Northern Ireland

Covid case numbers coming down but still 'too high', health minister warns

Health minister Robin Swann said Covid infection rates are still too high despite a dramatic drop from late December
Health minister Robin Swann said Covid infection rates are still too high despite a dramatic drop from late December Health minister Robin Swann said Covid infection rates are still too high despite a dramatic drop from late December

CORONAVIRUS infection rates are falling in Northern Ireland but remain "too high" with frontline staff facing severe pressures, health minister Robin Swann has warned.

At a press briefing, Mr Swann said he had met earlier with chairs of health trusts where the mental impact of the pandemic on NHS workers was discussed.

Accompanied by a leading nurse based in the north's Nightingale hospital, the minister appealed for people to stay at home and not make unnecessary journeys to slow the spread of Covid-19, saying staff need "breathing space" as "they cannot continue to go on like this".

He added there were "no shortcuts" out of lockdown.

While case numbers have dropped dramatically from the end of last year, when more than 2,000 positive tests were confirmed on December 30, they increased to 504 from 314 on Monday.

Sister Liz Moore spoke of the high levels of stress among her colleagues at the Nightingale facility.

"Afterwards it will manifest itself as well," she said.

"We do have our occupational health departments, our psychology departments, there is help there that we can access if we need it."

Mr Swann also confirmed a "significant consignment" of the AstraZeneca vaccine had been delivered and distributed to GP surgeries across the north.

"As of yesterday evening, we have administered 271,826 vaccines," he said.

"That's an increase of over 13,500 in the last 24 hours - one of our highest numbers of vaccines administered over a single day.

"...We are making progress, let's keep building on that."