Four further Covid-19 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours

By Q Radio News

Four further deaths of patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 have been reported in Northern Ireland.

It brings the total number of Covid-19 deaths in Northern Ireland to 2,332, according to the Department of Health.

The Department of Health say there have also been 1,550 new confirmed cases in the last 24-hour reporting period.

Four further deaths of patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 have been reported in Northern Ireland.https://t.co/P8ViqTc916

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) August 26, 2021

On Thursday morning there were 376 Covid-positive patients in hospital, with 41 in intensive care.

NI #COVID19 data has been updated:

📊1,550 positive cases and sadly, four deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours.

💉2,428,676 vaccines administered in total.

Dashboard➡️ https://t.co/YN16dmGzhv
Vaccines➡️ https://t.co/Yfa0hHVmRL pic.twitter.com/O1Eg97EWCO

— Department of Health (@healthdpt) August 26, 2021

The latest figures come as it emerged waiting lists in Northern Ireland are at crisis point.

Almost 350,000 people are now on a waiting list for a first appointment with a hospital consultant, new figures show.

More than half have been waiting longer than a year.

Northern Ireland has the worst waiting lists in the UK, with the Department of Health previously warning it needs £707.5 million of additional investment over a five-year period to address the crisis.

The department has published its quarterly waiting list figures which show that at the end of June, 348,867 patients were on a waiting list for a first consultant-led outpatient appointment.

This has grown by 13,825 from the previous quarter and by 38,946 from the same time in 2020.

(Four further deaths have been recorded)