Derry COVID-19 rate now fourth lowest in the north

Between February 2 and February 8, there were 142 confirmed positive cases of the virus in the district giving a seven day rate per 100,000 of 94.2, down from 95.6 on Monday.

Derry/Strabane is now recording the fourth lowest coronavirus rate in the north. The lowest rates are in Lisburn and Castlereagh (79.2), Fermanagh and Omagh (80.5) and Ards and North Down (93.9).

Rates remain higher in Mid Ulster (252.8), Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (216.2), Antrim and Newtownabbey (153.5), Belfast (138.9), Newry, Mourne and Down (137.1), Mid and East Antrim (115.4) and Causeway Coast and Glens (95).

At midnight on Monday 64 patients were being treated as COVID-19 inpatients across all Western Trust hospitals. The last time it was at this level was on October 15 (64).

Four of 16 (25%) ICU beds at Altnagelvin were being used to treat COVID-19 patients; four (25%) were occupied by patients with other conditions and eight (50%) were free, according to Department of Health figures released this afternoon.

Six ICU patients in total were being ventilated - four were COVID-19 patients and two were non-COVID-19 patients.

In terms of general occupancy 11.75% of beds at Altnagelvin were ‘COVID-19 occupied’, 80.42% were ‘other occupied’ and there was 2.71% capacity left in the hospital system: 5.12% were ‘awaiting admission.’