A record 424 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Northern Ireland today.
One new death has also been reported by the Department of Health there, with the total toll in the region at 579.
There have been close to 2,000 new cases of the disease confirmed in the North in the past week.
Yesterday, Northern Ireland registered a then-record number of cases, with 320 people testing positive for the disease in that 24 hour period.
The figures came as an 11pm curfew was announced for the hospitality sector in the region in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.
Royal visit
The North’s First Minister Arlene Foster has described the increase in cases as “of serious concern to the Executive”, and said if not stopped, it will “inevitably lead to an increase in hospital admissions and deaths”.
It comes as the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived in the region today for a series of engagements across a one-day visit.
The royals met with a number of young nurses who recently completed their training early to help with the coronavirus pandemic during a visit to the Ulster Museum in Belfast.
