Former doctors may be called out of retirement to join Northern Irish coronavirus battle

In addition, the chief medical officer for the Province has said he would not be minded to recommend a ban on large-scale public gatherings, saying the scientific evidence is not clear about how effective such actions really are.

Those are just two of the facts to emerge from a briefing given yesterday in the headquarters of the Public Health Agency in Belfast.

Senior medical figures tasked with stemming the tide of the so-called coronavirus delivered the briefing shortly after revealing that the number of cases has continued to rise.

As of 9am yesterday, there were four new presumed positive cases of coronavirus (properly called Covid-19) in Northern Ireland.

If they are confirmed positive as is expected, then it will bring the total number of cases in Northern Ireland to 16.

All four new cases are adults; one case involved recent travel from northern Italy, and the other three can be traced to a previously reported case that involved recent travel to northern Italy.

The Italy–Northern Ireland travel situation was unclear yesterday.

The current UK government advice is to avoid “all but essential travel to Italy”.

Ryanair had already cancelled its twice-weekly flights from Belfast International Airport to Milan.

EasyJet was due to fly to Venice on Monday but did not.

However, the airport yesterday was not clear whether a Venice flight on Friday is going ahead (tickets for the flight were still for sale on easyJet’s website last night, indicating it is not cancelled), and whether a Jet2 Saturday flight to Verona is going ahead (tickets for this were also still for sale online last night).

The first and deputy first ministers yesterday revealed they have cancelled a trip to Washington, USA, having last week cancelled a visit to New York.

They said their journey, which was timed around St Patrick’s Day, was scrapped “to support the ongoing efforts to deal with Covid-19”.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds will still attend engagements in Washington to “deliver the message that Northern Ireland is open for business”.

Yesterday Dr Sloan Harper, director of integrated care at the Health and Social Care Board, said as part of their “surge planning process” health officials want to have the option of rehiring retired doctors.

He said Westminster is currently considering emergency legislation which would allow this.

He imagined it might involve 20 to 30 retired doctors in Northern Ireland, but added: “They have to want to do it.

“A lot of them are imbued with the ethos of the health service which, in spite of the challenges, they know it’s of huge value and their colleagues and former colleagues are under pressure.

“We know a lot of GPs will put their shoulder to the wheel. It’s a cultural ethos ...

“They understand when their colleagues are under pressure and they won’t let them down.”

He would envisage them working at a rate equivalent to roughly £76,000-or-so per annum. He did not say how many Covid-19 cases it would take before they start rehiring retirees.

Also speaking at yesterday’s press briefing was Dr Michael McBride, the Department of Health’s chief medical officer, who was quizzed over allowing public gatherings to go ahead.

He told reporters: “The evidence of the effectiveness of banning or postponing mass gatherings is very very limited, in terms of its benefit, set against the social cost of it.

“We’ve seen that approach taken by other European countries. But as the ministers right across the UK have been clear, we continue to be guided by the evidence.

“There’s this difference in perception between what the public thinks works, which is banning mass gatherings, and how effective that is.”

Asked if he would recommend banning other large-scale gatherings in the Province, he said: “That would not be my advice.”

Meanwhile, yesterday a string of further events were axed.

St Patrick’s celebrations run by Derry and Strabane District Council were dropped with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council cancelling their parade in Enniskillen.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council also cancelled parades in Newry and Downpatrick.

It comes after Belfast City Council ditched its St Patrick’s parade, as did Dublin.

By contrast the people behind the huge SEE Arena in Belfast said yesterday: “At present the SSE Arena remains open and all events scheduled are going ahead as planned. Should this change, we will communicate information to all ticket holders.”

The Department of Education said only Newtownhamilton High School and its associated primary school have closed.