Covid-19: Eight more deaths reported in Northern Ireland
The number of people who have died after testing positive for coronavirus in Northern Ireland has risen to 514 after eight more deaths were reported by the Department of Health.
The department also reported a further 39 cases of confirmed Covid-19, bringing the total number of positive cases in Northern Ireland to 4,609.
The number of people tested for the virus over the last 24 hours was 1,084.
In the Republic, there has been a total of 1,608 Covid-19 related deaths, while the number of cases in Ireland stands at 24,639.
Yesterday, the joint leaders of the Northern Ireland Executive have said their efforts to tackle Covid-19 have helped to bring their parties closer together.
First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said that while they have faced challenges over recent months, their response to coronavirus proves that unionists and nationalists can work together.
The power-sharing Executive was thrown into the middle of a health crisis just weeks after Stormont’s parties committed to the New Decade, New Approach deal.
In a joint-interview, the DUP leader said they knew they would be facing a lot of challenges.
“Then in a very short period of time we were dealing with a global pandemic coming to Northern Ireland,” Mrs Foster told the Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme.
“So in many ways, we have to deal with that in a very fast time and we have shown we can work together in difficult times and we are working through it.”
Ms O’Neill said that Covid-19 has brought the political parties “closer together”.
