46-year-old woman becomes first in NI to be accused of violating Covid-19 regulations

A 46-year-old woman was charged with violating Covid-19 regulations in Strabane, making her the first person in Northern Ireland to be charged with such a crime.

The woman will appear in Derry Magistrates Court tomorrow. The charges will be reviewed by the Public Ministry.

The Northern Ireland Police Service did not give specific details of how the Health Protection Regulations (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Northern Ireland) 2020 were violated, but said that incident occurred in Strabane in Tyrone.

The Strabane and Derry area has some of the highest rates of Covid-19 on the island. The latest figures for the region place the seven-day incidence rate at 478.5 per 100,000.

Yesterday, Northern Ireland registered 726 cases of Covid-19. On Friday, 934 cases of the virus were confirmed, raising fears that stricter restrictions may be necessary.

NI Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Ian Young has said the Executive will have no alternative but to opt for a total lockdown in the Derry City and Strabane area if rising infection rates are not suppressed.

Northern Irish households have already been banned from mingling in private homes.

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