Northern Ireland

Stormont plan for easing lockdown postponed as infection rate 'still too high'

Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill at the Executive daily briefing yesterday. Picture by Presseye
Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill at the Executive daily briefing yesterday. Picture by Presseye Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill at the Executive daily briefing yesterday. Picture by Presseye

STORMONT'S plan for easing lockdown restrictions was postponed last night as ministers warned the coronavirus infection rate is still too high.

The executive agreed to extend current regulations on social distancing for a further three weeks.

It had been suggested ministers could publish a phased recovery plan yesterday.

But instead first minister Arlene Foster said Northern Ireland's "road map to recovery" would be published early next week.

She added that there may be "minor" adjustments to the lockdown rules next week.

Ministers yesterday were involved in calls with Secretary of State Brandon Lewis and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and will take part in a Cobra meeting on Sunday, when Mr Johnson is set to outline his plans.

But Mrs Foster said the infection rate is still too high to ease lockdown restrictions.

"We still believe that they are needed and are proportionate to deal with the threat of the spread of the virus," she said.

Mrs Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said there is agreement around the executive on the shape of the recovery plan and the decision to extend the regulations.

Ms O'Neill said she knew people would be "disappointed" but the region is still on a "knife-edge" in efforts to suppress the virus.

"We're still very much in the response (stage), we're still in the fightback against Covid-19 but we're also in the space where we're planning for the recovery," she said.

"And that's the light at the end of the tunnel which we know that everybody wants to be able to see.

"So we reviewed all the regulations, we reviewed everything that we've been asking you to do right now. And we did that based on the scientific evidence that was available to us and all the medical evidence."

She added: "That means that we're not in a position today that we're able to move on any of those regulations or we're not able to relax anything at this time."

Another four Covid-19 deaths were confirmed by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland yesterday, bringing total fatalities to 422.

It was reported 14 people in one Co Down care home alone have died.

It is understood 39 residents at Ringdufferin Nursing Home in Killyleagh also have the virus.

Figures suggest around 40 per cent of coronavirus-related deaths in the north have been linked to care homes, with 110 care homes reporting suspected or confirmed coronavirus cases.

Giving evidence to Stormont's health committee yesterday, the Public Health Agency (PHA) said 75 of those had been confirmed.

Chief executive Olive MacLeod said: "There are 110 open and active cases being managed by the PHA where there are reported respiratory illnesses."

She said 16 care homes have had outbreaks concluded since the start of the pandemic and 126 acute respiratory outbreaks have been reported to the PHA.

In the Republic, a further 29 deaths were announced and 137 additional confirmed cases of coronavirus.

It came as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said it is possible Covid-19 was already in the Republic last year.

The first case was confirmed at the end of February, but Mr Varadkar said it should not be assumed the virus arrived from Italy at that time.

"It is noteworthy that initial experts suggest from retrospective testing that the virus was circulating in France as far back as December last year," he told the Dail.

"That is before the virus even had a name or a test for it. In some ways this is not surprising.

"France is well connected to China with dozens of flights every day and Ireland is well connected to France.

"Indeed, it is possible that the virus was already in Ireland last year or in January this year."

Meanwhile, the Royal Black Institution has cancelled all its parades, demonstrations and services this summer.

The move means the popular Scarva Sham Fight and Last Saturday demonstrations will not go ahead.