More positive Derry and Strabane COVID-19 (637) tests in past week than from start of pandemic to last Friday

At midnight last night 11 people remained in Western Trust hospitals with the illness.

Between September 25 and October 1, 637 people have contracted the illness in Derry and Strabane. That's more than the total number of coronavirus cases that were registered in the district between the beginning of the pandemic and last Friday, September 25 by which time 636 in total had tested positive.

The number of registered cases rose from 636 last Friday, September 25, to 1,283 yesterday, more than doubling in the space of a week.

The total number of positive cases registered here yesterday stood at 89.

The figure for Wednesday has been revised up to 126. On Tuesday there were 118 positive tests.

The incidence rate per 100,000 in the city and district is now 422.8, over two and a half times that of Belfast's 161.5, and over three times that of the northern average of 139.4.

Most cases involved people in the younger age bands: 20-39 (308), 40-59 (163) and 0-19 (108).

According to the Department of Health there were 52 confirmed positive cases among people aged 60 to 79 and six positive cases among people aged over 80 between September 25 and Ocotber 1.