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There have been 1,299 new Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland in the last 24-hour reporting period, the region’s Department of Health has announced.<\/p>\nThere have been 1,299 new Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland in the last 24-hour reporting period, the region’s Department of Health has announced.<\/p>\n
Some 6,708 new positive cases have been notified in the region in the last seven days.<\/p>\n
There were two deaths reported on Friday, taking the toll recorded by the department to 608.<\/p>\n
There are 213 patients with Covid-19 being treated in hospital in Northern Ireland, with 26 in intensive care.<\/p>\n
In the Republic, 244 people with Covid-19 are being treated in hospitals as of this morning, with 29 in intensive care as of last night.<\/p>\n
It comes as a Stormont Minister has expressed \u201cgrave reservations\u201d about several of Northern Ireland\u2019s latest coronavirus restrictions.<\/p>\n
DUP minister Edwin Poots claimed he and party colleagues on the power-sharing executive opposed many of the measures but were out-numbered by other ministers who favored a more robust approach.<\/p>\n
Mr Poots asked why traffic and human interactions at schools gates could not have been better managed, rather than closing schools.<\/p>\n
The minister said he would also have preferred more targeted localized restrictions in areas that have the worst infection rates, rather than blanket steps covering the whole region.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to be smarter on how we tackle Covid,\u201d he told BBC Radio Ulster\u2019s Talkback program.<\/p>\n
Mr Poots claimed chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride and chief scientific adviser Professor Ian Young have indicated to ministers that two more lockdowns would be required over the winter months.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the proposal is, and I believe that there is suggestion that there\u2019s at least another two lockdowns over the winter, then I think that\u2019s hugely damaging for the economy, for people\u2019s mental health and well-being and the consequences of it \u2013 probably tens of thousands of people on the dole and that\u2019s not good for the health of Northern Ireland,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The minister said the executive needed to take a \u201cmore measured approach\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t live in an eternal lockdown, people need to live their lives,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Poots also claimed that Dr McBride and Prof Young had indicated to him privately what lay behind the surge in cases in Northern Ireland but had not made that information public.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve asked the chief medical officer and the chief scientist the question and they\u2019ve admitted to me privately what the problem is but they haven\u2019t said it publicly,\u201d he told Talkback.<\/p>\n
Mr Poots singled out issues around sport and, in particular, post-match celebrations. He claimed some people were \u201cflagrantly breaking the rules\u201d over the summer months.<\/p>\n
The minister claimed Dr McBride had privately identified \u201csport\u201d and \u201cparties after particular events\u201d as problem areas.<\/p>\n
Edwin Poots added: \u201cThere is certainly an issue around sport. I can think of one event where people went to a bar after winning a particular cup, passed the cup around the bar full of drink and most of them actually caught Covid.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose types of behaviors are entirely unacceptable in a pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Poots was asked whether he was referring to the GAA.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not picking on one organization, but there are certainly those who have engaged in very poor behaviour over the course of the summer months, which has helped exacerbate this problem,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n