Coronavirus NI: Five more people die bringing total deaths to 1,129 - 419 test positive for virus - 429 in NI hospitals

Another 410 people have been diagnosed as having the virus in the last 24 hours.

And a total of 3,273 have tested positive in the last seven days.

According to the latest dashboard there are 529 people in the 60-79 age group who have tested positive for having COVID-19 in recent days - and a further 353 people in the 80-years and over age group who have also tested positive.

There are now 429 people in NI hospitals with COVID-19 including 31 people in ICU fighting for their lives.

And there are 113 cases of Coronavirus in NI Care Homes.

The news comes as Dr Tom Black, the NI chairman of the British Medical Association, said the “logical decision” was to go into at least another four weeks of lockdown.

Speaking to the BBC’s Stephen Nolan Show Dr Black said the health service was under pressure, but acknowledged that politicians had a difficult time balancing lives and livelihoods.

He said January was always a difficult time in the heath service but that would be compounded by the pandemic.

READ - Four-week lockdown is ‘pragmatic decision’ for NI says BMA Chair Dr Tom Black