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There has been a large increase in new Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland with 1,566 confirmed positive tests in the last 24 hours.
There have also been 14 more coronavirus-related deaths, 13 of which occurred in the past 24 hours.
A total of 1,305 people have died in the north from the disease, while the cumulative number of infections now stands at 68,762.
Yesterday, the Northern Ireland Department of Health reported another 20 coronavirus-related deaths during the previous 48-hour period with 1,634 people testing positive.
Northern Ireland also entered a new six-week lockdown on December 26, and the first week’s measures are the toughest yet, with a form of curfew in place from 8pm, shops closed at from that time and all indoor and outdoor gatherings prohibited until 6 am
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Dr Tom Black, chairman of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland and a Derry-based GP, said the figures in Northern Ireland have been “consistently high” since before Christmas, and yesterday’s high figure it was not unexpected.
He said they have had far more problems in the north than the Republic has had in terms of controlling the virus during the second wave.
It has been made “very clear” that the public are expected to stay home during the current six-week lockdown, he said, and “really need” people to adhere to the rules.
“The next few weeks will be much worse due to socializing during the holiday period,” Dr. Black told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“The pressure on general practices and holiday services will probably peak in the second or third week of January.”
As for vaccines, Dr. Black said they have succeeded in vaccinating the majority of nursing home residents – about 11,000 people – over the past two weeks.
He said they hope to receive the Astrazeneca / Oxford vaccine this week.
“And then GPs can start what we would think of as big vaccination programs, hundreds of thousands of people get vaccinated because it is so much easier to use Astrazeneca.”
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