NI hospitals are at 101% occupancy.

There are now 577 people in our hospitals being treated for COVID-19 - and 45 people in ICU fighting for their lives.

Meanwhile there are now 131 patients with confirmed COVID-19 in NI Care Homes.

The news comes as it is revealed that Post-primary transfer tests planned for January have been cancelled.

Private companies AQE and PPTC, which run the tests, made the announcement on Tuesday ahead of a meeting of the Stormont Executive.

First Minister Arlene Foster indicated on Monday evening that a period of remote learning for schoolchildren in Northern Ireland will be extended amid soaring coronavirus cases.

The Stormont Executive is set to discuss further details of the proposal.

With 12,507 fresh diagnoses of Covid-19 over the last seven days, ministers are also expected to order people to stay at home to stop the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland is set to receive £127 million from the Treasury for lockdown grants to support businesses forced to close.

Earlier, the board of AQE met and took the decision not to proceed with transfer tests planned to take place this Saturday, as well as January 16 and January 23.

“The board will now be consulting with member schools, and a further statement will be issued after that,” it said in a statement on its website.

PPTC has also announced that it “will not provide an entrance assessment for 2020-21”.

Children’s Commissioner Koulla Yiasouma, along with Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Stormont Education Committee chairman Chris Lyttle (Alliance) and SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan had pressed for the tests to be cancelled.

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