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The NORTH IRELAND HEALTH minister and medical director rejected the suggestion that the spread of Covid-19 has some link to political affiliation.
The comments by Robin Swann and Dr. Michael McBride came amid the continuing fallout from Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots’s claim that the virus was more widespread in nationalist areas than in unionist areas by a factor of six to one.
Poots suggested that the coronavirus had risen among nationalists at a higher rate because behaviors had been influenced by the “poor political leadership” displayed by Sinn Fein leaders when they attended the June funeral of IRA veteran Bobby Storey in Belfast in apparent violation of the Stormont rules on mass gatherings.
The latest interventions in the furor came as Stormont Senior Scientific Advisor Professor Ian Young highlighted a “positive sign” that the rise in Covid-19 infections in the region was beginning to decline.
Professor Young also said that more of the scientific evidence that informed the executive’s decision making would be made available to the public in an online resource.
In another development today, the BBC reported that more than 2,700 healthcare employees were isolated in Northern Ireland’s five regional health trusts and NI’s Ambulance Service.
During Assembly Question Time, Minister Swann told the MLA that there was no evidentiary basis for Poots’ claim.
“One thing we don’t do is ask anyone who has contracted Covid-19 their political or religious affiliation,” he said.
Swann added: “Our nurses, our doctors, our hospital gatekeepers don’t care what religion or political affiliation their patients have, or Covid.
And I think that’s the critical point, we have to communicate to anyone who hears that this virus does not respect political persuasion, religious beliefs, or economic or social background.
“He’s an equal opportunity killer.”
Dr. McBride made similar points during a separate press conference this afternoon.
“Certainly, at no time would we have publicly or privately suggested that there is a link between Covid-19 transmission rates and people’s political affiliation or religion,” he said.
“There is no such evidence, we do not have that evidence and our approach throughout all of this has been guided by the evidence.”
He added: “I am not aware of such evidence and I am not sure of the basis for those comments.”
Dr. McBride also moved to dispel speculation that GAA-related events had a disproportionate impact on rising infection numbers in recent weeks.
“There is no sporting event that has less association with people coming together to celebrate the outcome of a particular event or to congregate to watch a particular event,” he said.
Edwin Poots said his comments were not sectarian and, instead, a political statement about the leadership of Sinn Fein.
Source: Liam McBurney via PA Images
In the same briefing, Professor Young said that several identifiable groups had been linked to sports clubs and events, but emphasized that those cases involved all the major sports codes in the region.
‘Poor political leadership’
Poots has insisted that his comments were not sectarian, telling Irish News that that could not be the case because most Sinn Fein leaders “do not attend Catholic Church on a regular basis.”
He said his comments were instead a political statement about “poor political leadership.”
In today’s Assembly, Poots constituency and party colleague Paul Givan defended his position, insisting that he had not brought the issue of religion into the debate.
“Those who make the accusations about other colleagues are blinded by their own catastrophic failures when it comes to how this issue has been handled,” said Lagan Valley MLA.
“The issue of funerals (has been) well documented, (they have) an inability to recognize that in areas the rate has been higher.
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“And that’s what my colleague (Mr. Poots) described, the rate has been higher in those areas where the opposite party (Sinn Fein) has more political support than other areas.
“No mention (made by Mr. Poots) of religion anywhere.”
The Health Department announced today another three deaths related to Covid-19 and 913 new cases of the virus.
The toll registered by the department now stands at 624.
There have been 28,953 confirmed cases of the virus since the outbreak began, 6,850 in the seven days since Tuesday.
There are currently 286 Covid-19 patients being treated at the hospital, with 29 in intensive care.
Professor Young said there was evidence that limits on domestic restrictions introduced last month had worked.
“What we are beginning to see is a slowdown in the rate of increase, which is a positive sign and most likely reflects the household restrictions, which were put in place some time ago, and possibly the very beginning of the impact of the more recent ones. restrictions, ”he said.
He said there was also evidence of a “fairly steady decline” in infection rates in the Derry City area and Strabane Council, the current Covid hotspot in Northern Ireland.
Professor Young attributed this to localized restrictions that had been introduced in the area several weeks ago.
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