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Northern Ireland is at a “crossroads” in addressing the rise in Covid-19 cases and more steps must be taken to curb it, Robin Swann warned.
The Health Minister spoke as Northern Ireland recorded another record of new positive cases on Wednesday.
Another 424 cases were announced, 139 of which were in the Derry and Strabane council area.
A new Covid-19-related death was announced, bringing the Health Department’s total to 579.
Speaking at Stormont’s executive press conference on Wednesday, Swann said he was “more concerned about what’s coming” than at any time since he became minister in January.
Swann said it was “inconceivable” that the executive did not take further action.
“Those talks will take place tomorrow and we will have to decide what new restrictions apply and if they are for all NI or if they are more localized.”
Four of the highest daily numbers of new cases since the current test model was introduced have been confirmed in the last six days.
Three hundred and twenty new cases were announced on Tuesday and 1,950 in the last seven days.
“We are not powerless, you are not powerless, we can claim a better future for ourselves, our families and our fellow citizens,” he said.
“We can roll back this virus.”
Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Ian Young said the increase in cases “is not due to increased testing.”
He said at the briefing that it was due to increased community transmission of the virus and that there would soon be a significant increase in hospital admissions, if efforts to curb the spread did not increase.
Professor Young previously warned that if the current trend continues, Northern Ireland could have 1,000 new cases a day in a month.
When asked about the possibility of introducing a two-week “circuit breaker”, a mini-lockout, Swann said it was something the Health Department was still considering, but that looking at it across Northern Ireland at the moment was not. appropriate.
‘Circuit breaker not appropriate yet’
Professor Young said it was “one of the most powerful interventions in terms of reducing the transmission of the virus.”
He added that the executive should consider more restrictions in terms of their economic, social and mental health implications.
The chief scientific adviser also said that he did not think it was time for “measures of that magnitude across Northern Ireland.”
Swann said his officials would recommend “a number of options” in terms of additional restrictions at Thursday’s executive meeting.
It would not be based on specific proposals, but raised the possibility of more restrictions on hospitality, family interaction, and travel distances.
Arlene Foster said they would discuss more actions
Earlier, Prime Minister Arlene Foster said the increase in cases is not “irreversible.”
She told a news conference at Hillsborough Castle, after meeting Prince Charles, that Northern Ireland “can handle this.”
“We will meet with the chief medical advisers tonight and see what they have to say regarding the location of new cases on whether further action is needed,” he added.
“You have to have a period of time to allow the restrictions to work, we only implemented the restrictions across Northern Ireland last week, we won’t know until next week if there has been an impact.”
The executive will meet on Thursday
Deputy Prime Minister Michelle O’Neill said the executive “would keep everything on the table” and was prepared to respond with more restrictions if necessary.
“We are clearly at a juncture now in our fight against Covid-19 that is very worrying, we have to chart a way forward,” he said.
Northern Ireland currently records an average of 250 new cases a day and the number of Covid-19 patients in the hospital is doubling every 13 days, Professor Ian Young said on Tuesday.
In a month, that would equal 200 hospitalized patients with the disease.
At the peak of the first wave of the pandemic, Northern Ireland had around 300 Covid patients in the hospital, but Professor Young warned that we could approve it in six weeks if the actions being taken now do not have the desired effect.
Sixty-seven Covid patients are currently in the hospital, up from 59 on Tuesday; There are currently 10 patients in intensive care.
Derry and Strabane have had an infection rate of 323 per 100,000 in the last seven days. The region’s number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants is now among the highest in the UK, and the doctor warned that the increase in cases may be due to a “rogue approach” to public health guidelines.
In total, 11,269 cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed in Northern Ireland since the pandemic began; just under 17% of them have signed up in the past week.
Hospital Outbreak Concerns
Meanwhile, a patient and five staff members of a cardiology ward at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital have tested positive for Covid-19, BBC News NI learned.
A patient in the RVH cardiology ward tested positive for Covid-19, while another self-isolates
It is understood that the staff received positive test results during the last fortnight and testing is ongoing.
The Belfast Health and Social Care Trust confirmed the outbreak.
The trust also said that one patient self-isolated, but that no one was currently off work as a result of the group.
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Last week, Medical Director Dr. Michael McBride wrote to all healthcare staff advising them on how to minimize the risk of coronavirus outbreaks in hospitals and elsewhere.
He wrote: “It is extremely challenging to be on guard at all times and this can inadvertently result in failure to maintain recommended precautions in social interactions and other settings in our health and care facilities.
“Therefore, it is particularly important that we all remain vigilant in areas such as changing rooms, staff rooms, dining rooms, and while engaging in conversations or interacting in hallways and other settings when they are not involved in direct patient-facing activities.”
The daily Covid count may be starting to look monotonous, but reporting these numbers is crucial.
While some say the increase is due to more testing, according to officials, the actual number of people testing positive is also increasing.
More people have also been admitted to the hospital: eight more since yesterday and two more in intensive care.
There has also been one more death: a man in his 80s.
Derry City and Strabane now rank sixth in the UK for the number of cases per 100,000.
Mask fines
Meanwhile, police have told Good Morning Ulster that they have not fined anyone for violating the rules on wearing face covers.
To date, 15 people have been fined £ 1,000 for failure to comply with international travel regulations.
Police have said that the application of face masks is not specifically an arrestable crime, but that those who choose to violate health regulations may be subject to a fine.
