Coronavirus: Fifty-two laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Derry and Strabane as death toll in Ireland rises to 247

As of 11.15 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7, testing had resulted in 97 new positive cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the north to 1255.

To date 73 people who have tested positive in the north have sadly died.

The latest daily surveillance report shows that over the previous 24 hours there had been 97 new confirmed cases; and 418 more tests.

Three new deaths have sadly been confirmed since yesterday's daily report.

Fifty-two confirmed cases have been reported in Derry and Strabane compared with 396 in Belfast.

There have been 32 lab confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Causeway Coast and Glens area.

However, of the 9158 tests in the north sofar 885 have been conducted in the Western Trust, still the lowest number of tests in any health authority, compared with 3459 in the Belfast Trust, the highest number of tests.

Cases are predominantly clustered within the Belfast area.

The definition of a death associated with COVID-19 is an individual who has died within 28 days of a positive SARS-CoV2 test.

Of 72 deaths with data, the median age was 81 years old of which 38 (52%) were female and 34 (47%) were male.

As of Tuesday there have now been 6619 confirmed cases in Ireland - 5364 in the south and 1255 in the north.

Two hundred and forty-seven people have now died from the illness in Ireland - 174 in the south and 73 in the north.

These totals for the country as a whole are expected to rise when the Health Protection Surveillance Centre in the south releases its daily data this evening.

-----------------------------------------

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

Thank you.