TAOISEACH Micheál Martin and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke on the phone yesterday to discuss the "alarming" Covid-19 situation in Northern Ireland.
On Thursday, the Department of Health confirmed that 923 new cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in the region in the past 24 hours, while 4,674 have been confirmed in the past week.
It brings the overall number of confirmed cases in Northern Ireland up to 17,110.
The department also reported one further death, bringing the toll to 587.
Mr Martin and Mr Johnson agreed yesterday to monitor the situation closely, as the two leaders, along with their respective chief medical officers - Ireland's Dr Tony Holohan and the UK's Dr Michael McBride - spoke about a "harmonising of measures" on both sides of the Irish border.
A spokesperson for the Mr Martin confirmed that talks between the Taoiseach and the Prime Minister had been helpful.
"Both expressed concern about the rising figures in the North but the PM also raised concerns about the impact of restrictions on the economy. They will continue to monitor the situation and remain in touch," they said.
A spokesperson for Downing Street also confirmed the talks, stressing that the call was about "ensuring that the United Kingdom government and the Irish government can work closely together on helping to combat the spread of the virus on the island of Ireland."
