A further 66 deaths from COVID-19 have been confirmed, along with 1,078 new cases of the virus.

Of the 66 deaths, 41 occurred in February, eight in January, seven in December and nine in November or earlier. One death is still under investigation.

This brings the total number of deaths here to 3,931. The total number of cases now stands at 208,796.

As of 8am on Saturday, there were 898 patients with confirmed COVID-19 in hospital, 171 of whom were in ICU. There had been an additional 44 hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

As of February 10, a total of 256,681 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered - 166,863 first doses and 89,818 second doses.

According to the Department of Health's deputy chief medical officer, Dr Ronan Glynn, the best way to protect ourselves and our vulnerable loved ones from serious illness as a result of COVID-19 infection "is to continue taking the actions we know can effectively suppress this virus".

"Keep physical distance from others, wash hands regularly, avoid crowds and wear face coverings that are fitted correctly," he said.

He also reminded people that if they have any symptoms that could be COVID-19, such as a cough, fever, shortness of breath or a change in your sense of taste or smell, they should self-isolate immediately and call their GP.

"If you are in any doubt about any symptoms you have, you should always contact your GP," Dr Glynn added.

More information on the latest figures in relation to COVID-19, including the number of people vaccinated so far, is available here.