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THERE HAVE BEEN 877 new confirmed Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland in the last 24 hours, its Health Department said.
Three more deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 591.
Of a total of 98 ICU beds, 22 of them are occupied by patients with Covid-19. In total, 144 people are in hospitals in Northern Ireland and have Covid-19.
The latest numbers of cases come amid a worsening situation with the virus in all six counties, particularly in the Derry-Strabane region. In the last seven days in this area, there have been 971 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest on the island of Ireland.
Over the weekend, nearly 2,000 Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Northern Ireland. On Friday, 1,080 record cases were confirmed.
Reports emerged this morning that the North’s chief medical officer, Dr. Michael McBride, had suggested a six-week lockdown to try to reverse current trends.
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson criticized the move, saying that Dr. McBride needed to produce the data to justify imposing a six-week lockdown.
Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann has confirmed that a document was presented to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister last night outlining Dr McBride and Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Ian Young on additional restrictions.
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“I can confirm that I sent a document last night to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister detailing the advice of the medical director and the chief scientific adviser,” Swann told the Assembly.
“That document recommends that decisive action be taken urgently to save lives, prevent the health service from being overwhelmed, and protect non-Covid services to the greatest extent possible.”
Earlier today, data released by the PSNI showed that 36 people had been fined £ 1,000 for failing to isolate themselves since the start of the pandemic.
Additional 1,321 Covid-19-related penalty notices have also been issued for those over the age of 18, while 73 commercial and 206 private ban notices were issued to restrict gatherings that exceed limits.
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