Coronavirus: NI records deadliest 24 hours for second day in a row - death-toll soars to 176 - spike in people testing positive for COVID-19 as 137 new cases identified

Like Thursday, 18 people died in Northern Ireland after testing positive for COVID-19, Friday's Public Health Agency (PHA) surveillance report revealed.

Friday's surveillance report reflects deaths in hospitals and does not include deaths in care homes or in the community.

The total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Northern Ireland now stands at 176.

There was also a spike of 137 in the number of people to test positive for the disease - the total number of positive cases now stands at 2,338.

The latest PHA report comes on the same day it was revealed that the death-toll in Northern Ireland is much higher than was originally reported.

Data published on Friday morning by Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (N.I.S.R.A.) revealed that up until April 10, 2020, 157 people in Northern Ireland had died where COVID-19 was suspected as being involved in their death - this represents an increase of 39 deaths on the number originally reported.

The majority of the additional deaths occurred in care homes and hospices.

The original figure reported by the PHA up until April 10 stated 118 had died but the new data from N.I.S.R.A. reveals that 157 people had in fact died where COVID-19 was present.