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Nearly 1,000 people in the North have tested positive for coronavirus in the past 24 hours in what is the largest daily increase since the pandemic began.
The daily statistics bulletin released by the Northern Ireland (DoH) Department of Health on Friday afternoon showed that 934 new cases of the virus have been identified in the past 24 hours.
The figure is more than double the previous highest number of daily cases, which was established just two days ago.
One more coronavirus-related death was reported, bringing the total recorded by the Department to 582.
The total number of positive Covid-19 cases that have now been identified is 12,886. In the last seven days, 2,623 cases have been identified, including 1,147 cases among people aged 20 to 39.
On Thursday, the North Executive agreed broad restrictions to address the dramatic increase in cases in the city of Derry and the Strabane district council area.
The measures, which will take legal effect from Monday, include strict limits on the hotel industry and an instruction to avoid travel in and out of the area. Many companies have already voluntarily closed.
The number of cases identified in Derry and Strabane in the past seven days has risen to 637, and the rate of cases per 100,000 is now 423.
Also of concern are the growing number of infections in Belfast, Newry Morne and Down and Mid-Ulster.
In Newry, Morne and Down, the rate per 100,000 has risen to 214, while in Belfast it is 161.5 and in Mid-Ulster it is 155.
North Korea’s chief medical officer, Dr. Michael McBride, told the BBC that further restrictions are likely in the coming weeks if the number of cases continues to rise, and he did not rule out a short and intensive period of lockdown.
“I think we have to plan and prepare and analyze the options around the so-called circuit breaker,” he said.
“In order for us to get through the next few months, we may need to apply more restrictions, perhaps for a short period of a couple of weeks … and then if the virus starts to rise again, we may need to reapply some of those broader additional restrictions.
“It is vitally important that we stay abreast of this virus and implement all the tools in our toolbox.
“There is no magic bullet here, no hammer you can pull out to suppress this virus; it is about the combination of interventions, restrictions that reduce the mix between people.
“There may come a point, if we see very significant transmission at the Northern Ireland level, where we need to move away from local restrictions to broader restrictions at the Northern Ireland level, and that may include a circuit breaker,” he said.
“Now we have a very narrow window to act. The consequences would be profound if we don’t. ” Additional reports: PA
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