Coronavirus: Robin Swann says new lockdown restrictions for Londonderry and Strabane council area inevitable

The council area has now become “one of the very highest regions, if not the highest, in the UK” in terms of coronavirus cases, Northern Ireland’s Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Ian Young added.

Ministers in the Executive will consider new restrictions in light of the recent increase in cases across the Province.

There were 424 cases of the virus confirmed today, the highest total since the beginning of the pandemic by a wide margin.

A record number of cases has now been recorded four times in less than a week.

Mr Swann, speaking during a press conference at Stormont, said it is “inconceivable” new restrictions won’t be imposed to try and stem the rapid increase.

“I believe we are now at that moment where further action is necessary to combat the spread of coronavirus,” said the minister.

“Those conversations will happen in the Executive tomorrow (Thursday) and we will have to decide what new restrictions to apply and should they be to the whole of Northern Ireland or on a more localised basis in areas where cases are particularly high.”

In the Derry and Strabane council area alone, there were 139 cases recorded today.

There has been a remarkable surge in cases in the area in recent weeks, which has went from one of the least impacted in Northern Ireland throughout the course of the pandemic to one of the most impacted in the UK.

Asked by the News Letter about the area, Mr Swann said: “I don’t want to pre-empt anything but when we look at the figures of where Derry City and Strabane council area is, I think it’s inevitable that there will be additional measures put in place in that area.

“That’s where we are seeing the largest increase in positive cases.”

The minister also said a two-week full lockdown – a so-called circuit breaker lockdown – would not be introduced today.

He did, however, raise the prospect of such a move over the Halloween mid-term break, or potentially even earlier.

“We are aware other parts of the United Kingdom will be looking at that as an option and it’s something that we have not taken off the table,” he said.

Mr Swann hinted that new restrictions could include added limitations on the hospitality sector, and on family and community interactions.