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Stormont’s Prime Minister has said she respectfully disagrees with a leading medical body’s assessment that the new restrictions for Northern Ireland are “too small, too late”.
Arlene Foster was responding to a claim by the British Medical Association NI that only a complete lockdown could have prevented the healthcare service from falling off the edge of a Covid cliff.
He defended the package of measures when the shared power administration announced the expansion of a financial support scheme to cover businesses that will be forced to close as a result of the four-week “circuit interruption.”
BMA Northern Ireland Council Chairman Tom Black said doctors believe the intensified measures are “too little, too late and not going far enough.”
Dr. Black said that the growing number of cases in the region justified a “total lockdown”, a measure that he said should have been activated much earlier.
He said it was the first time that BMA members in the region did not endorse a Stormont response to the pandemic.
Under the measures that go into effect tomorrow at 6 p.m., pubs and restaurants will close for four weeks, with the exception of take-out and deliveries, and schools will close for two weeks, one of which is the summer break. Halloween mid-term.
Foster said the executive had to consider many factors when deciding on the restrictions, not just the health implications.
“I heard comments from Dr. Tom Black of the BMA today. I respectfully disagree with him, ”he said.
“I say that because I not only have to look at the health results on these issues, but, of course, the economic results, the social results, the education of our young people … and, therefore, I think that what we presented was an action plan that has been combined to try to address all those problems, without taking a minute off the great challenge that we all face in relation to Covid-19. “
Today four deaths related to Covid-19 and 763 new cases of the virus were reported.
6,394 new positive cases have been reported in the last seven days, bringing the total to 23,878.
As of yesterday, 201 patients with Covid-19 were being treated in the hospital, with 24 in intensive care.
New restrictions
Under the new restrictions, retail stores will remain open, as will gyms for individual training.
Churches will also remain open, capped at 25 at funerals and weddings. Wedding receptions are prohibited.
People have been advised to work from home unless they cannot and have also been 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
Close contact services, such as hairdressers and estheticians, should cease.
At a Stormont press conference yesterday, Foster also moved to provide clarity on some issues that had caused confusion among businesses and the general public.
She said hotels could stay open, but only to a limited extent to accommodate people who were already residents, key workers or those in vulnerable or emergency situations.
The DUP leader said independent and rented accommodations can stay open, taxis can still operate, pools can operate for individual use but not group classes, and music lessons and tuition can be provided from home.
He said private nurseries and preschools could also remain open during the school’s closing period.
The Prime Minister said that while the deceased could be transferred to private homes, wakes were not allowed.
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Foster reiterated the view that the measures did not represent a blockade.
“This is a careful and thoughtful combination of actions designed to cause maximum damage to the virus, but minimum damage to the daily lives of our people,” he said.
At the same press conference, Finance Minister Conor Murphy announced that a support plan put in place for companies affected by localized restrictions recently imposed in the City of Derry and the Strabane council area will be extended to the rest of Ireland from the North.
The scheme agreed by the executive will double the original payment rates, but will only be eligible for businesses that are forced to close as a result of new regional restrictions.
You will see that small businesses will receive £ 800 per week, medium-sized businesses £ 1,200 a week, and large businesses £ 1,600.
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