Six further covid-19 related deaths and 1,259 positive cases confirmed in NI

By Q Radio News

The Department of Health has confirmed six more covid-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland, in the past 24 hours. 

It's also reporting a further 1,259 positive cases of the virus. 

A total of 2,442,855 vaccines have been administered in Northern Ireland to date.

NI #COVID19 data has been updated:

📊1,259 positive cases and sadly six deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours.

💉2,442,855 vaccines administered in total.

Vaccines➡️ https://t.co/Yfa0hHVmRL

The dashboard will be updated again on Tuesday 31 August. pic.twitter.com/VW0PFxry06

— Department of Health (@healthdpt) August 30, 2021

The latest figures come as WHO's Europe director has said third coronavirus vaccines are not "luxury boosters" making vaccine inequity worse but a means of keeping the vulnerable safe.

Hans Kluge appeared to contradict his World Health Organisation (WHO) colleagues at a news briefing on Monday, saying third covid-19 jabs are an important way of protecting the most clinically vulnerable.

Earlier this month, WHO senior officials criticised countries such as the US and Israel for rolling out a booster vaccine programme, when many people across the world have had no jabs at all.

But Mr Kluge said: "A third dose of vaccine is not a luxury booster [that is] taken away from someone who is still waiting for a first jab. It's basically a way to keep the most vulnerable safe."

He urged caution, saying more evidence is needed to support a full rollout, but added: "More and more studies show that a third dose keeps vulnerable people safe, and this is done by more and more countries in our region."

He also said that 33 out of 53 countries in WHO's Europe region have had at least a 10% increase in coronavirus cases in the past two weeks.

Rapidly rising cases and hospital admissions combined with a considerable slowdown of vaccine uptake in the past six weeks is "deeply worrying", he added.

Several European countries have seen widespread anti-vaccination protests in recent weeks.

The UK government says it will start rolling out third vaccines to the most clinically vulnerable from September.

So far, 42.6 million people have received both doses.