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A repeated cycle of lockdowns and spikes in coronavirus cases “is not feasible,” the Stormont health minister said.
Robin Swann said he hopes the series of restrictions planned over the next four weeks will be “long and harsh enough” to reduce the virus’s R rate below one.
The minister said the key would be for people to continue to comply with basic infection control measures after the four weeks have passed.
“If we can reinvigorate the people of Northern Ireland to re-engage with our messages and maintain that behavior for as long as possible, it will keep the infection rate as low as possible for as long as possible and that is what helps us. in the health service and prevents the spread of Covid-19, “he said at a press conference in Stormont.
The R rate is currently estimated between 1.5 and 1.6.
Previously, Northern Ireland had 1,217 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, a new daily record for the region, along with four more coronavirus-related deaths.
Swann said there were 129 cases a month ago and 34 the month before.
Health Minister Robin Swann during a press conference in Stormont. Photo: Press Eye / PA “>North Korea’s chief scientific adviser, Professor Ian Young, said the number of cases was increasing “steadily and dramatically”, adding that “serious intervention” was required to prevent the health service from being “overwhelmed. “.
Northern Ireland Medical Director Dr. Michael McBride sent a strong message to those who did not take the virus seriously: “If you still believe the threat has been overblown, it is time to wake up.”
Swann also announced on Wednesday that the Covid-19 hospital in the Nightingale region of Northern Ireland, located at Belfast City Hospital, will be back in full operation.
The region will enter a period of intensifying coronavirus restrictions after the Stormont executive announced the closure of schools, pubs and restaurants.
Pubs and restaurants will close for four weeks, with the exception of take-out and delivery, while schools will close on Monday for two weeks, one of which will cover the mid-term break.
The measures do not amount to a large-scale lockdown similar to the one imposed during the virus’s first wave, but mark a significant increase in the administration’s response to spiraling infection rates.
Swann stressed that Northern Ireland had a chance for a better Christmas, a festive season in which “hope has not been crushed”, if the public abided by the new regulations.
Under the new restrictions, retail stores will remain open, as will gyms for individual training.
The churches will also remain open. It is understood that a 25-person limit will be set on funerals and weddings, but wedding receptions are prohibited.
People should work from home unless they can’t, and they are urged not to take unnecessary travel.
Indoor sports activities are not allowed and outdoor contact sports will be limited to elite athletes.
Unlicensed licenses will be required to close at 8pm
(Graphics PA) “>Close contact services, such as hairdressers and estheticians, should cease.
Services that provide health and therapeutic interventions will be allowed to continue.
Nurseries and nurseries will remain open.
The measures will take effect at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Prime Minister Arlene Foster announced the restrictions at a special session of the Assembly on Wednesday.
He said the rising Covid-19 figures in Northern Ireland were of “great concern”.
“We fully appreciate that this will be difficult and worrying news for many people,” he told the MLAs.
“The executive has made this decision because it is necessary and we discuss the impacts in great detail. We do not take this step lightly. “
It marks a point where each and every one of us can take stock and go back to social distancing messages. That is of vital importance
Ms. Foster said the Executive expected the restrictions to have two impacts.
“First, about Covid transmission rates, which must be rejected now, or we will be in a very difficult place very soon,” he said.
“Second, we think it marks a point where each and every one of us can take stock and go back to messages of social distancing. That is vitally important. “
The restrictions were agreed upon after a Stormont Executive meeting that lasted after midnight and into Wednesday morning.
Mrs. Foster insisted that the restrictions would not last more than four weeks.
Vice Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill was unable to attend the Assembly session because she isolates herself after a family member tested positive for Covid-19.
Conor Murphy answering questions from the media about the new restrictions. Photo: Sinn Féin / PA “>His Sinn Féin colleague and Stormont Finance Minister Conor Murphy said rising infection rates leave Northern Ireland facing a “tremendously worrying situation” that requires “swift action”.
“In the first instance, our duty is to protect lives and protect the health of the population,” he said.
“And for that reason, although they are difficult decisions, although we are very aware of the impact they have on society, the Executive has agreed on a series of measures to be taken.”
Current restrictions on domestic mixing will be maintained. That means there is no mixing of households in private housing, with exceptions that include those that join in social bubbles, and gatherings in private housing gardens limited to six people from no more than two households.
The 1,217 daily case count is not directly comparable to the first wave of the pandemic, as far fewer tests were conducted in that period.
However, it is the highest total on record since the testing regimen was expanded in Northern Ireland to include community settings.
A total of 6,693 new positive cases of the virus have been detected in the last seven days, bringing the total number of cases in the region to 23,115.
There are currently 164 patients in hospitals with Covid-19, including 24 in intensive care.
The Derry and Strabane Council area, which has experienced the highest infection rate in the UK and Ireland, now has a seven-day average of 992 cases per 100,000 people.
The area is already subject to additional localized restrictions.
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