A further 11 people with Covid-19 have died in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has said, bringing the total to 889.
Another 518 confirmed cases of the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours.
A total of 48,229 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Northern Ireland since the pandemic began.
Stormont's chief scientific adviser has said that following the imposition of recent restrictions, the reproduction number of the virus had fallen to 0.8 for two weeks and is now close to 1.
But Professor Ian Young said: "The reduction in cases and in particular hospital bed occupancy is less than we had hoped for."
Dr Michael McBride, chief medical officer, said lives and livelihoods had been transformed by the epidemic and "the current restrictions are having an impact".
"R is slowing, the spread of infection, however not enough nor sufficient to get us through the challenges of the next few months," he said.
Dr McBride added there was a real prospect of being in a different place by next spring or summer due to vaccine development and rapid testing being pursued.
Health Minister Robin Swann has said he has held discussions with UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock about the introduction of rapid mass testing for Northern Ireland.
It comes after a similar initiative in Liverpool earlier this month.
Hospital for recovering Covid-19 patients in NI to open on Friday
A hospital to rehabilitate recovering Covid-19 patients is due to open in Co Antrim on Friday.
It is for those who are well enough to leave acute medical services but would benefit from care which cannot be provided at home.
This includes occupational therapy designed to help them become more mobile again after long periods bed-ridden and suffering from fatigue.
The Nightingale facility will be part of the Whiteabbey Hospital in Newtownabbey.
It will be run by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and will be available to patients from across Northern Ireland.
Care will be led by experienced advanced nurses and healthcare workers, with medical treatment provided by GPs.
Audrey Harris, the trust's director for medicine, said 70 people were delayed in hospital during the last Covid-19 surge who could have benefited from rehabilitation.
Northern Ireland's main Nightingale hospital for acute patients, which is located in Belfast City Hospital, was stood down after the peak of the first wave of the pandemic passed last spring.
It reopened earlier this autumn following sustained growth in the number of patients requiring admission on ventilation.
At one stage, hospitals were at more than full capacity and in full surge emergency stance.
Several hospitals across Northern Ireland have cancelled elective procedures to cope with the added coronavirus pressures.
Meanwhile, the PSNI also said that as of 9am today, there are 509 officers/staff members absent due to Covid-19. Of these, 429 are self-isolating.
A PSNI spokesman said the force will "continue to flex its resources to meet policing demand across Northern Ireland as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping people safe".
