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Northern Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister has said there is “no question” that intervention is required to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Michelle O’Neill said the Stormont Executive will discuss the timing of an intervention when ministers meet tomorrow.
A public health expert said there was no public health leadership in Northern Ireland, resulting in an extraordinarily difficult period, which is likely to get worse as Christmas approaches.
Royal Society of Medicine President of Epidemiology and Public Health, Dr. Gabriel Scally, told RTÉ’s Six One that Stormont ministers had failed to control the situation and produce the kind of package of measures that would control the disease. .
Dr Scally said that there was a poor contact tracing system in Northern Ireland and there were no controls at borders and ports.
He said he agreed with Dr Tom Black, head of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, who said the situation was caused by a failure of leadership at the highest level.
Dr. Scally said that political and professional leadership had been poor and the region was paying the price.
Health Minister Robin Swann will present proposals to the executive for new Covid-19 restrictions tomorrow.
Ms O’Neill said she intends to make the “right decision” around coronavirus restrictions, and “not the popular one.”
“Christmas will be here next year as well, it is a very difficult time, it is a very difficult decision to make as political leaders, sometimes you have to do the right thing, not the popular thing and in my mind what we have to do. it’s the right thing to do to keep people safe and save lives, “he said.
“I am prepared to do whatever it takes, so tomorrow I will work with my fellow executives to try to get to a position that really offers it.”
It occurs when there have been eight more deaths from coronavirus in Northern Ireland, six of which occurred in the last 24 hours.
The official death toll stands at 1,143.
510 new cases of the disease have also been confirmed from tests on 3,242 people, bringing the cumulative total to 59,631.
There are 457 confirmed Covid-19 patients in the hospital, with 32 in the ICU, 25 of whom are hooked up to ventilators.
Prime Minister Arlene Foster said she did not expect Swann to recommend that new measures be introduced before Christmas.
“I do not think he is proposing to close before Christmas, but of course we will see what Robin and his team of advisers have to tell us, I do not want to prejudge what he is going to tell us tomorrow but we are in a serious situation,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the last two weeks do not seem to have dropped the R number below 1, there is a diminishing return in terms of restrictions, people are away from home now, and therefore there is a great need for people to have a personal responsibility.
“I’m not going to prejudge what the minister is going to bring us, but we will certainly have something to say tomorrow and during the next few days.”
Ms. O’Neill also urged people to follow public health advice and asked them to limit their movements before Christmas gatherings.
When asked if the executive had eased the circuit breaker restrictions too soon, Ms O’Neill said: “We followed public health advice throughout the process, I would not have done anything unless it was endorsed by the director doctor and advisory scientific director and that will be the position again tomorrow.
“But I would make a strong case that we clearly need intervention, it is the time when it may be most effective that we need to consider, but I don’t think there is any doubt that intervention is required.”
Ms. Foster and Ms. O’Neill expressed concern about pressures on the health service.
Hospital capacity throughout the north stood at 104% yesterday.
At one point outside the Antrim Area Hospital, 17 ambulances with patients were lined up outside the emergency room and doctors were treating patients in the parking lot.
“It’s not where we want to be and of course we always have winter pressures this time of year, but Covid-19 has exacerbated it,” Ms Foster said.
Ms O’Neill added: “It is totally unacceptable that people are being treated in the back of ambulances, but it shows that our health service is under enormous pressure, so I am very clear that what we need It is an intervention, how does that look? We will discuss it in the Executive tomorrow. “
The situation at the Antrim Area Hospital improved significantly overnight and there are now no ambulances queuing outside and no patients being seen in the parking lot.
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