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The Department of Health has announced another 934 cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.
That’s more than double the previous daily high of 424 on Wednesday.
One more death was recorded in the last 24 hours. The number of hospitalized patients with the virus dropped from 70 to 65.
The figures come as Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Ian Young said Northern Ireland may need more than one Covid-19 “circuit breaker” this winter.
A circuit breaker is a lockout for a short period of time, possibly two weeks, to slow the spread of the virus.
Friday’s figures show 201 new cases in the Derry and Strabane council area, 191 in Belfast and 182 in Newry and Morne.
Derry and Strabane now have 422.8 cases per 100,000, Newry and Morne 213.7, Belfast 161.5 and Northern Ireland as a whole 139.4. Mid and East Antrim now have the lowest rate in NI at 33.2.
The man who died was in a hospital in the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon area.
The Department of Health has registered 12,886 positive cases, 2,623 of them in the last week; 6,038 people were evaluated in the last 24 hours.
The department has recorded 582 Covid-19-related deaths since the pandemic began.
Circuit breaker
Earlier on the Stephen Nolan Show, Professor Young said Northern Ireland is facing a difficult six months.
Another nine deaths related to Covid-19 were recorded in the week through September 25, official figures show.
On Wednesday, the Health Department announced a record number of new cases: 424.
“I think there are a number of interventions that the executive may consider to reduce the number of cases and the impact of the epidemic as we go through what will be a difficult six months,” said Professor Young.
“I think one of those options, and probably one of the most effective, is definitely this idea of a relatively short-term breaker or lockout.
“I don’t think a single lockout or breaker period is enough to get through the winter.”
He added: “I think it would be sensible to plan for the possibility of one or more circuit interruption periods over the course of this winter.”
Professor Young said that a wide range of options were being considered in terms of additional measures.
“All of these will be evaluated by the executive along with consideration of the economic damage of any of the interventions and the social costs of any of the interventions.”
He said that while a circuit breaker might be more effective at a time when the kids weren’t in school, he didn’t think one would be contemplated at Christmas.
Nisra Figures
The number of deaths registered by the NI Research and Statistics Agency (Nisra) is one more than the previous week, according to the latest newsletter of the
It counts deaths where the virus is mentioned on the death certificate and reports 901 deaths as of last Friday.
The daily figure from the Health Department for the same date was 578, more than 300 less.
The Nisra figures show 483 deaths in hospitals, including the deaths of 81 people who normally reside in nursing homes.
Taking that figure, and the 356 people who died in nursing homes, it means that nursing home residents account for nearly half of all Covid-19 related deaths (48.5%).
Eight people died in hospices (0.9%) and 54 in residences or other places (6.0%).
People aged 75 and over account for 79% of all Covid-19 related deaths, and nearly a third of those who have died have an address in the Belfast council area (28.8%).
Excess deaths
The provisional number of all deaths between September 18 and 25 was 323: 1 more than the previous week (322) and 35 more than the five-year average (288).
Those are deaths above what would normally be expected at the time of year, averaging five years.
The agency says there have been 1,216 “excess deaths” in the past 26 weeks.
Fines for house parties
Meanwhile, police have said that over the “past weeks” they have issued 450 fines for people violating house party rules and 104 more ban notices for the same crime.
They have also issued 20 higher fines for people who break the quarantine.
ACC Alan Todd said police would use health expert guidance to decide which areas to prioritize
ACC Alan Todd said that while police have not issued any tickets for people not covering their faces, they were working with local retail and public transportation on the issue.
He said police would use the guidance of health experts to decide which areas to prioritize.
“If the chief health advisor came back tomorrow and said that we have a real problem with face covers in commercial spaces, it would become the priority of tomorrow’s police,” he said.
“I am not averse to imposing fines on people who do not cover their faces and I am sure that as this unfolds, infection rates increase and priorities change, we will see some of that.
“But I think that should be legitimately and proportionally based on medical evidence.”
