Extra £200m for NI battle against virus announced

Northern Ireland is to receive an extra £200 million to help fight the coronavirus, it has been announced.
By Niall Deeney
Published 13th Apr 2020, 22:50 BST
Handout photo issued by 10 Downing Street of (left to right) Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). Issue date: Monday April 13, 2020. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/Crown Copyright/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.Handout photo issued by 10 Downing Street of (left to right) Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). Issue date: Monday April 13, 2020. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/Crown Copyright/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Handout photo issued by 10 Downing Street of (left to right) Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). Issue date: Monday April 13, 2020. See PA story HEALTH Coronavirus. Photo credit should read: Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/Crown Copyright/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

The funding comes as a further six deaths associated with the virus in Northern Ireland were recorded yesterday, bringing the total confirmed death toll here to 124.

The number of deaths in UK hospitals has risen to 11,329 - up by 717 since Sunday.

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The extra cash comes as a result of the boost to the Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund announced yesterday by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

The Treasury says its emergency fund has so far provided devolved administrations with almost £2 billion via the Barnett formula — including a total of £340m in Northern Ireland thanks to the latest £200 million boost.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said: “This government has promised to do everything in its power to help this country defeat coronavirus — protecting people, their jobs and their loved ones.

“This additional funding for the Northern Ireland Executive delivers on that promise by bolstering support for our fantastic public services and their staff — making sure they have the resources they need to meet the exceptional challenges presented by this outbreak.”

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Meanwhile, the government has said it does not expect to loosen its lockdown restrictions during the coming week.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said easing the lockdown too soon would “risk a second wave” of infections.

Mr Raab, standing in for the Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he recovers from the coronavirus, said there are some “positive signs” from the latest data that show the UK is “starting to win this struggle” against coronavirus but warned: “We are still not past the peak.”

He continued: “At the end of last week we were concerned that people might start ignoring the advice or cutting corners given the temptation to go out into the sunshine. In fact the overwhelming majority of people stayed at home and understood the importance of doing so. By staying home this weekend, you’ve saved lives.”

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Mr Raab added: “Thank you, your efforts are making all the difference. We’ve come too far, we’ve lost too many loved ones and we’ve sacrificed too much to ease up now.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Our public services and its incredible staff are bravely working with immense resolve and skill to keep us safe. We depend on them, which is why we’re giving them the extra funds, tools and resources they need to tackle the virus.”

Related topics:Northern IrelandDominic RaabRishi SunakBrandon LewisBoris JohnsonNorthern Ireland Executive