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The Northern Ireland Health Minister has expressed concern about the increasing number of close contacts related to positive cases of coronavirus.
Robin Swann said the average number of contacts associated with people who tested positive was just below one at the beginning of the year.
He told the Assembly health committee that the figure is now almost 2.5.
Mr Swann was discussing the work of the Northern Ireland Proof, Trace and Protection system.
He said the improved system ensured that around 94% of close contacts were contacted and informed.
He said the average time to make contact was six and a half hours.
Swann said about 12,000 positive cases a week were being processed in January. He added that the figure had fallen to 3,000 last week as a result of the restrictions.
But he said: “What would be a concern … is that we are actually seeing an increase in the number of contacts that each positive case has even though we are in a lockdown situation, so it has moved just below from one beginning of the year to almost two and a half for each positive contact.
“So mildly concerned that positive cases continue to see more people, even though we are in that period of restriction.”
Swann told committee members that the infection’s reproductive rate, the number of people an infected person infects, had dropped well below one as a result of the shutdown.
“This has undoubtedly saved lives and interrupted a potentially catastrophic crisis both for the health and social assistance service, and for society as a whole,” said the minister.
However, he said the decline had “stalled” and in recent weeks had started to pick up again.
“While the downward trend in new cases continues, there is growing concern that R has stabilized and stagnated and has even started to creep up toward one at times in recent weeks.
“And that means that hospital occupancy may decline more slowly with ongoing pressures for several weeks ahead.”
Swann later added: “Our R rate is now as low as it has been since October (but) it is not as low as in July, nor as low as in June, so it is still high.”
The minister said that when the executive was taking a regional approach to lockdown restrictions last year, the trigger point for the action was 80 cases per 100,000.
“Now we don’t have a local district in Northern Ireland lower than that,” he said.
The Health Department has been notified of nine more deaths in Northern Ireland, eight of which occurred in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 1,966.
It also reported 253 new cases of Covid-19, the lowest number of new cases recorded in a 24-hour period since September 28.
9 additional coronavirus deaths recorded in Northern Ireland, 8 of which occurred in the past 24 hours. Becomes official @healthdpt toll to 1966. Also 253 new test cases on 1,806 people @rtenews @FergalBowers @Fergal_O_Brien @LauraHoganTV @GeorgeLeeRTE
– Vincent Kearney (@vincekearney) February 11, 2021
There are 518 confirmed coronavirus patients in the hospital, 58 in the ICU, 53 of whom are on ventilators.
The average seven-day infection rate per 100,000 in Northern Ireland is 126.3. The highest rate remains in Mid Ulster with 227.8, while the lowest continues to be Fermanagh and Omagh with 60.8.
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