Derry COVID rate rises to highest point of pandemic to date at 1,040.4 cases per 100k

Between December 16 and December 22, there were 1,574 cases giving a seven day rate of 1,040.4 per 100,000, up sharply from 959.8 on Wednesday.

It is the first time since the pandemic began that the Derry/ Strabane seven day case rate has exceeded 1,000 per 100,000.

Causeway Coast & Glens (680.1), Mid & East Antrim (697.2), Mid Ulster (782.3), Newry, Mourne & Down (816.6), Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon (841.8), Fermanagh & Omagh (843.3), Antrim & Newtownabbey (912.9), Ards & North Down (970.2), Belfast (1,004.2) and Lisburn & Castlereagh (1,015.7), all have lower rates than Derry/Strabane.

The average rate for the north is 910.8.

The daily change in the cumulative number of patients with a positive test in Derry and Strabane between December 21 and December 22 was 267.

In total 33,417 people have now tested positive for the illness in Derry and Strabane.

A breakdown of the number of vaccinations by postcode shows that 111,617 have been administered in BT48 and 113,776 have been administered in BT47 - 223,798 in total in Derry.